Loading...
08 06 15 JTF1 1 The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener SERGEANTS Eric Petersen Tanner Spicer Peyton Fleming Bobby Lambert POLICE OFFICERS Jerry Murphy John Larrive Todd Rosse Jeff Vonfeldt Steven Meyer Denise Urmann Michael Shepard Nick Gorgos Robin Nelson Steve Hilyar Phillip McCarty 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 Alberto Vargas Lynn Liberman Sue Plucker Joel Detlefsen Lenny Andrie AUGUST 6, 2015 Road Closed During road construction season, it’s important to remember that it is illegal to drive around or through areas that are specifically barricaded for the construction project. Minnesota law states that it is illegal to drive over, through, or around any barricade, fence, or obstruction erected for the purpose of preventing traffic from passing over a portion of a highway closed to public travel or to remove, deface, or damage any such barri- cade, fence or obstruction. Any violation of this section is a misdemeanor. So remember to use patience when driving in the area of any construction project and obey all marked lane or road closures. Keep in mind that fines are increased in any construction zone. Hello again! Some of you might remember me from meeting in public or seeing some of the works I have done in this newsletter. Well the time has come that I have completed my internship with the Mendota Heights Police Department. As some of you know from keeping up with us in our publications, I have gotten to see a wide variety of things. From; initial reports, directed patrol, investigations, watching trials and the jailing process. I have seen a huge amount of the Criminal Justice system. The most important thing I have learned in this process came from a conversation that I had Thursday with Jerry Murphy (whom many of you may know). He told me, “I’ve seen it all, but the most exhilarating part of this job, for me, came from being able to see a family playing in the backyard. Being able to stop and spend some time talking with the parents and playing with the kids, even only for a couple of minutes.” This statement resonated with me to re-affirm my understanding of the officer- community relationship. More importantly, the daily duty motivations of every member of this force and all forces. The only way a police department can work effectively and provide for a community, is by having a vested interest, of sorts, in that community. I can tell you that the Mendota Heights PD cares about this community. This care is derived from a sense duty, service, and genuine pride. The promises made to a community by an officer are ones that are not taken lightly and as such, they place a large amount of pride in upholding those promises to the best of their ability. An officer will see these promises out to the fullest extent, placing themselves in the face of potential danger and uncertainty daily, because after all, those were promises they willingly made to the community. Though this reflection might seem ominous, it is meant to be a subtle reminder that as we live our daily lives, there are a select few that are willing to pay an unfathomable price to ensure we can continue chasing our dreams with a sense of assured safety. Thanks for reading! Cale Schliesman, Police Intern 2 2 Damage to Property Wednesday 20:04 hours Officer Robin Nelson and Sergeant Bobby Lambert responded to a bike trail on a vandalism call. Upon arrival, they located the juvenile suspect who was spray painted the inside of a tunnel. Visibly seen, was a large red spray painted smiley face. The juvenile male was extremely nervous and shaky when he was approached by officers and when asked if he knew why the smiley face was there, he responded, “I thought it would look better with a smiley face.” The male was advised that he cannot spray paint property that does not belong to him. The juvenile male was transported back to his home address and was issued a citation for 4th Degree Damage to Property. Theft of Gas Friday 13:49 hours Officer Phil McCarty responded to a local gas station on a theft of gas report. Upon arrival, he was met by store employee who stated that a white male approximately 5’9”, short blonde hair, late 20’s or early 30’s, scruffy face driving an older maroon small Dodge pickup truck, pumped $20.25 worth of fuel and drove away. The employee was able to capture the license plate which did come back on file and matched the suspect description. A letter was sent to the registered owner. Case pending. Theft of Gas Friday 18:42 hours Officer Robin Nelson responded to a local gas station on a theft of gas report. Upon arrival, she was met by store employee who stated that a black male approximately 6’2”, thin build, short black hair with goatee, white t-shirt, black shorts with red stripe, driving an Buick or Lincoln, gray in color, pumped $48.63 worth of fuel and drove away. The employee was able to capture the license plate. A letter was sent to the registered owner. Case pending. Suspicious Circumstances Friday 21:13 hours Sergeant Bobby Lambert responded to an area of Mendota Heights where there had been several callers reporting a woman driving around the same areas on a scooter for quite some time. Sergeant Lambert located the woman on the scooter who stated she was having a hard time figuring out where she was going with the sun setting. She mentioned she en route from IGH and was trying to visit her cousins house that was located in Mendota Heights. The address she gave did not exist. The woman’s DL had been revoked since 2012 and advised