Centennial Lakes Police Department 54 North Road, Circle Pines, MN Non-Emergency: Phone: Fax:

Transcription

1 April 2013 Volume 8 Proudly serving the cities of Centerville, Circle Pines, and Lexington Centennial Lakes Police Department 54 North Road, Circle Pines, MN Non-Emergency: Phone: Fax: mail@clpdmn.com OUR OATH By: Chief Coan Police officers take risks and suffer inconveniences to protect the lives and secure the safety of their fellow citizens, and they more often than not endure such risks and tolerate such inconveniences on behalf of total strangers. As such, police work is one of the more noble and selfless occupations in society. Making a difference in the safety and quality of life of people is an opportunity that policing provides, and few other professions can offer. A formal reflection of the nobility of our profession takes place when we take our Oath of Office. Not only have I taken the Oath of Office myself, but I have had the honor of administering the oath to newly hired police officers. I again had such an opportunity when I recently administered the oath to Dennis Spreng when at our Governing Board Meeting he was sworn-in as a new part-time Police Officer. The oath asks a newly sworn police officer to solemnly swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the State of Minnesota. The officer further swears that he/she will fairly and impartially enforce the laws and ordinances of the Cities of Lexington, Circle Pines, and Centerville and that they will follow and abide by the rules, regulations, policies, and practices of the Centennial Lakes Police Department This public affirmation to adhere to an Oath of Office is a powerful message demonstrating high ethical standards and a commitment to professional policing. The oath is a solemn pledge that someone makes when he/she sincerely intends to do what he/she says. It means that one s word is given as a guarantee of accountability and of a commitment to serve and to protect all citizens. Accountability means that any police officer is answerable and responsible for carrying out his/her Oath of Office. The embodiment of our oath occurs every day in our Department as we go about our work in a dedicated, courageous, professional, compassionate, and caring manner. With our oath come certain dangers, risks, and inconveniences that few people are asked to make. To some an oath is mere words, but to professional police officers our oath reflects the fundamental principles upon which a career is built. Our oath is a reflection of who we are and what we stand for as police officers. I remain very proud to be a police officer and very proud of our officers for the risks that they take in defense of our cities and of our citizens. INSIDE THIS EDITION Letters of Commendation and Thanks..2 & 3 Meritorious Conduct Certificate award M-Works Mentoring program Personnel update Centerville s Shake your Shamrock run.. 5 Polar Plunge.. 6 Centerville Lions Club Fishing Tournament. 6 CLPD releases Annual Report/Management plan... 7 Automated External Defibrillator (AED)... 7 CERT team. 7 Make time for safety... 8 Liaison officer list... 9

2 Letters of Commendation and Thanks CLPD Newsletter 2013 While many of the Centennial Lakes Police Department employee s efforts are commendable and deserve thanks, here are a few letters and comments that have been recently brought to the attention of the Chief of Police. Chief of Police Coan, I am writing to you to express my appreciation for and thanks to the officers (Sergeant P. Aldrich and Officer A. Kruyer) who assisted me with a family emergency in Centerville. I deeply regret that in the commotion of what became a very long evening I was not able to record their names, and I trust that you will be able to ensure that my sentiments are conveyed to them. All the better, though, because I would like you, too, to be aware of my feelings. The situation was that en route to arriving at a potentially combustible situation involving an intoxicated family member, I dialed 911 for counsel as to my options and how I might manage the situation. I spoke with an officer (Officer A. Kruyer) whose input helped me prepare a plan for how I would proceed. Upon arriving at my destination, it was clear that I needed immediate assistance and I was able to directly call the officer with whom I had been speaking. Within minutes, a different officer (Sergeant P. Aldrich) arrived and then she herself followed shortly thereafter. The officers' performance was, to my eyes, exemplary. They were professional, calm, and capable in handling a difficult situation that ultimately required the family member to be restrained and taken away by ambulance. Their quick response and obvious experience were both invaluable. Where I without either, I fear things could have been much worse. Please know that these contributions do not go unnoticed. Sincerely, Anonymous. Good Morning Chief, The tears have started already. I m going to miss you and your department so very much, you have no idea. I wish you and everyone with Centennial Lakes PD the very best. It truly is the #1 department! From the bottom of my heart thank you for the well wishes. Stay safe and this is not good-bye, I am not far, please stop and see Michael and I when you are in the area! Linda A. Pitchford, Retired Assistant City Administrator, City of Lexington. Angi (Officer A. Kruyer), the look on the seniors faces when they see you coming is priceless! One of the best moments of my job is seeing the smile across their face when they see you driving up. Thank you for the time you invest here at Chauncey and being a part of what makes Chauncey so special. Thank you for your friendship also. Pam, Chauncey Barett Gardens Senior Living. Chief, this case is a prime example of several agencies working well together towards a common goal of protecting and serving the public. Many hours of prior investigation (Detective K. Carlson) from the involved Minnesota agencies helped to ~ 2 ~ compile fantastic intelligence on this burglary ring. That information was forwarded to our agencies and a plan was put in place involving many agencies. A large and valuable amount of property was recovered in this specific case and all involved should be very proud of the work that took place over those couple of days. Officers (Detective K. Carlson) worked long hours without complaint and were able to bring this burglary ring to justice. They should all be recognized for the great teamwork involved in this investigation. Derrick Hughes, Sergeant of Investigations, Superior Police Department. Chief Charles LaGesse from Superior Wisconsin presented CLPD s Detective Kris Carlson with the Meritorious Conduct Certificate award on February 8 th, Detective Carlson earned this award for his exemplary investigation of career suspects in a burglary ring, which then lead to their apprehension after a burglary in Superior.

