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CASPER, Wyo. — Following a series of community safety meetings earlier this year intended to identify concerns of those in the city, Casper Police Department officials and local residents met again Wednesday for the first of a second round of meetings, with law enforcement sharing planned next steps to tackle those issues.
Proposed next steps brought forward by officers largely focused on education, raising awareness, and building stronger bonds between community members and the police.
Wednesday’s discussions focused on two of Casper’s six geographic areas for patrol. Area 1, covers most of Casper’s east side, extending west to near the eastern boundary of downtown, east to the area of Hat Six Road, north to just south of Highway 25 and south to roughly Country Club Road. Area 2 is a more residential zone located to the west of Area 1. It stretches from South Oakcrest Avenue to just past Missouri Avenue, north to Casper Rail Trail and south to near Falconcrest Boulevard.
One of the primary concerns raised by Area 1 residents was dangerous and unlawful use of e-bikes, e-scooters and other forms of off-road motorized transportation.
To help curb the issue, CPD Lt. Seth Wheeler and Sgt. Chris Henry told attendees on Wednesday that the department will expand education and awareness efforts, with more punitive measures only to be used for repeat offenders even after education from officers.
“Instead of using citations to correct actions, we’re going to… tackle that problem with an education approach,” Henry said, later adding that the department is taking a more lenient approach since offenders are usually just children and teens. “The big thing, not everything needs to be solved with somebody getting in trouble.”
“If it continues to be a problem after education, we’re going to look at enforcement options,” he said.
Because data indicates that most reports of the dangerous use of e-bikes are found in the Centennial Hills area, Henry said officers will patrol it and other high-density areas around the time school lets out. During that window of time the officers will not not be on a normal patrol, but will solely be focused on looking for young motorists to educate.
Education will entail talking to the children and their parents about the places it is and isn’t allowed to ride e-bikes and similar modes of transportation and safety tips to reduce the likelihood of collision and injury.
Wheeler said the department expects to implement the educational safety plan in the near future, likely towards the end of the school year.
But traffic priorities in Area 1 extend beyond the use of e-bikes, e-scooters and e-mottos. Area 1 sees far more traffic violations than any other crime, with the schools a major contributing factor. According call volume data by hour, most traffic violations occur in the hours that children are picked up from school, with a higher-than-normal volume in the hours that children would be dropped off at schools, too.
The first step the police department identified in improving road safety around schools is working with the relevant City of Casper departments to prioritize infrastructure upgrades. Other planned steps include an increased police presence around Area 1 schools and building relationships with school staff and students through more partnerships with the schools.
Wheeler said the process of building those relationships is already underway, as officers have begun doing community engagement at schools, working to put a friendly face to the Casper Police Department in the minds of the children.
“Really, it’s to engage with the kids, the students, the faculty [and] the parents,” Wheeler said. “To build more of a community bridge with us being there and letting them see us. But it’ll help with deterrence as well.”
Infrastructure improvements were identified in the city’s recently-updated Safe Routes to School plan, and recommendations include installing additional signage, curb extensions, new sidewalk, an underpass or overpass, raised crossings and more.
Natrona County School District 1 Board of Trustees member Mary Schmidt, who was in attendance, noted that traffic concerns are not unique to the schools in Area 1, but are seen throughout Casper.
Some residents at Wednesday’s meeting asked about other steps that could be taken, such as installing speed bumps along certain roads. Wheeler responded that alterations to the roadway such as speed bumps would first require a traffic study be conducted.
Traffic priorities also included drag racing and other reckless driving down 2nd Street, which Wheeler said the department will look to address through targeted enforcement operations and seeking grants to fund more sustained enforcement efforts in the area.
And also along 2nd Street, another top priority was the intersection with Wyoming Boulevard.
“This intersection specifically is No. 1 in the state for traffic accidents, and it’s also No. 1 for the busiest,” Henry said.
To improve safety at the intersection, the department will look to advocate for improvements to the road like new striping and rumble strips. However, Henry said the process will likely be a years-long one, as it will require coordinating with the Wyoming Department of Transportation since Wyoming Boulevard is a state highway.
In Area 2, Sgt. Jake Bigelow said the two most pressing priorities identified are car burglaries and residents falling victim to scams. In both cases, he said, education is the answer.
To reduce vehicle break-ins, the department will implement an awareness campaign reminding people to lock their doors and other steps to lower the chances of a robbery.
“We want to reach out through social media, to churches, community groups, anything we can do to say, ‘Guys, this isn’t 50 years ago,’” Bigelow said. “Don’t leave firearms in vehicles, don’t forget to lock the door, take steps to reduce the likelihood of your car getting targeted.”
Bigelow said the department will also look at saturating patrols in areas with high rates of auto burglaries at night with officers whose only job is to look for auto burglaries.
“It’s obviously far easier to catch them when you see them in the act and you can send officers to them,” he said.
When it comes to combating scams, plans again will include an emphasis on community outreach.
“The people falling victims to these scams are typically older, and so the best way to reach them isn’t through social media,” Bigelow said. “It means going to senior centers, community events, trying to get the churches to give out information, getting the word out in the news — there are lots of ways we can spread awareness about what scams are and how to spot them.”
The next public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 16 at the Ford Wyoming Center from 6 to 7 p.m. Areas 3 and 4 will be discussed.
(via Casper Police Department)
