Crime Prevention & Public Information

Responsibilities & Training Services

The prevention of crime should be the primary role and goal of all law enforcement agencies. It is when crimes are prevented from occurring that society is best served. The term crime prevention applies to proactive efforts and measures aimed at the elimination of criminal incidents, rather than responding to them after they have occurred. The most widely accepted definition of crime prevention is:  the anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a crime risk and the initiation of some action to remove or reduce it.

The Dubuque Police Department Crime Prevention Unit offers training and assistance to the citizens of Dubuque, including civic groups, neighborhood associations, businesses, senior citizens, and youth organizations.

Training Topics

Training topics include, but are not limited to: personal safety, home security, Successful Rental Property Management training for landlords, scam/fraud prevention, workplace violence/active aggressor and a variety of other crime prevention topics.  Call or email Lt. Luke Bock to schedule a presentation or get more information.

Additional Services

In addition to training, the Crime Prevention Unit also offers:

• On-site security assessments (business, residential, and rental)
• Successful Rental Property Management training for landlords
• Crime prevention literature and materials
  • Burglary Prevention Recommendations
• Child Passenger Safety Seat inspections

Public Information

It is the policy of the Dubuque Police Department to be committed to informing the community and the news media of events within the public domain that are handled by or involve this agency. However, due to the nature of the police operations and right to privacy issues, not all information is subject to release and not all personnel are authorized to release information.

Public information falls under the purview of the Chief of Police and the Assistant Chief of Police, and Lt. Luke Bock has been designated as the department's Public Information Officer. Lt. Bock can be contacted for questions on media releases and requests for interviews; details on police calls for service, special events, crime data and trends; department related issues such as history, recruitment and retention, training, department demographics and internal affairs data; or any other inquiries related to the Dubuque Police Department and its operations. Lt. Bock's contact information is located in the upper right corner of this page.

During non-business hours, inquiries can be directed to the on-duty Shift Supervisor at (563) 589-4425.  Residents are also encouraged to sign up for the Police Department's "Notify Me" email/text service, as all Dubuque Police issued media releases are sent using "Notify Me", in addition to being posted on the Department's main page and in the front lobby of the Law Center.

Crime prevention topics, public information and safety tips:

For more information on crime prevention and other related topics, please visit the following websites:

• Learn more about Dubuque's Neighborhood Enhancement Lighting Program.
• Nextdoor.com: A free and private social network for neighborhoods, strengthening communities through virtual neighborhood watch.
• Iowa Attorney General: Helpful information on crime prevention, trends, scams and safety.
• Federal Trade Commission: Specializing in consumer protection and unfair business practices.
• Better Business Bureau: Learn more about a business or company before committing.
• Safe Kids: Tips and recommendations to help keep our children safe and healthy.
• U.S. Postal Inspector: Assistance with mail fraud/theft, I.D. theft, and various other mail-related problems.
• National Crime Prevention Council: Resources & Recommendations on preventing crime.
• Credit Score & Monitoring: Check, improve and monitor your credit.
• Identity Theft Protection: View the top 7 Identity Theft Protection Companies as rated by Consumer Affairs.
• Know Your Money: Learn some of the security features designed to prevent counterfeiting.
• Smart911: Create a Smart911 safety profile to assist first responders in assisting you or your loved one.

Personal Safety

Whether your out in the community, at work, or at home, folllow these personal safety recommendations.

Shelter in Place

There may be situations, depending on your circumstances and the nature of the disaster, when it’s simply best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside by “sheltering in place.” Shelter in place means to take immediate shelter where you are—at home, work, school, or in between—and take refuge in a small, interior room with no or few windows. It may also mean “seal the room;” in other words, take steps to prevent contaminated outside air from coming in. Learn more about sheltering in place.