City of Washington Emergency Management.
Spend your summer outside, make money, build real leadership skills, and actually enjoy going to work. The Agnes Nolting Aquatic Complex in Washington, MO is now hiring Lifeguards and Head Guards for the 2026 season!
Apply now and make Summer 2026 one you won’t forget. These posistions are hired by Midwest Pool Management and you can apply through this link!
https://midwestpool.mitccwm.com/jobs/1263736
🚨 FRIDAY FRAUD FACTS 🚨
It starts with a message… a connection… a relationship.
Romance scammers build trust by meeting victims on social media or dating sites, then quickly move the conversation to apps like WhatsApp, where it’s harder to track.
Once they’ve gained your trust, the requests begin:
💸 Emergency expenses
💸 Travel costs
💸 Medical bills
These scams prey on emotions like loneliness, love, and generosity. And they don’t happen overnight… some go on for months or even years, costing victims thousands.
🚩 Red Flags to Watch For:
• Refuses to meet in person
• Wants to move conversations off the original platform
• Always has a reason they need money
• Creates urgency or emotional pressure
🛑 Protect Yourself:
Never send money to someone you’ve only met online—no matter how real it feels.
⚠️⚠️ A real example of a romance scam that was reported to the Washington Police Department was an individual who met a romantic partner on a popular dating website. Over the course of two years, the romantic relationship grew, but victim never actually met the person they were talking to. Over that time, the scammer consistently told the victim that they needed money for various things such as clothing and food. Feeling that they were in love with the person they were talking to, the victim sent nearly 1 million dollars over the lifespan of the scam to the scammer. It was later determined that the scammer was based overseas, as is the case in many of these scams.
Share this post to help protect others. Awareness can stop a scam before it starts.
Night Shift Summary. Date:04/23/2026
Vehicle crash in the 700 block of High Street. Property damage was reported in Southwinds. A stealing was investigated in the 2000 block of East 9th Street. The area of Highway 100 and Bluff Road was checked for a male walking in the roadway.
Day Shift Summary 04/23/2026
Assisted a motorist in the area of Highway 100 and Clay Street.
Non-injury vehicle crash in the area of Jefferson Street and 12th Street.
Subject was stopped for a traffic violation in the 700 block of WEst 5th Street. Subject was found to not have a valid driving privilege and was arrested.
Assisted a motorist in the area of Blue Jay Drive and Highway 47.
Non-injury vehicle crash in the area of Jefferson Street and 5th Street.
Subject was reported as suspicious in the area of West 8th Street and Camp Street. Subject was identified and it was determined they had an outstanding warrant. They were arrested.
Get ready to shop ‘til you drop at our Citywide Garage Sale! With sales happening all across town, you never know what amazing treasures you’ll find.
📖 Garage Sale Booklets Available Now!
Pick up your booklet before May 1st at:
Parks & Recreation Office
Chamber of Commerce
The Library
Each booklet includes a full list of all registered garage sales, plus highlights of some of the incredible items up for grabs!
🌧️ Rain Plan:
In case of rain, each seller will decide individually whether to participate.
Don’t miss this fun, community-wide event—mark your calendars and start planning your route!
This weekend: Front Street, from Oak Street to Elm Street, will remain closed. Sidewalks and both intersections will remain open over the weekend.
Next week: Work on Front Street will resume Monday, April 27, at which time Front Street will be closed from just west of Oak Street to just east of Cedar Street allowing access to Undergrounds Parking Lot.
We are proud to serve this community, and we believe it is important for you to know the individuals who make up our department and the roles they fill each day. We will begin by highlighting our newest officers, then continue through the department until we reach our longest-serving member, who started here in 1992.
Each post will give you a closer look by sharing their role within the department, why they chose law enforcement as a career, and why they chose to serve this community. We will also include limited personal details to help you get to know them beyond the badge.
Check back next week to meet our staff!
Happy Administrative Professionals Day to the ladies in the Administrative Office at the Washington Police Department!
Today we recognize our three incredibly knowledgeable secretaries who keep us from accidentally turning the office into complete chaos. If it’s organized, it’s because of you. If it’s on time, it’s because of you. If we didn’t completely mess it up, it’s definitely because of you.
We may have command staff for operations, but we all know who we actually go to when we need something done, found, fixed, or explained... usually more than once.
Thank you for everything you do to keep this department running and for putting up with us while you do it. We appreciate you more than you'll ever know!
#WashMO #TheyRunTheDepartment #TheRealCommandStaff #NoIdeaWhatWeAreDoing
Night Shift Summary.4/22/26
A male, registered sex offender was arrested for being present/loitering at Rennick Riverfront Park.
Trespassing was reported in the 400 block of Hooker St.
Officers responded to the 800 block of Edith St. for a report of wildlife inside a residence.
Trespassing was reported in the 2600 block of E. 5th St.
A motor vehicle crash occurred in the area of Hwy 100 and Washington Hgts.
A male was arrested for driving while revoked and a female for a person of interest entry out of Eureka PD during a traffic stop in the area of Rabbit Trail Dr. and Hwy 100.
Report of shots fired in the 2500 block of Slater Dr.
A crisis intervention report was completed in the 700 block of Clay St.
A water main break was reported in the 400 block of Stafford St.
A stray dog was reported in the 300 block of Fair St. and returned to the owner.
A stray dog was picked up in the area of Hwy 100 and Clay St. and later returned to the owner.
ARRESTS DO NOT IMPLY GUILT.
