The Golden Police Department now has an online Community Crime Map that maps and analyzes crime data, alerts Golden citizens about crimes in their area, and allows the Golden Police Department to quickly alert the public about crimes as they occur.

Golden citizens can view a map and grid with all of the crimes in their area, sign up for neighborhood watch reports that automatically email a breakdown of recent crime activity, and submit an anonymous tip about a crime directly to their law enforcement agency.

Community Crime Map automatically syncs with the Golden Police Department records system to keep crime information updated online and in the mobile app. Community Crime Map cleans and geocodes the crime data, then displays all of the incidents on a map, grid and analytics dashboard along with some basic information about the incidents, including the type of crime, location type, block-level address, date and time.

There's a whole lot of Christmas coming to town, and it kicks off this Friday with the Candlelight Walk in downtown Golden!

Candlelight Walk

Meet in front of the Foothills Art Center as early as 5:30 p.m. and at 6:30 p.m., Santa will lead the walk down the hill to the Visitor Center at 10th and Washington. Candles will be available for purchase for $1 along Washington and at the Visitor Center. The Golden Lions Club will be serving hot beverages both at the top of the hill and in the Visitor Center parking lot.

After the walk, stick around for the countdown to the "Lighting of the Lights" with Mayor Marjorie Sloan and one lucky child from Santa's "Nice" list whose name was selected in a random drawing. As the lights along Clear Creek blaze to life, a short fireworks display from the roof of the Golden Hotel will further light up the night sky!

Wander along Clear Creek to the History Park after the fireworks and sample a roasted chestnut or two, or stop in at the Golden History Museum to warm up and enjoy cheery holiday music. The Golden Library will feature crafts and entertainment provided by the Rocky Mountain Ukulele Orchestra strumming favorites from 7 to 8 p.m.

If you're worried about street closures during the walk, please see our Candlelight Walk Street Closure Map.

Breakfast with Santa

Saturday morning starts bright and early at Calvary Church, 1320 Arapahoe St. with a pancake breakfast with Santa!  It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the season with your little ones. Breakfast includes pancakes, orange juice, and coffee. All kids will receive a goody bag as part of the experience.

But take note, tickets must be purchased in advance at www.goldenchamber.org. Adults are $10, kids are $5, and children under three are free. No tickets will be sold at the door. A portion of the proceeds from Breakfast with Santa will go to the Golden Fire Foundation and Lunch and Life program for the Colorado School of mines free lunch program. For questions call 303-279-3113.

Coffee with Councilors - final one of the year!

Take a break from the merry-making to attend to the last Coffee with Councilors event of the year on Saturday, December 7, 10 a.m. at the Harmony Village Common House at 1001 Cottonwood Circle. Please park on Illinois St. and walk the short distance to the Common House, which is located in the center of Harmony Village.

This is a great opportunity to wish Councilor Saoirse Charis Graves well and thank her for two terms of dedicated service as District 1 Golden City Councilor. Councilor Graves began the Coffee with a Councilor series in February of 2012, offering the community a monthly opportunity to meet face to face with one or more City Councilors and discuss issues that matter to them. This year, she and District 2 Councilor, Casey Brown, combined forces and co-host the monthly meetings. JJ Trout will be sworn into office as the District 1 City Councilor on January 9, 2020 and plans to continue the tradition.

For details contact Councilor Saoirse Charis Graves at 303-279-7529, scharisgraves@cityofgolden.net or Councilor Casey Brown at 303-900-2003, cbrown@cityofgolden.net.

Old Golden Christmas Parade

Don't miss the first of three parades this holiday season on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. Watch floats, clowns, holiday characters and the big guy himself, Santa Clause on a firetruck make their way down Washington Avenue from 11th to 13 Street spreading Christmas cheer! Each parade will be a little different, so come back each Saturday before Christmas for another boost of holiday spirit.

See the Parade Route and Staging Area Map for information on road closures.

More Christmas Fun...

If you're still looking for ways to celebrate, here are a few more festive options:

• GHS Holiday Bazaar / December 7, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
  Get a jump on your gift list and help raise money for a good cause at the same time!
  Golden High School, 701 24th St.
• Golden Concert Choir Holiday Performance / December 7, 4 - 6 p.m.
  Enjoy holiday favorites, including "Carol of the Bells," "Shepherd's Farewell" and "3 Carols" by PDQ Bach.
  United Methodist Church, 7530 W 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge
• Jefferson Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concert / December 8, 3 p.m.
  JSO musicians share the stage with vocalists Christie Conover and James Baumgardner. Howard Hanson’s musical homage to the 19th-century “Symphony No. 2 (Romantic)” is programmed alongside Peter Boyer’s bold and brassy “Festivities.”
  CSM Green Center, 924 16th St.

Keeping the streets of Golden drivable and safe throughout the winter months is a top priority for the City of Golden Streets Department. We are one of the only cities in the metro area that actually plows primary, secondary and residential streets curb-to-curb. When winter storms hit the Golden area, our snowplows will first concentrate on primary streets such as South Golden Road, Johnson Road, Washington Avenue, Ford Street and 19^th Street. These are the areas with higher traffic volume and the main roads needed for emergency vehicles to access different parts of town.

Once all primary streets have had sufficient maintenance and deemed passable, City crews move on to secondary streets and then into residential. Please be patient. There are six routes and one plow assigned to each route. As all streets are completed within a route, plows are dispatched to assist other plows for the completion of all routes.

As a reminder, City of Golden Municipal Code 5.01 Nuisance Abatement makes it unlawful to deposit snow from private property on to the street, other than the curb line. Although crews work very hard to clear the roads, some of the residual snow from the plow may pile up at the end of your driveway. Please help remove this snow just as you do for the rest of your driveway. The Streets Department appreciates your cooperation and patience as they work hard day and night to ensure safe roads this winter season.