“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” ~Arthur Ashe
Last night, volunteers and victim advocates for the Grand Junction Police and Fire Departments were honored at our annual appreciation banquet. We benefit from the assistance of over 60 public safety volunteers, who handle a plethora of tasks, like speed enforcement, data entry, customer service, and assistance to victims of crime and tragedy, just to name a few. These dedicated volunteers allow us to provide a higher level of service to our community through their gift of time, freeing up our public safety employees for priority responses. Without them, some of the tasks they tend to simply couldn’t be completed. Our volunteers contributed a staggering 21,904 hours of service to our organizations in 2017. If they were paid just minimum wage for those hours, it would cost the City of Grand Junction over $200,000. The benefit of these dedicated community members goes far beyond cost savings. They are part of our law enforcement and fire families, with some serving alongside us for well over 20 years. Simply stated, we’re grateful.
If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer or victim advocate for the Grand Junction Police Department or the Grand Junction Fire Department, you can contact our volunteer coordinator, Jeannie Lewis, at (970)549-5130, or jeanniel@gjcity.org. Mary Harmeling, our victim advocate coordinator, can be reached at (970)549-5290, or maryh@gjcity.org.
GJPD Annual Report Now Available Online #GVCopBeat
Each spring, the Grand Junction Police Department releases an annual report for the previous year, with the intent of capturing notable events and accomplishments of our officers and staff. The annual report also includes crime and traffic statistics, and provides a comparison to the previous five years.
The Grand Junction Police Department’s 2017 Annual Report is now available at the City of Grand Junction’s website. This web page also contains links to annual reports from previous years. We hope you’ll take some time to review the report and learn more about the various ways we served the community in 2017. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about anything you read, please feel free to reach out to us. We can be reached by email at gjpd@gjcity.org, or you can call our Citizen Comment line at (970)549-5149.
GJPD Investigating Bank Robbery #GVCopBeat
The suspect is described as an Hispanic male in his 20s, 6’2″ with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a dark colored long sleeved pullover with light jeans and light colored shoes.
Anyone with information about this crime is urged to contact Crime Stoppers of Mesa County. Information leading to an arrest could earn you a reward of up to $1000.
Homicide Suspect Arrested #GVCopBeat
This evening, shortly before 6pm, Joseph Peace, the suspect in the homicide investigation from Monday morning, was arrested without incident at a residence in the 300 Block of Weeping Willow, after a joint operation between the Grand Junction Police Department and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. Peace will be remanded to the Mesa County Jail on an arrest warrant for one count of second degree murder for the homicide of Eric Ludwick. A current booking photo for Peace is not available, but attached is a photo from an unrelated arrest in December of 2017.GJPD Commander Graduates from Prestigious FBI Training Program #GVCopBeat
We’re pleased to congratulate GJPD Commander Matt Smith on his recent graduation from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia!
The National Academy was launched in 1935, by then Director Edgar J. Hoover, and consists of 10 weeks of management, leadership, and physical training. The program is offered to a very select few law enforcement leaders worldwide and is the premier program for police leadership training. Attendees are taught by experts from the FBI and professors from the University of Virginia and receive graduate level college credit upon successful completion of their courses.
Interim Chief Mike Nordine, a fellow graduate of the FBI NA, attended Commander Smith’s graduation, which took place on March 16th. “We are fortunate to employ a high caliber of leaders such as Commander Smith at the Grand Junction Police Department. Matt has not only performed well in this program but has also had the opportunity to learn from and build relationships with law enforcement leaders from across the nation and the globe. These connections help us to improve our operations with modern and innovative policing strategies.”
One time honored tradition at the National Academy is the “Yellow Brick Road”. A source of pride for all graduates, the Yellow Brick Road is a 6.1 mile fitness challenge requiring participants to climb, run and crawl through a challenging obstacle course developed by the United States Marines. Upon completion, students are awarded with a yellow brick to memorialize their achievement.
“I feel very fortunate to have been selected to attend the National Academy,” says Commander Smith. “It is truly an honor and a once in the lifetime opportunity. I am looking forward to applying what I have learned, and I’m grateful to my GJPD family for supporting me.”
Current leaders in Mesa County who have attended the National Academy include Chief Nordine, Sheriff Matt Lewis, GJPD Commanders Bob Russell and Andy Martinez, and MCSO Captain Don Hendricks.
Well done, Commander Smith! We’re proud of this significant accomplishment and look forward to learning from your training and experience.
Suspect Sought in Homicide Investigation #GVCopBeat
In the early hours of Monday morning, officers with the Grand Junction Police Department were dispatched to the area of 28 Road and Ridge Drive where they located an adult male with an apparent gunshot wound inside of a vehicle. The male was pronounced dead at the scene. Through the course of the ensuing investigation, suspect information has been developed, resulting in an arrest warrant for Joseph Peace, 39, of Grand Junction, for one count of 2nd Degree Murder.Homicide Investigation Underway #GVCopBeat
At 1:41am on Monday, officers with the Grand Junction Police Department were dispatched to the area of 28 Road and Ridge Drive, where they located an adult male with an apparent gunshot wound inside a vehicle. Personnel with the Grand Junction Fire Department responded and rendered medical aid, however the male was pronounced dead at the scene. At this time, this incident is being investigated as a homicide. No suspect has been located. A shelter in place notification went out to 1,981 residents in the area. Currently, 28 Road is closed in both directions from Patterson Road to Cortland Avenue. The identity of the victim will be released by the Mesa County Coroner’s Office.