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01 30 15 JTF1 1 The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener SERGEANTS Eric Petersen Tanner Spicer Peyton Fleming POLICE OFFICERS Jerry Murphy John Larrive Bobby Lambert 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 CHAPLAINS Butch Millett John Snider David Wick Frances Cuenca Alberto Vargas Lynn Liberman Sue Plucker Joel Detlefsen Lenny Andrie JANUARY 30, 2015 Identity theft occurs when someone uses an individual’s personal information without permission to receive some kind of benefit, most commonly money and property. If you are a victim of identity theft take these steps: Close compromised accounts immediately File a police report Place a 90-day fraud alert on your credit report and obtain a copy of your credit report. If your license or state ID card has been stolen or used improperly, you will need to get a replacement at your local driver’s license office. You can complete a form to request a “driving record flag” that will alert law enforcement officers that someone else may be using your identity. For more information, contact the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services at 651-297-3298. At least once a year, officers from the Mendota Heights Police Department conduct a “sƟng” at local establishments to verify that employees are not serving alcohol or tobacco to an underage person. We are helped by “checkers”— persons under the age of 18 (for to- bacco) and under 21 (for alcohol) who work with a member of the police department. Each establishment is checked for compliance under applicable laws for underage service/sale. Local businesses in the ciƟes of Mendota Heights, Mendota and Lilydale have the opƟon to parƟcipate in a cooperaƟve partnership with the Mendota Heights Police Department called the “Best PracƟces” Program. Best PracƟces parƟcipaƟon is meant to ensure businesses pro- vide training to their employees who serve alcohol with the benefit of reduced penalƟes if they fail a check. The ulƟmate goal is to prevent the sale of alcohol or tobacco to underage customers and to help employees recognize obviously intoxicated persons, spot fake ID’s, and deter purchases and consumpƟon, which is a criminal act. Officers provide annual training to these businesses in the hopes that they conƟnue to follow the program and can “pass” the test when our checkers are sent into their establishment. Establishments that fail by failing to card and ulƟmately serving our underage client have two- fold consequences. The server is charged with a gross misdemeanor. The business receives civil penalƟes range from $500 fine for a first violaƟon to liquor license revocaƟon for a mini- mum of one year for further violaƟons. However, if a business can demonstrate that they are a member of the Best PracƟces Program and can verify employee training on alcohol service, their penalƟes can be reduced. “Sting Operation” 2 2 Damage to Property Wednesday 09:00 hours Officer John Larrive was dispatched to the Pool & Yacht Club on a damage to property report. The onsite manager directed the officer to the attached lower parking lot where it had been spray painted. There are no suspects at this time. Unwanted Communications Thursday 16:23 hours Officer Bobby Lambert took a report via phone from a woman who says she has been receiving unwanted text messages from a man who she dated for just three months back in 2000. She has told him numerous times that she wants nothing to do with him yet he continues to text periodically. Officer Lambert left the man a voicemail telling him to stop all communications with the woman to avoid criminal charges. Theft Thursday 16:29 hours Officer John Larrive took a walk-in theft from vehicle report from a woman who said she was getting her haircut at Fantastic Sam’s and when she returned to her vehicle, items were missing from her purse. She said her TCF Card and several prescription medications were missing. After doing some more research and after checking out her story, Officer Larrive ultimately came to the conclusion her story was a fib. She was issued a citation for Falsifying a Police Report. 5th Degree Assault Thursday 17:20 hours Officer John Larrive was dispatched to call a reporting party in regard to an assault that had taken place earlier in the day. The reporting party stated her juvenile son had been attacked by four other students while outside playing football at school. The students grabbed him by the neck, threw him down then kicked him in the neck and groin area. There were no visible injuries and the parent did not want further action. The school will be taking disciplinary actions against the students. Theft Friday 08:28 hours Officer John Larrive received a walk-in theft complaint from a male who stated his mail had been stolen. The male left for vacation over the holidays and had put a stop on his mail while he was gone. When he returned, he still hadn't received any mail but his neighbor had. He called the post office to inquire about his mail and they informed him it had been