ARVADA, Colo. — A new camera monitoring system is coming to Olde Town Arvada this week after Gov. Jared Polis awarded the historic district a $56,000 grant.
In November, Olde Town shops experienced a rash of smash-and-grab burglaries. Now, business owners hope this will deter this type of crime.
"It was over $2,000 in damage of just the windows, not including the cash they stole from the drawer," said Sharon Hodge, owner of Pet Wants Arvada.
Along with the money, thieves stole a sense of security.
"It made us really scared for the safety of the business in general. How could that make customers feel?" said Hodge.
Thanks to the Safer Streets Grant Program, customers may feel safer in the new year with six new cameras coming to Olde Town.
"This really increases the capability of sheriff's offices and police departments to apprehend and convict criminals and deter crime in the first place," said Polis during his visit to Arvada on Monday.
Officers will be able to remotely monitor the cameras and provide intel when responding to calls.
"We’ve had some tragic incidents here, and we just want to make this safe for patrons, families, and the business community," said Ed Brady, Arvada's chief of police.
In 2021, Olde Town Arvada was the scene of a high-profile deadly shooting. A police officer, gunman and good Samaritan were all killed.
Back at the shop, Hodge is happy to hear the cameras are coming and wants thieves to know what they're getting into.
"Hopefully, it will catch people who are doing things. But I also think there probably should be some signage up that there are cameras around. I think overall that this can help the community get back to a place of maybe hopefully feeling a little bit safer day-to-day," said Hodge.
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