Newcastle Police Department

05/17/2026

FOUND:
Roll of carpet padding located between Fairgrounds Rd and Main St. Call Dispatch at +13077464486 to recover.

05/15/2026

This week, from May 10th through May 16th, is National Police Week. Today, May 15th, is Peace Officer's Memorial Day.

Established in 1962 through a Presidential Proclamation signed by President John F. Kennedy, May 15th was established as Peace Officer's Memorial Day. Today, we pay tribute to local, state, and federal officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and to their surviving families. May you rest in peace and may your legacy live on in the hearts of your families and your fellow officers who continue to hold the line. Your sacrifices will never be forgotten.

National Police Week is a week to remember the courage, service, and sacrifice behind the badge; and the ultimate sacrifice made by those who gave their lives in protection of others.

While some may not agree with certain actions of those who wear the badge, I would challenge you to seek a deeper understanding and appreciation for the courage and sacrifices of Peace Officers across the country who undertake the endeavor of keeping our communities safe, everyday.

I would like to sincerely thank each and every person who has chosen to wear the badge. Being a Peace Officer is both an honor and a sacrifice most will never fully understand. I am honored to serve beside my fellow brothers and sisters here in our community and across the nation. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for what you do!

I will leave you all with a few of my favorite quotes:

"Bravery is not the absence of fear, but action in the face of fear."~ Mark Messier, ~ variations by Nelson Mandella, Mark Twain, and Franklin D. Roosevelt

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." ~ Edmund Burke

"We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us." ~ Winston Churchill

"A harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very, very dangerous man who has it under voluntary control." ~ Jordan Peterson

~ Chief Thompson

05/14/2026

ADDING SOME SHINE!
We have finally gotten our new vehicle markings designed, printed, installed, and ready for service! The mission was to create a more professional look; something we are hoping the community can be proud of. This has been, and will continue to be, the mission of the department as a whole. We want to continue to rebuild this department and provide our community and visitors the best service and protection possible. So far, the reviews have been very positive. We would like to thank the community for their support in the endeavor of rebuilding a professional police department! We have made many strides in the right direction, but we aren't done yet.

The artwork to create the graphics was done by a talented young lady here in town, who we work closely with. She didn't want to be named, but we wanted to express our gratitude for all of her hard work she donated to design these graphics, which we are pretty darn proud of!

Happy Wednesday Newcastle!

04/30/2026

SWATTING/HOAX CALL - ALL CLEAR
A phone call was received earlier this afternoon, during which, the caller made serious and deadly threats towards the Newcastle High School. Local law enforcement, in conjunction with the FBI, were able to determine the threatening call regarding the school was in fact a swatting/hoax call. There is no ongoing threat to students, school staff, or the public. Out of an abundance of caution, local law enforcement will remain in the area to monitor activities as they return to normal. We believed this incident to be a swatting/hoax call, at the inception. However, we must always take the neccessary precautions until we can confirm no legitimate threat exists, in order to keep students, school staff, and the public, safe. Investigation into this incident remains ongoing. No further details will be released at this time.

We would like to thank the WCSD1 staff and administration for always working well with local law enforcement to safely resolve these types of incidents. As always, our partnerships with the Weston County Sheriff's Office and other surrounding agencies make the safe and expedient resolution of these types of incidents vastly more achievable.

04/28/2026

OPEN BURNING RESTRICTIONS
Effective March 24, 2026

Due to a potentially severe to extreme fire situation throughout Weston County, created by a heavy fuel load and dry conditions, which could create situations that over-extend the firefighting capability of local government the Open Burning Restrictions will take effect March 24 , 2026.

Stage 1 Restrictions:
Discharge of fireworks, exploding target devices and all outdoor fires are prohibited in unimproved areas of Weston County except as provided below:
1. Only small campfires at residences or developed recreation sites, within a fire ring centered within a minimum of 15 feet cleared radius of burnable materials and a shovel and fire suppression means are present at site are permitted.
2. Trash or refuse fires between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., inside containers provided with a spark arrester (no larger than ½” grate openings, ¼” or smaller preferred), centered within a minimum of 15 feet cleared radius of burnable materials and a shovel and fire suppression means are present at site are permitted. (Containers must be completely extinguished outside of these hours)
3. Charcoal fires within enclosed grills centered within a minimum of 15 feet cleared radius of burnable materials and a shovel and fire suppression means are present at site are permitted.
4. Use of acetylene cutting, electric arc welders, or metal grinding centered within a minimum of 15 feet cleared radius of burnable materials and a shovel and fire suppression means are present at site are permitted.
5. The use of portable stoves, lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum, pressurized liquid fuel or fully enclosed (sheepherder type) stove and open fire branding activities centered within a minimum of 15 feet cleared radius of burnable materials and a shovel and fire suppression means are present at site are permitted.