delivered. Within a few days, the male began receiving notices for payment from Xcel Energy and a credit card. It was at this point he knew his mail had been stolen. He did advise those companies of the theft. Code Violation Friday 20:48 hours Sergeant Tanner Spicer and Officer Nick Gorgos were dispatched to a home on an ordinance violation which then escalated to a disturbance. When officers arrived, they saw the complainant standing beside his truck blocking the entrance to his neighbor’s driveway blocking in a tow truck driver. The complainant told officers he believed the neighbor was operating a business out of his garage. He was told that whether or not there is a business being run, he cannot block access to his neighbor’s driveway. He was then advised to go through the necessary process with the City of Mendota Heights City Code Enforcement. 3 3 Possession of Marijuana Saturday 00:42 hours Officer Tanner Spicer observed a vehicle exciting a church parking lot at a high rate of speed. When Officer Spicer caught up to the vehicle he asked the occupants what they were doing at the church. The driver stated he was driving the passengers in the car home and got lost so they pulled into the church parking lot. Officer Spicer was able to detect the odor or marijuana coming from the vehicle and asked the driver if there was any marijuana in the car. Officer Spicer located a plastic baggie with marijuana, a marijuana pipe, and a digital scale in the glove compartment of the vehicle. The driver admitted that they belonged to him. The evidence was taken back to the police department and entered into the property room and the driver was cited for Pos- session of a Small Amount of Marijuana and Drug Paraphernalia and released from the scene. Theft Monday 09:00 hours Officer Rosse was dispatched to a home regarding a theft. Homeowner reported that someone entered both unlocked vehicles which were parked in his driveway overnight and stole a small amount of cash and some equipment from the vehicles. Officer Rosse noted there were no other calls in similar nature reported. No suspects or witnesses at this time. Property Damage Accident Monday 09:19 hours Officer John Larrive was dispatched to a property damage accident on Lilydale Rd. the reporting party advised that a semi-truck had just struck the train bridge. As Officer Larrive was responding to the location of the accident he had dispatch notify the owner of the railroad that there was an accident involving the train bridge. Officer Larrive searched for the vehicle and found in St. Paul where he learned the driver of the semi worked. The driver reported the accident to his employer. Officer Larrive returned to the bridge to take photographs and provided the railroad bridge owner with a case number. Theft Tuesday 17:30 hours Officer Meyer responded to report of broken window on a vehicle. The owner of the vehicle stated that she parked her car and went walking when she returned to her vehicle the window had been broken and a reusable cloth grocery bag had been stolen from the car. There are no suspects. The case is inactive. Theft of Gas Wednesday 14:48 hours Officer Rosse responded to a gas station on report of a gas drive-off. The reporting party provided a license plate number which was found to be not on file. This case is inactive pending further evidence. Prescription Fraud Thursday 18:59 hours Officers Nick Gorgos and Todd Rosse responded to Walgreens where a woman was trying to use a fraudulent prescription to obtain 180 tablets of Oxycodone. The pharmacist recognized the prescription because another individual had tried to use this same fraudulent prescription with a different person’s name several days earlier. The pharmacist stalled the suspect until officers arrived. The woman told the officers her friends told her to go into the pharmacy and obtain the prescription. The female suspect was arrested and jailed. 4 4 01/23—01/29 2015 YTD Calls for Service 84 463 Citations 10 38 Warnings 7 25 Police Reports 14 80 Response Time Average 5.18 5.47 Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: https://www.raidsonline.com 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118 POLICEMAN: I couldn't help but notice your eyes are bloodshot. Have you been drinking? DRIVER: Officer, I couldn't help but notice your eyes are glazed. Have you been eating donuts?    What did the cop’s wife tell him when they were arguing? “Oh, give it arrest! POLICEMAN: Ma'am, it says here that you should be wearing glasses. DRIVER: Well, I have contacts. POLICEMAN: I don’t care who you know! You’re getting a ticket!     POLICEMAN: Why are you driving without a license? DRIVER: Because it was revoked months ago.     POLICEMAN: Why didn't you obey that stop sign? DRIVER: Because I was told not to believe everything I read. 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; you can complete a form found in our lobby, or simply give us a call and we’ll help you out. 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. 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!