News and Notifications

In This Section:

• Daily Activity Summary
• Neighborhood Crime Mapping Service
• File a Mail-In ID Theft/Credit Card Fraud Report
• Current OPD and Public Safety News
• Meeting Notifications
• Other Notifications
• Publications
• Sex Offender Notifications

Daily Activity Summary

Monday through Friday, the Records staff compiles a brief Daily Activity Summary of case reports written by OPD officers, and we make the most current Summaries available for you to view on-line.

Normally, the Summary is available by Noon on the date it is prepared. However, on occasions when we need to process a larger volume of reports, it may not be available until later in the day. Case reports written over the weekend are reported in the Monday Summary. The Summary does not include information on traffic tickets; information on reports written by other police agencies; or information on routine police activities that require no official documentation.

In reading the Summary, please remember that being arrested does not mean that a person is guilty of the charge(s) listed. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Also, be aware that the charges listed in the Summary are initial offenses as charged by the officer at the time of arrest. The Prosecutor ultimately decides if charges will be filed in court, and, if so, what they will be. So, charges actually brought to court by the Prosecutor may differ somewhat from the initial charges you see on the Summary.

Further information about a case can be requested by asking for a copy of the police report.

Daily Activity Summaries are currently available for the following dates:

Not familiar with an acronym used in the Summary? Use our glossary to find out what it means.

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Neighborhood Crime Mapping

Free internet crime mapping service is available through CrimeReports.com that lets you see police activity that has occurred in the City on an easy to use Google-style map. You can enter a specific address and see what crime has happened in the vicinity of your neighborhood, or you can pan the map to see activity City-wide. There are a number of tools available to let you choose the time period, area and crime type you'd like to view. There's even an analytical section that shows crime data either in a table or on a graph (NOTE: in the Analytics section, you need to scroll down and select Olympia Police Department from the "Jurisdiction" drop-down list at the top left of the page - where it says "Select an Area").

Each item shown on the map includes basic data about the activity - what the activity was; what day and time it happened; where it happened; and its case identifier. With the case identifier from the map, further information about the case can then be requested by asking for a copy of the police report.

If you like, you can sign up to get automatic email notifications any time certain types of crimes happen within a specified distance from your home or business.

This is a free service. No fee is charged to access the site or use the tools. Olympia's law enforcement records partners - Lacey, Tumwater and Yelm - are also particpants in the service, so you can get the same information about our partner cities, as well.

Try It Out. To go to Olympia's crime mapping web site click here. Be sure to spend a little time exploring the site so you get to know all of the features it offers.

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File a Mail-In ID Theft/Credit Card Fraud Report

Many people do not realize how easily criminals can obtain our personal data without having to break into our homes. In public places, for example, criminals may engage in "shoulder surfing" - watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your telephone calling card or credit card number - or they may listen in on your conversation. Even in areas around your home or workplace, criminals can obtain your personal information by going through garbage cans or trash bins. They look for copies of checks, old credit card receipts, bank statements and other records that typically bear your name, address and telephone number.

If you are the victim of an identity theft or credit card fraud that occurred in the City of Olympia, or if you live within the boundaries of the City of Olympia and have experienced an identity theft or credit card fraud (even if you are not sure where the crime took place), and you DO NOT have any information about possible suspects, you can report the crime to OPD using our mail-in Identity Theft/Credit Card Fraud Report form.  If you have been the victim of identity theft or credit card fraud and you DO have information on a possible suspect, or if you've been the victim of any other type of fraud (except bad checks), follow the standard procedure for reporting crimes.  If you have been the victim of a bad check, you must come to the OPD Front Desk to initiate a report.  If you live outside the boundaries of the City of Olympia and there is no evidence that the crime occurred in Olympia, then you must report the crime either to your home law enforcement agency or to the agency where the crime did occur (if known).  

To download a computer-friendly, printable copy of the OPD Identity Theft/Credit Card Fraud Report form for use in the mail-in report process, click here.  All of the fields are ready for you to fill in using Adobe Acrobat.  Just "tab" between them, typing in your information as you go.  To "check" a box, either use your mouse to click on the box, or hit the "Enter" key while you have tabbed to the box you want to check.  The field for describing how the crime occurred is limited in size.  If you run out of room, use the word processor you normally use (MS Word, WordPad, MS Works, WordPerfect, etc.) to produce as many extra pages as you need to provide a complete description.  Enter the date you're completing the form, then print the form by clicking on the "Print Form" box located on the second page of the form.  Sign the form, attach any extra pages and supporting documents, and mail it all to OPD using the specified address.  Please use this form ONLY to report identity theft or credit card fraud where NO suspect information is available.

Once your report is received, OPD will review it for legal sufficiency.  If the legal criteria for reporting an identity theft or credit card fraud are present, OPD will mail you a copy of your report showing the case number assigned to it (you'll need that case number for your bank if you've suffered a financial loss).  If the legal criteria for reporting an identity theft or credit card fraud are not present in the material you submit, you will still get a copy of your report in the mail, but with an indication of why your report was not able to be accepted and with no case number assigned.  Mail-in identity theft/credit card fraud reports are for documentation purposes.  Additional investigation is done only if information is received linking a possible suspect to a mail-in case report.  