Lambert she was out campaigning for presidency. IGH PD was contacted and are familiar with the woman and stated her behavior is common for her. Her scooter was held for her overnight as the battery was dying and she was transported back to her home in IGH. Burglary Saturday 03:04 hours Officer Jeff Vonfeldt responded to a home on a residential alarm. Upon arrival, VonFeldt found the garage service door had been forced open with some sort of tool. Eagan responded with their K-9 to check the area but after 30 minutes of searching with no luck, the K-9 was cleared. VonFeldt met with the homeowner who was home at the time and stated he did not think much of it at the time but did check the door from inside of the home. The garage service door had a pile of wood behind the door making it impossible for the door to open any more than the 8 inches it had. Case under investigation. Theft from Vehicle Saturday 08:00 hours Officer Phil McCarty was dispatched to a home on a theft from vehicle report. Upon arrival, he was met by the vehicle owner who stated that sometime throughout the night, his vehicle was rummaged through. He mentioned that he usually parks his vehicles in the garage but he had left his boat out in front of the garage so left them out (unlocked). He remembers hearing his neighbors dogs bark at approximately 0400 hours. A brief case as well as a cell phone charger were stolen. 3 3 Vehicle Theft Saturday 11:38 hours Officer Pat McCarty responded to a residence on a stolen vehicle report. McCarty met with the vehicle owner who stated that sometime after midnight, a vehicle registered to her boyfriend was stolen. The woman said no one had permission to take the vehicle. The vehicle was entered into NCIC as stolen. Burglary Sunday 10:24 hours Officer Phil McCarty responded to a residence on a past action burglary report. McCarty met with the homeowner who stated that he left for vacation on 7/22 and when he returned on 8/5, his vehicle had been rummaged through and tools valued at approximately $1,000 were missing from his garage. Theft of Gas Sunday 14:29 hours Officer Robin Nelson responded to a local gas station on a theft of gas report. Upon arrival, she was met by store employee who stated that a Hispanic male approximately 6’0”, 200 lbs, black hair and somewhere between the ages of 20 and 30, driving a silver GMC Yukon with chrome tires, pumped $67.31 worth of fuel and drove away. The employee was able to capture the license plate and video surveillance was downloaded. A letter was sent to the registered owner. Case pending. Mental Health Sunday 16:13 hours Officer Robin Nelson along with Officer Phil McCarty responded to a residence on an individual who was making suicidal comments. Officers arrived and were met by the RP who stated that the male was under the influence and had just left on foot. Officers located the male down the street and he was extremely agitated and said he was trying to walk to his girlfriends house in Lake Elmo. He said his parents misinterpreted his comments. Officers spoke with his parents about his behavior that day and lately, and it was determined that a medical hold was best. He was transported to the hospital. Property Damage Accident Monday 11:34 hours Officer Phil McCarty met with a vehicle owner who stated that while he was driving down the road, a tree fell on his car. The tree appeared to be in the city right of way and he stated there were no injuries and the vehicle was able to drive away from the scene with substantial damage to the front end and windshield. Theft of Gas Monday 13:16 hours Officer Jennifer Fordham responded to a local gas station on a theft of gas report. Upon arrival, she was met by store employee who stated that a tall, heavy set black female wearing a scarf over her head and between the ages of 30 and 40, driving a white Ford Explorer, pumped $34.99 worth of fuel and drove away. The employee was able to capture the license plate number. A letter was sent to the registered owner. Case pending. Damage to Property Wednesday 10:19 hours Officer Todd Rosse responded to the PD lobby on a damage to property report. Contractor states that over the weekend, suspects forced entry into the work trailer that was parked on the driveway of the residence they were working on. Nothing was taken from the trailer as it was emptied due to a previous trailer theft that had occurred a few weeks prior. The lock mechanism, lock hatch and trailer door were all severely damaged. 4 4 07/31- 08/05 2015 YTD Calls for Service 125 4,325 Citations 3 342 Warnings 16 455 Police Reports 23 664 Response Time Average 6.10 5.36 Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: https://www.raidsonline.com 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118 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 Officer 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! Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. On average, every 8 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle. Reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke by remembering to ACT: A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute! And make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not in it so kids don’t get in on their own. C: Create reminders by putting something in the back seat next to your child such as a purse or a cell phone that is needed. This is especially important if you’re not following your normal routine. T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. One call could save a life. Children & Heatstroke 5 5