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02 21 14 JTF1     The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department SUPPORT STAFF Kim Henning Trista Miller Becky Pentel POLICE OFFICERS Jerry Murphy Scott Patrick John Larrive Bobby Lambert Tanner Spicer Todd Rosse Jeff Vonfeldt Steven Meyer Denise Urmann Michael Shepard Peyton Fleming SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER Jennifer Fordham INVESTIGATIONS Mario Reyes Chad Willson SERGEANTS Neil Garlock Brian Convery Eric Petersen RESERVES Randy Pentel Jim Knox Jeff Parker George Castillo CHAPLAINS Frances Cuenca Joel Detlefsen Lynn Liberman Butch Millett Sue Plucker John Snider David Wick Lenny Andrie CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener FEBRUARY 21, 2014 Safety is a top consideration when using space heaters. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more than 25,000 residential ϐires every year are associated with the use of space heaters, resulting in more than 300 deaths. In addition, an estimated 6,000 people receive hospital emergency room care for burn injuries associated with contacting the hot surfaces of room heaters, mostly in non‐ϐire situations. Vented & Unvented Combustion Space Heaters Unvented combustion units are not recommended for use inside your home, because they introduce unwanted combustion products into the living space—including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and water vapor—and deplete air in the space. Most states have banned unvented kerosene heaters for use in the home and at least ϐive have banned the use of unvented natural gas heaters. Vented units are designed to be permanently located next to an outside wall, so that the ϐlue gas vent can be installed through a ceiling or directly through the wall to the outside. Sealed combustion heaters are much safer to operate than other types of space heaters, and operate more efϐiciently because they do not draw in the heated air from the room and exhaust it to the outdoors. They are also less likely to backdraft and adversely affect indoor air quality. When buying and installing a small space heater, follow these guidelines: Only purchase newer model heaters that have all of the current safety features. Make sure the heater carries the Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) label. Choose a thermostatically controlled heater, because they avoid the energy waste of overheating a room. Select a heater of the proper size for the room you wish to heat. Do not purchase oversized heaters. Most heaters come with a general sizing table. Locate the heater on a level surface away from foot trafϐic. Be especially careful to keep children and pets away from the heater. Electric Space Heaters Electric space heaters are generally more expensive to operate than combustion space heaters, but they are the only unvented space heaters that are safe to operate inside your home. Although electric space heaters avoid indoor air quality concerns, they still pose burn and ϐire hazards and should be used with caution. When buying and installing an electric space heater, follow these general safety guidelines: Electric heaters should be plugged directly into the wall outlet. If an extension cord is necessary, use the shortest possible heavy‐duty cord of 14‐gauge wire or larger. Always check and follow any manufacturer’s instructions pertaining to the use of extension cords. Buy a unit with a tip‐over safety switch, which automatically shuts off the heater if the unit is tipped over. 2     Theft Saturday 2317 hours Officer Steve Meyer along with Officers Rosse and Spicer were dispatched to a local gas station on a theft of gasoline report. Meyer spoke with the employee who gave a description of the vehicle that just left the lot. After airing the description Officer Rosse spotted the suspect vehicle trying to get away he immediately conducted a traffic stop. The male, lone occupant admitted to the crime, was identified by employees and was arrested for the theft. Fraud Monday 0047 hours Officer Tanner Spicer was approached by an employee at a local gas station in reference to a counterfeit $5.00 bill. The employee mentioned the bill got passed about a week prior but were not sure what to do with it. Spicer took possession on the counterfeit bill and placed it into evidence. This $5.00 was indeed counterfeit as it had different paper as well as none of the security features. No leads. Mental Health Tuesday 1202 hours Officers John Larrive and Bobby Lambert responded to a local school on an out of control student. In confronting the student, the student attempted to run away but was stopped. It was learned in an earlier incident, the student had attacked two teachers. The student eventually calmed down turned over to the mother had been notified to pick up the student. Theft Tuesday 1234 hours Sergeant Neil Garlock was dispatched to a local company on a report of a theft. In meeting with the CFO of the company, he was advised there have been unauthorized charges on the company gas credit card totaling over $1,000. The transactions were occurring in a span of cities and sometimes used 3-4 times per day. It is believed that the card is being used by an employee of the company. Under investigation. Fraud Tuesday 1623 hours Officer John Larrive was dispatched to call a woman in regard to fraud. In speaking with the woman, she states that someone hacked into her email account from there they gained access into her retirement account. The thief then attempted to make a loan against the account. Fortunately the hacker was stopped by the company who stopped the transaction was completed. No activity on the account since the loan was stopped. Domestic Tuesday 1634 hours Officer John Larrive responded to a home on a husband / wife domestic. In speaking with both parties, it turns out the wife was upset with the condition of the home when she returned home from work as well as the alcohol impairment of her husband. An argument then erupted resulting in an alcohol bottle striking the husband’s head and the husband then retaliating in anger. The impaired party was taken to detox and both issued citations for domestic assault. Damage to Property Wednesday 1617 hours Officer John Larrive responded to the police lobby on a damage to property report. In meeting with the complainant, the man stated that his son had his vehicle in the high school parking lot to pick up his brother where several students were engaged in a snowball fight. The car windshield fell victim to a snow/ice chunk hitting and shattering it. The culprit was identified they first denied any involvement but later on admitted the wrongdoing to his friend and offered to take full responsibility for the damage. 3     The Mendota Heights Police Department works hard everyday to keep our City safe and have proven so by having one of the lowest crime rates in the state of MN. To see it for yourself, please visit: MN Crime Stats Thank you to all the residents here in Mendota Heights who also have their eye out for crime and report any crimes in progress or suspicious activity! Please send us your positive feedback on our staff to: pdrecords@ mendota-heights.com Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helps boost the morale of our staff. Have a Safe Week! If you are a Mendota Heights resident and you are going out of town or on vacation, you can notify MHPD of your outing and we will be more than happy to keep a watchful eye on your home while you are away. Make your House Check Request online at www.mendota‐heights.com, visit us in the MHPD lobby to complete a form or call us and we will take your info over the phone. MHPD offers monthly Car Seat Safety Checks. To schedule an appointment, call 651.452.1366 to contact Ofϐicer Jennifer Fordham. MHPD has a Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of the PD where Dakota County residents can safely and anonymously dispose of their prescription drugs and over‐the‐counter medication. 2/14—2/20 2014 YTD Calls for Service 148 1,183 Citations 43 347 Warnings 23 142 Police Reports 14 118 Response Time Average 5.80 5.90