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04 18 14 JTF1 Police Reserve Program Honored for Volunteer Service On Tuesday April 15, 2014 at the Mendota Heights City Council meeting, the Mendota Heights Police Department Reserve Officers were recognized for their service to the city in 2013. Randy Pentel Lifetime Service Award 4000+ hours Randy Pentel Presidential Gold 1253 hours Jim Knox Presidential Gold 561 hours Becky Pentel Presidential Silver 356 hours Jeff Parker Presidential Silver 253 hours Jerry Murphy Presidential Bronze 140 hours George Castillo Presidential Bronze 132 hours Police Reserves are non‐licensed, volunteer members of the department who perform non‐precarious Police functions in support of the full‐time staff. We are blessed to have a dedicated team of volunteers to complement our police staff. The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department SUPPORT STAFF Kim Henning Trista Miller Lisa Brandt 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 CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener APRIL 18, 2014 Traffic Tickets = Police Revenue? There is oŌen a percepƟon that police departments perform heavy traffic enforcement as a means of generaƟng revenue for their government enƟty. The reality is that fines imposed on violators are in fact mostly distributed to non‐law enforcement agencies. A typical speeding citaƟon with a fine of $120.00 is broken down as follows:                Fine:  $120.00  Surcharge to the county…………………………………....$75.00 Law library fee………………………………………………….….$5.00 State General fund………………………………………..…...$13.33 Issuing agency……………………………………………….……$26.66 Balance:     $00.01    As you can see, once you factor in the costs associated with a prosecuƟng aƩorney, ad‐ ministraƟve overhead not to menƟon police officers Ɵme for not only enforcement but also reports and court Ɵme, It is clear there minimal financial moƟvaƟon to issue a traffic citaƟon. While it not seem like it when you receiving a citaƟon, ensuring the safety and peace of our communiƟes is our primary concern. 2 Traffic Accident Thursday 1519 hours Officer John Larrive responded to a traffic accident at the intersection of Darla Court and Delaware Avenue. Vehicle #1 was stopped in traffic south bound on Delaware Avenue. The driver of vehicle #2 was following vehicle #1. The driver of vehicle #2 said she looked away and did not see that traffic had stopped. Vehicle #2 struck vehicle #1. Damage to vehicle #1 is to the rear area and there was front end damage to vehicle #2. There were no injuries to either driver. Theft Friday 1758 hours Officer Peyton Fleming responded to a report of a theft of a cell phone from Friendly Hills Middle School. The father of the victim reported that his daughter’s cell phone had been stolen from her locker at school earlier that day. Dispatch advised the victim’s cell phone was being tracked to an apartment building in West Saint Paul. Officer Fleming responded to the site where the cell phone was thought to now be located. Unfortunately, the cell phone was deactivated prior to his arrival. Officer Fleming did a search of the lobby area of the building but was unable to locate anyone. Officer Fleming advised the victim to deactivate the cell phone through his cell phone provider. There are no suspects at this time. Vehicle Fire/DWI Friday 1904 hours Officer Peyton Fleming was dispatched to a vehicle fire. Upon arrival he made contact with the driver who stated she was on her way home from the Mall of America and was looking for a gas station. Officer Fleming detected an odor of alcohol coming from her breath and that she had difficulty standing without assistance. When asked how much she had to drink she responded that she had had one glass of wine two hours prior. Officer Fleming conducted a series of field sobriety tests and a digital PBT which resulted in a BAC of .151. The driver was placed under arrest for DWI. Once back at the Mendota Heights Police Department the driver stated she would submit to a blood test to determine blood alcohol level. HealthEast Paramedics were called and responded to the police department to complete the blood draw. The driver was transported to Dakota County Jail where she was booked and released. This case is pending while awaiting results from the MN BCA Laboratory. The remains of the car were towed by South East Towing. Disorderly Conduct Saturday 0154 hours Officer Steve Meyer was pulling into the parking lot of a popular bar when he observed the manager fighting with a male outside the front doors. Officer Meyer called for back-up and then approached the man who was now lying on the ground on his back. The suspect was helped up by his friends and continued to try to fight with the bar manager. Officer Meyer escorted the suspect to his squad car all the while the suspect continued to yell and scream profanities. The manager advised Officer Meyer that the altercation began when he saw the suspect urinating on the outside deck of the bar. When the manager asked him to stop and leave the establishment the suspect refused. The suspect was cited for disorderly conduct and transported to Dakota County Jail. This case was cleared by Adult Arrest. 3 Identity Theft Saturday 1932 hours Officer Michael Shepard was dispatched to make phone contact with a gentleman regarding a possible identity theft. The victim stated that he received a credit card in the mail replacing the temporary card the company had previously mailed to him. He advised Officer Shepard that he had not applied for a credit card from this company nor had he received the temporary card to which the company was referring. Later that day the victim contacted the Mendota Heights Police Department with more information. The card sent was a “reloadable green dot debit card” which holds no value and only works if the card holder deposits money into the account first. The victim was unable to get any information from the debit card company without a police report. At this time it is unclear if any crime has occurred and the case is currently inactive. Damage to Property Sunday 0200 hours Officer Scott Patrick responded to a residence to take a damage to property report. The resident stated that she has experienced ongoing vandalism to her vehicle and residential property. This time the vandals caused damage to a wooden fence, threw bricks on the pool cover and threw dirt on her vehicle. Extra patrols to the area are being provided and this case is under investigation. Theft of Mail Monday 1937 hours Officer Todd Rosse met with a resident regarding a report of mail theft. The resident stated that she had put two pieces of mail in her residential mailbox located across the street from her house. When she went to put more mail in her box at a later time she discovered the other mail was now missing. The resident stated a neighbor had found one of the envelopes in his yard which was torn and the contents were no longer inside. The resident was strongly urged not to use her residential mailbox to mail items containing personal information such as personal checks. At this time there are no suspects or witnesses. Distracted Driving Enforcement 04/11—04/20 Another Dakota County Traffic Safety Project is in progress, targeting Distracted Driving! The project is occurring throughout every Dakota County city. Do you (or have you done) any of the activities below while driving? If so, now is a great time to improve those nasty driving habits and set good examples for your passengers. Many of us have done at least one of these at some point; maybe experienced a near-miss accident or been involved in one as a result. Sometimes, it’s simply distracting to other drivers who catch you doing it! Always remember, a vehicle, while often necessary and primarily safe, is a also a killing machine. PRACTICE SAFETY AND AVOID THE FOLLOWING WHILE DRIVING: Using your cell phone Putting make‐up on, shaving, reading Dealing with children/passengers in the car Changing radio stations or other gauges Plugging in chargers, iPods, and other “car toys” Eating, drinking, spilling food/beverages 4 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. 04/11—04/17 2014 YTD Calls for Service 143 2364 Citations 28 564 Warnings 21 309 Police Reports 18 274 Response Time Average 5.17 5.78 Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: http://mendota.prophoenix.com/CS/CrimeMapping.aspx 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 hap- py to keep a watchful eye on your home while you are away. The House Check Re- quest online form is available on our website; we have similar forms in the MHPD lobby 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 Coun- ty residents can safely and anonymously dispose of their prescription drugs and over-the-counter medication.