Download a list from the Department of Justice containing other information and phone numbers that are important for ID theft and credit card fraud victims to have by clicking here.  For more information on fraud from the Department of Justice follow this link. 

Finally, do what you can to prevent ID theft/fraud. Shred documents that contain financial, account or personal information before you put them in the trash. Use reasonable care not to reveal information when you're in public using your cell phone or ATM machines (including checkout machines at stores). Be sure not to leave purses, cell phones, laptop computers, briefcases or other things that might contain financial or personal identity information in plain sight in your vehicle when you park it. A good rule of thumb is . . . if it's valuable to you, take it with you or lock it in your vehicle's trunk.

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Current OPD and Public Safety News

Service Changes.

Belt tightening inevitably results in some non-essential services being lost or reduced, and police services are not exempt. Here are two changes we've had to make that we want you to know about.

Vehicle Lock-outs - OPD is no longer sending an officer to assist motorists with vehicle lock-outs, unless one of the two following conditions is present: either 1) someone is locked inside a vehicle and is unable to get out; or 2) an animal is locked inside a vehicle under conditions where its life is threatened if it is not removed quickly. If you have locked your keys in your vehicle in any other circumstance, you will need to contact a locksmith or tow service to assist you in gaining entry to your vehicle.

Lost Property - OPD no longer sends officers to take lost property reports. If you wish to report lost property, you can still do so by calling the non-emergency dispatch number (704-2740) between the hours of 7:00 AM and 11:00 PM daily.

Graffiti Hotline.

The Olympia Police Department is implementing a new way for citizens to report graffiti.

Messages regarding the location of graffiti should be reported to the Graffiti Hotline. The hotline is there to help facilitate timely removal of graffiti and to help the Department gather information about vandalism trends. Police volunteers monitor the message line and respond to document and photograph the graffiti. Referrals are then made to Public Works, utilities and other property owners requesting removal. Code Enforcement and the Probation Work Crew are also key partners in this effort.

To report graffiti, please call the Graffiti Hotline at (360) 570-3737. In the message, include the physical location and description of the graffiti. Leaving your contact information is encouraged but not required. Anyone wishing to make an official police report about graffiti or other vandalism should call the non-emergency dispatch line, (360) 704-2740. As always, call 9-1-1 if you witness a crime in progress.

Contact Amy Stull, Olympia Police Community Programs, with questions about the Graffiti Hotline or for information about additional resources for neighborhood groups at (360) 753-8049 or astull@ci.olympia.wa.us.

Property Release Form.

Are you needing to get property released from OPD? If so, there a form available that will save you time and trouble in that process. All you have to do is download the Form (click here to download); print a copy on your printer (either black and white or color); fill in the information; and mail it back to us at:

Property Release
Olympia Police Department
P.O. Box 1967
Olympia, WA 98507-1967

A property officer will contact you by telephone to schedule an appointment for you to get your property.

Using this mail-in process will speed up the release of your property and save you from making unnecessary trips to OPD.

OPD Firing Range no longer open to the public

OPD regrets that increased use by regional law enforcement agencies has made it necessary to close our firing range to use by the general public. Area shooters are encouraged to contact one of the private ranges in the area for shooter safety and range services.

Help Clean Up Graffiti

The best defense against graffiti is to take away the offender's satisfaction of public display. To do that, prompt removal is required, but it's a community effort. If we all work together to remove graffiti, our community will look better and we will discourage the problem in the future. We've put together some suggestions on what we can be doing together to combat graffiti and other vandalism. To see what you can do, click here.

Vacation Checks Available

The Olympia Police Department Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) offer a vacation check program to the residents of Olympia. This program allows residents to request that VIPS conduct low-level security security checks of their homes while they are away.

Residents wishing to use this service must appear in person at the Olympia Police Department front office during regular business hours (Mon-Fri/8 AM - 5 PM) and complete an application.

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Meeting Notifications

None currently scheduled.

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Other Notifications

Police Auditor reports

You are encouraged to read the Police Auditor's reports delivered to the City Council on police accountability. Both quarterly and annual reports are available on line.

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Publications

OPD publishes a variety of brochures and fliers on topics ranging from crime prevention tips to how the Department's accountability system works. The following publications are currently available to view and/or print or download:

Block Watch Quarterly Newsletter

Read the latest Block Watch news.

• Spring, 2006
• Summer, 2006
• Fall, 2006
• Winter, 2007
• Spring, 2007
• Summer, 2007
• Fall, 2007
• Winter, 2008
• Spring, 2008
• Summer, 2008
• Fall, 2008
• Winter, 2009

Crime Reduction Multi-Housing Newsletter

Public safety news for multi-housing property managers.

• June, 2008
• July, 2008
• August, 2008
• September, 2008
• January, 2009
• February, 2009
• April, 2009
• June, 2009

Brochures.

Useful information about a variety of law enforcement topics.

• Block Watch
• Crime Prevention Tips for Espresso Stands
• Construction Site Survey
• Identity Theft
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Home Security
• Vacation Safety
• Personal Safety
• Internet Safety

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Sex Offender Information

Olympia and Washington State

To locate information about Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders living anywhere in Washington State, click on the following link:

http://ml.waspc.org

National

To locate information about sex offenders nation-wide, click on the following link:

http://www.nsopr.gov

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view documents on OPD web pages. You can download it free by clicking on the link below.