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At their March 22, 2022, meeting, Lakewood City Council Members passed a series of enhancements to public safety programs in Lakewood.
While crime rates in Lakewood remain low compared to most nearby communities, there has been a significant increase in the theft of autos and auto parts in Lakewood, including catalytic converters. This is a national problem at present, but council members said they want to do all they can at the local level to protect residents’ property and enhance the feeling of safety in Lakewood.
The Neighborhood Safety Enhancement Plan passed by the City Council includes:
Increased Deputy Sheriff patrols at night in Lakewood neighborhoods. (These will be added to existing patrols through overtime for deputies. Daytime patrols will not decrease.)
Lakewood will hire Security Guards to also patrol neighborhoods at night, working in collaboration with the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station.
The reason: The Sheriff’s Department countywide is currently limited in staffing and not allowing cities to add patrol positions to their contracts, so the Security Guards will enable Lakewood to increase the number of patrol vehicles during the critical overnight hours, with the goal of nearly doubling the number of patrol cars normally on Lakewood streets overnight.
The Security Guards will not carry out law enforcement actions, but will observe and report to Deputy Sheriffs for fast response. They will also provide a highly visible nighttime presence driving through Lakewood neighborhoods.
The Security Guards will be hired on a three-month contract, and their effectiveness will be evaluated over that time period before a decision is made on continuing their services.
Expanding the number of Automatic License Plate Reading cameras in Lakewood.
The ALPR cameras, part of the city’s Advanced Surveillance and Protection System, alert the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station when a wanted vehicle has passed the cameras, enabling Deputy Sheriffs to find suspects wanted for criminal activity.
The City of Lakewood’s investment in this high-tech video system is above and beyond what most cities do for public safety and has paid off with the arrest of several hundred suspects since its installation, catching suspects before they can commit crimes in Lakewood and tracking down those who have.
Rebate program for residents to purchase home security cameras.
