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10 03 14 JTF1 The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener SERGEANT Eric Petersen POLICE OFFICERS Jerry Murphy John Larrive Bobby Lambert Tanner Spicer Todd Rosse Jeff Vonfeldt Steven Meyer Denise Urmann Michael Shepard Peyton Fleming Nick Gorgos Robin Nelson INVESTIGATIONS Chad Willson SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER Jennifer Fordham SUPPORT STAFF Kim Henning Trista Miller Lisa Brandt Becky Pentel RESERVES Randy Pentel Jim Knox Jeff Parker George Castillo CHAPLAINS Frances Cuenca Joel Detlefsen Lynn Liberman Butch Millett Sue Plucker John Snider David Wick OCTOBER 3, 2014 One common mistake parents make is not using booster seats. In Minnesota, children must ride in a booster seat once they have outgrown a forward‐facing harnessed restraint. It’s safest if they remain riding in a booster unƟl they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, or at least age 8. Boosters are seat liŌs that raise a child up so a seat belt ﬁts properly. Seat belts should not cut across the neck and should never be tucked behind the back or under an arm. Children who are shorter than 4 feet 9 inches are not ready to use a seat belt alone. Poor belt ﬁt can contribute to serious injury or death in a crash. And remember, kids should ride in the back seat unƟl age 13. Visit buckleupkids.mn.gov for more informaƟon about all types of child restraints, helpful car seat installaƟon instrucƟon videos and more. Booster Basics Over 3.2 million students are vicƟms each year * 17% of American students report being bullied 2‐3 Ɵmes a month * Approximately 160,000 teens skip school every day because of bullying Signs a Child is Being Bullied: Unexplainable injuries. Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, jewelry. Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness. Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch. Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares. Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school. Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations. Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem. Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide. Signs a Child is Bullying Others: Get into physical or verbal fights. Have friends who bully others. Are increasingly aggressive. Get sent to the principal’s office frequently. Have unexplained extra money or new belongings. Blame others for their problems. Don’t accept responsibility for their actions. Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity. Parents, preventing bullying starts with you and it starts at home. Teach self-control through discipline. Don’t tolerate mistreatment of others and consistently applying negative consequences. Reward your child for improvement in behavior. Teach your child to treat others the way they want to be treated. Teach your child that mistreatment and kindness are powerful-creating memories. Hold family meetings to teach empathy, sensitivity and values. Teach your child to control his/her anger. Discuss models of acceptance (newspaper stories, television stories, movies, etc.) Discuss bullying scenes you watch on television or in movies. Teach your child to say “I’m sorry” and “Please forgive me” and then to be kind to the person. 2 3 Possession of Marijuana Wednesday 08:00 hours School Resource Officer Jennifer Fordham was notified by school staff that a juvenile male was found in possession of a small amount of marijuana on campus before school started. The student was apprehended when the janitor reported to the Chemical Health Counselor of suspicious activity out by the tennis courts. The Counselor approached the tennis court area and could see the male light up a “one-hitter” and could smell an odor of marijuana. The male was cooperative, admitting to smoking pot regularly. He willingly gave her the contraband items, headed to the Principal’s office and his father arrived. Since this was his 3rd violation, he was issued a citation for MJ Possession and agreed to a chemical assessment. T h e f t W e d n e s d a y 0 8 : 1 8 h o u r s Officer Bobby Lambert was dispatched to call a complainant in reference to a theft. In speaking with the complainant, a contractor, he said an aluminum floor box storage container went missing sometime within the past few days. The box was stored off a bicycle path near the Pool & Yacht Club. The box is owned by United Rentals. Three parts of the four-sided box were missing and is was valued at approximately $1,500. There is no suspect information at this time. Damage to Property x3 Sunday 08:00 hours Officer Peyton Fleming was called to a home on a damage to property report and subsequently took two more similar report. Each homeowner reported spray painted images of male genitalia on garages and on vehicles parked in the driveway, all which happened sometime overnight, possibly between 10 and midnight. The previous day, squads were dispatched to a home in close proximity to the complainants on a suspicious activity call where spray cans were heard yet no one was found. The image of the vandalism is consistent with the others throughout the summer. Please see page 2 for the REWARD. 5th Degree Assault/DOC/Warrant Monday 15:57 hours Officer Peyton Fleming, along with Officer Steve Meyer and Sergeant Eric Petersen, were dispatched to a local therapy facility where two juvenile females had gotten into a fight. Upon arrival, Officers were met by one of the females probation officers who was present during the assault and was going to revoke her probation so she was placed under arrest. In speaking with the victim, she stated they were in a group session together when an argument ensued over images and comments made on a social media site resulting in the other female striking her. The suspect was then arrested for her probation violation and then cited for 5th Degree Assault and Disorderly Conduct. Fraud Tuesday 1009 hours Officer VonFeldt took a walk-in report from a resident who had fraudulent activity on his bank account. He had discovered a transaction on his card from a business in California and immediately reported it to the bank. The bank had him take steps to get his account closed/changed and advised him to report it to the police department after completing affidavit paperwork. Trespass/False Name/Juveniles Thursday 0220 hours Officer Shepard, while on patrol, observed vehicle lights in a closed cemetery and observed the vehicle follow one of the paths out of sight. He entered the cemetery and watched the vehicle pull up to a maintenance building. He turned on his lights to signal the driver to stop, but it continued on to the exit driveway and then stopped. The vehicle was occupied by a female driver and male passenger, who stated they were just driving around. Officer Shepard advised them the posted signs at the entrance stating the cemetery was closed and it was a misdemeanor to violate. Neither juvenile was able to provide an ID, and after running their names and date of birth provided, he learned the driver did not have a DL and the young man showed up not on file. After contacting the parents, he also learned the young man gave him a false name. Citations included False Info to Police, Trespass in a Cemetery and Curfew. 4 1. Tug on your child’s car seat where the seat belt goes. If it moves more than 1” at the base, tighten it up. 2. Secure furniture and TV’s. Mount ﬂat screens and keep tube TV’s on a stable base. 3. Check smoke detectors & CO alarms monthly. Replace devices every 10 years and batteries every year. 4. Secure all medicine in your home, purses and daily reminder boxes. 5. Check your home for coin‐sized button batteries. 6. Ask your child’s coaches if they have had concussion or sports safety training. 7. Take action against distraction. Distraction impacts driving, walking, bathing and just about everything you do. 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. 09/26—10/02 2014 YTD Calls for Service 128 6,085 Citations 9 887 Warnings 10 721 Police Reports 9 706 Response Time Average 6.05 5.83 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. The House Check Request 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 County residents can safely and anonymously dispose of their prescription drugs and over‐the‐counter medication. Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: https://www.raidsonline.com 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118 7 A LiƩle Less Known Child Safety Tips