The following persons are exempt from the restrictions imposed in Stage 1 Restrictions:
a. Any federal, state, or local officers engaged in fire, emergency, and law enforcement activities.
b. Any member of a rescue or firefighting force engaged in the performance of an official duty.
c. Exceptions to these restrictions and closures can be made in writing by the Weston County Commissioners.

These restrictions do not include the areas within incorporated cities and towns in Weston County or federal and state lands, as these entities may impose more or less restrictive regulations.

Any violation of the Open Burning Restrictions may be in violation of W.S. 35-9-304 punishable by up to 30 days in jail and up to a $100.00 fine or both together with possible restitution for the cost of fire suppression and damages to others. The County Fire Warden may temporarily lift or re-impose these Open Burning Restrictions. For the latest status on the restrictions visit www.facebook.com/westoncountyfire or call (307) 746-2031.

04/17/2026

UPDATE / RESOLVED: The dispatch administrative phone line outage has been resolved.

04/17/2026

ALERT: Administrative lines are down in the Dispatch Center. The 911 lines are working as they should. For non-emergency calls, please call the phone number listed below.

03/23/2026

UPDATE ON W. RAILROAD INCIDENT:

Regarding the law enforcement operation on W. Railroad street in Newcastle earlier today, the suspect involved was taken into custody at approximately 1:50 p.m. There is no ongoing threat to the public and all responders have cleared from the scene. All road closures have been lifted and the situation has been resolved.

The situation began when a tip was received indicating a subject who had an active felony arrest warrant for absconding from parole was at a residence on W. Railroad Street in Newcastle. Officers from the Newcastle Police Department and Deputies from the Weston County Sheriff's Office responded to the location provided in the tip. Upon arival at the residence, Law Enforcement confirmed the subject was in the residence and discovered he was barricaded in a storage space on the top floor of the residence. Law Enforcement Officers cleared the residence and ensured no other people or animals were inside. The subject advised Law Enforcement Officers on scene he would not willingly surrender and stated he had a firearm. Additional Law Enforcement Officers were dispatched to the scene for perimeter security and traffic control. Campbell County Health EMS was placed on standby near the scene. Law Enforcement Officers communicated directly with the subject, attempting to gain his cooperation in surrendering peacefully, without success. Given the dangerous nature of the situation at hand and the threat of a firearm being involved, the Campbell County Sheriff's Office SWAT team was called to assist. Utilizing special equipment, the CCSO SWAT Team was able to make entry into the space where the subject was barricaded. The subject was placed in custody without further incident. The situation was resolved without injury to the public, the subject, or responding personnel. No property was damaged during this operation. The subject was remanded to the Weston County Detention Center where he will remain pending a Bond hearing.

Further criminal charges will likely be forthcoming. It is important to note all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until provent guilty in a court of law.

We would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance in resolving this situation:
Weston County Sheriff's Office
Campbell County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team
Newcastle Upton and Weston County Combined Communications Center
Weston County Emergency Managment
Campbell County Health EMS

03/23/2026

Please avoid the W. Railroad area. We will provide more information as we work through the situation.

Send a message to learn more

03/09/2026

🚨 Active Fire Near Wright – Public Notice 🚨

Campbell County Fire Department crews are currently responding to an active fire on the west side of the Town of Wright, burning both north and south of Highway 387. Fire resources are actively being assembled and responding to the area.

🚧 Road Closure:
Highway 387 between Highway 50 and Highway 59 is currently closed to through traffic. Please avoid the area so emergency responders can operate safely.

⚠ SET Status Issued:
Areas east of Cosner Road and south of Highway 387 to Highway 59 have been placed in SET status. This includes the Town of Wright.

SET means:
• Be prepared for possible evacuation
• Gather important items, medications, and documents
• Make a plan for pets and livestock
• Stay alert for further updates or evacuation notices

We will provide updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for helping keep roads clear for emergency responders.

🚨 Incident Update – Porcupine Creek Fire 🚨

Fire crews have stopped the forward progress of the fire now named the Porcupine Creek Fire.

Firefighters will remain on scene cooling internal hot spots and reinforcing the fire line. The total size of the fire is still being measured at this time.

We are very thankful to report that no structures were lost during this incident.

This response required a tremendous team effort. We would like to thank:
• Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch
• Sheriff’s Deputies
• Campbell County Road & Bridge and their equipment operators
• Town of Wright resources and equipment
• Emergency Management in Wright
• Local companies and citizens who offered heavy equipment

Because of the quick response and the availability of heavy equipment, crews were able to establish fire lines quickly and slow the spread of the fire.

🚧 Highway 387 is now fully open, and the “SET” evacuation status has been lifted for the area.

Thank you to everyone who assisted and supported responders during this incident.

🚒🔥

🚒