Day Shift Summary 4/22/26
The well being was checked on a subject in the area of Hwy 47 and 3rd Street. The subject was fine, just playing on their phone waiting for a ride
A fraud was reported in the 1900 block of Washington Crossing
An informational report was taken concerning activity in the fairgrounds area
Property damage was reported in the 700 block of E 5th Street. A subject was taken into custody
A stealing was reported in the 700 block of Clay Street
A vehicle collision involving a deer was reported at Hwy 100 and Aroy Drive
A trespassing was reported in the 1700 block of E 5th Street
*UPDATE*
As of 8:30 a.m., Highway A at Four Mile Road is open.
*TRAFFIC ALERT*
Highway A at Four Mile Road is closed due to an accident. Detours are in place. Please avoid the area.
VIPs (Volunteers in the Park) got started today on new landscaping around the gazebo, and it’s already looking amazing!
A huge THANK YOU to Washington in Bloom for their hard work last year—thanks to them, we were able to win some of these beautiful flowers 🌸 And a special shoutout to Suntory Flowers for their generous donation of hundreds of gorgeous blooms!
We can’t wait to see this space come to life—stop by and check out the progress! 🌼🌳
Day Shift Summary. 04/21/26
Officers responded to Hwy 100 and Hwy 47 for a motorist assist.
A check the wellbeing was conducted in the 700 block of Fremont St.
A civil issue was reported in the 2000 block of Hwy A.
A parking issue was reported in the 400 block of Cedar St.
A motor vehicle accident was investigated in the area of Hwy 100 and Bluff Rd.
Officers responded to the 1300 block of Stafford St. for a report of a subject having suicidal thoughts.
A stealing was reported in the area of Front St. and Elm St.
A motor vehicle accident was investigated in the area of 8th St. and Hwy 47.
#SWPPP #washmo #waterwisewednesday#EarthDay
The Riverfront Upper Parking Lot is currently closed. At this time, we do not have a confirmed reopening date.
For those needing access to Wash Mo on the Go, please use the Lower Lot or the East Lot.
Thank you for your understanding,
City of Washington Parks & Recreation Department
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Washington Police Department
(636) 390-1050
THREE ARRESTED FOLLOWING ATTEMPTED UTILITY WIRE THEFT NEAR WEATHERBY COURT
WASHINGTON, MO — April 21, 2026 — On Monday, April 20, 2026, at approximately 12:38 a.m., the Washington Police Department responded to a report of suspicious activity involving AT&T utility lines near Weatherby Court.
Upon arrival, officers conducted a thorough search of the area and discovered that a large section of utility cable had been cut from a pole and divided into smaller, manageable sections. Investigators also located a specialized tool—a small angle grinder taped to a long pole—which was used to sever the wire from the utility pole.
During the sweep, officers located a male suspect hiding in the brush. Simultaneously, a patrol officer stopped a pickup truck that had been seen driving repeatedly through the immediate area. The vehicle was occupied by a female driver and a male passenger.
Based on evidence recovered at the scene and statements obtained during the initial investigation, all three individuals were placed under arrest. The pickup truck was seized and towed to the Washington Police Station for processing.
Following a secondary investigation by detectives and the execution of a search warrant on the vehicle, the case was presented to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. The following charges have been issued:
Christopher R. Cromwell Sr. (43, Villa Ridge, MO)
Cordell A. Parker (27, Pacific, MO)
Tampering with Service of a Utility
Stealing ($750 or more)
Property Damage - 1st Degree
Bond: $25,000 Cash
Kristina K. Ruffin (42, Villa Ridge, MO)
Accessory to Tampering with Service of a Utility
Accessory to Stealing ($750 or more)
Accessory to Property Damage - 1st Degree
Bond: $25,000 Cash
All three subjects are currently being held at the Franklin County Detention Center.
The Washington Police Department remains committed to protecting the city's infrastructure and ensuring that those who disrupt essential services for personal gain are held accountable.
Lt. Steve Sitzes
Day Shift Summary. Date: 04/20/26
A suspicious vehicle and person was reported in the area of W. Main and Jefferson St.
A trespass warning was issued for a business located in the area of Jefferson and 8th St.
A check the wellbeing was conducted in the 300 block of Terry Lane.
Soliciting without a permit was reported in the Stonecrest Subdivision.
A motor vehicle accident with injury was reported in the area of Blue Jay Dr. and Sunnyside.
A subject was arrested with outstanding warrants during a traffic stop in the area of Hwy 100 and Hwy A.
A subject was arrested with outstanding warrants during a traffic stop in the area of Jefferson St. and 13th St.
A suspicious person was reported in the 200 block of Washington Heights Dr.
A careless and reckless driver was reported in the area of the 600 block of Wilson St.
All subjects arrested are innocent until proven guilty.
SAVE THE DATE
Please join us on the morning of May 15th for the Annual City of Washington Law Enforcement Memorial Day Ceremony as we gather to honor the dedication, service, and sacrifice of our disabled and fallen officers from across the nation.
This ceremony is open to the public, and we welcome our community to stand with us as we pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Ceremony Details:
• Date: May 15
• Time: 9:00 a.m. (The observance will last approximately 30 to 45 minutes)
• Location: The flagpoles located at Jefferson Street and 4th Street
Notice for Attending Agencies:
• Class A uniforms are respectfully requested for all attending personnel.
For any questions regarding the ceremony, please contact SRO Greg Garrett #263 at ggarrett@washmo.gov.
Day Shift Summary 04/18/26
Report of a possibly sick possum on Wilson Street. It was located and determined to be fine. It was relocated.
Assisted a motorist in the area of East 5th Street and Highway 100.
Intoxicated subject was taken into protective custody in the 2000 block of East 5th Street.
Trespassing reported in the 900 block of East 5th Street. Subject was asked to leave but refused. Subject was arrested.
Assisted EMS in the 2000 block of Rabbit Trail Drive. Subject was left in care of EMS.
Derelict vehicle was tagged in the 400 block of Cedar Street.
