Denver police are asking residents to help them connect the dots after possible gunfire in the Whittier neighborhood, telling anyone who spots active officers or hears something suspicious to jot down the nearest cross streets, the date and an approximate time. That info, they say, lets the department pull up dispatch logs and share what it finds.
The request went out on the department’s official X account on April 6, in response to a social media thread about possible gunfire in Whittier. A reply in that thread said residents heard “about 10 shots,” which prompted the department to jump back in and ask for a more precise location and time so it could run a faster check.
What Denver Police Asked For
In a post on X, the Denver Police Dept asked anyone who sees police activity to provide the nearest cross streets, the date, and an approximate time so the department can search its calls-for-service records and share whatever details are available. The message, sent as a reply to a user asking what was happening in Whittier, also reminded residents that 911 is still the go-to for emergencies.
How Calls For Service Searches Work
Denver logs 911 and many non-emergency calls in a computer-aided dispatch system. That system can be searched by location and time to find related dispatches and incident notes. The City of Denver publishes crime and calls-for-service dashboards that officials use to locate past dispatches, according to the City of Denver crime dashboards. Those records help investigators check whether on-the-ground reports line up with entries in dispatch logs, especially when witnesses provide cross streets and timestamps.
Why The Details Matter
Community tips, like a reply on X that said residents heard “about 10 shots” in Whittier, are the kind of neighborhood-level information DPD can try to match to dispatch entries. That helps determine what happened and whether any follow-up is needed. At a city level, Denver's homicides and nonfatal shooting totals fell in 2025, a trend reported by Axios Denver, but any potential shooting still triggers immediate checks and, when warranted, community alerts.
How To Report What You Saw Or Heard
If you witnessed shots or active police activity, authorities say to call 911 for emergencies or use the Denver Police non-emergency line at 720-913-2000. When you call, provide the nearest cross streets and an approximate time so dispatch logs can be searched effectively. The city's police contact page lists that non-emergency number and online reporting options for incidents that are not in progress, according to the City of Denver.
What To Keep In Mind
Photos, video or screenshots of what you observed can help, especially if you also note the time and exact location when you contact authorities, so dispatch records can be matched more quickly. The department says it will search its calls-for-service records and provide whatever information is available once it can pinpoint the nearest cross streets and the approximate time of the incident residents are asking about.