3 Letters of Commendation and Thanks --- Continued Dear Chief Coan, I wanted to let you know about an incident that shows our continued cooperation between our departments to get the job done. Yesterday we had an accident on 109th Avenue and Pheasant Ridge Drive involving an SUV and a school bus full of children. The school bus struck a power pole and sheared it off. Officer A. Kruyer from your department was truly a valuable asset on the call. Luckily there were no serious injuries. There were 22 individuals listed on the ICR and Officer A. Kruyer assisted in getting most of the children s information. The kids were then relocated to the nearby Infinite Campus to be checked by Allina and reunited with their parents. My officers said Officer A. Kruyer did a great job and wanted us to express our appreciation to her. Please pass this along to her and know that your officers do great work. Sincerely, Lieutenant Dan Szykulski, Blaine Police Department. Phone Message: Hi Jon, (Officer J. Krueger) this is Korrin. I am calling to thank you for assisting my son and daughter. Thank you for getting my son up off the street and back into the house after the bus did not pick him up for school. (The juvenile male was in a wheel chair with a cast on his leg and his younger sister was attempting to get him back into the house but having significant difficulty due to icy conditions). You went above and beyond and we truly appreciate it! I just want to give you a thank you and we again really appreciate all that you do. Have a great day. Korrin Londroche, Circle Pines. Phone Message: The message stated that Officer J. Krueger helped with a domestic escort. The caller stated that Officer J. Krueger made her feel very comfortable and safe. She repeatedly used the expression He made me feel so comfortable. She also stated He made sure he watched everything that was going on and that I was OK throughout the almost 2-hr escort. She further stated He was so nice to talk to and that she really appreciated that he asked if she was OK? She further appreciated how he checked in with her when it was necessary for him to go back to his squad to do something. She concluded by stating he was a very very nice and kind officer and that even though she knows she cannot request him specifically for future calls she wishes she was able to. Anonymous. Published in The Citizen on Centerville woman trapped in SUV continues to improve. I want to commend the Centennial Lakes Police Department and the Plymouth Police Department because they went above and beyond the call of duty. They were here all the time. They are great people. I can t say enough about our local police. Ron Breberg. On behalf of Midwest Events and FrontRunner Events we wish to thank the Centennial Lakes Police and Fire Department for their assistance in ensuring the Shake Your Shamrock 8K and 5K run/walk was a success. The event was a huge success with the runners and it couldn t have happened without the support and cooperation from everyone involved with the race, the Centennial Lakes Police and Fire Department, the City of Centerville, Parks and Recreation Department, and the many volunteers that were there. A special thanks to the police and fire department members that were on site keeping the runners safe and encouraging them on the route. Many runners came up to tell us what a great running trail this is. They were impressed with the trail conditions and the support of the safety officers. We look forward to next year s race and with any luck some better weather. Thank you, Terry Thompson, Midwest Events. ~ 3 ~

4 M-WORKS MENTORING PROGRAM A letter from Terri Klebe: Officer Bill is a hero at Golden Lake Elementary School! My name is Terri Klebe, and together with Eric Nelson, we facilitate M-Works Mentoring Program for at risk students. Our program is twelve years old and one hundred matches strong. The majority of our mentors are responsible Centennial High School students, along with several staff members from Golden Lake Elementary, community members, and a Centennial Lakes Police Officer. For nearly five years, Officer Bill has been a mentor. Not only is he Ian s official mentor, but he is a mentor to every student at GLE. He comes each week, usually Wednesdays, to spend thirty minutes with Ian, and thirty more minutes in the Compass Room, (mentor headquarters, problem solving, and support room), playing games and tirelessly answering questions. Each week three or four students are chosen to spend time with Officer Bill. Officer Bill played Santa Claus, no costume though, and donated several new games to the Compass Room. Officer Bill can be found at mentor parties, lending a hand as needed. Wednesday is called Officer Bill Day at Golden Lake Elementary! He is someone special that our students look up to and admire. It is a positive experience for the students to visit with Officer Bill as a police officer and a friend. Officer Bill is a hero at our school! Terri Klebe From left to right: Eric Nelson, Officer Bill Jacobson, and Terri Klebe. The main goal of the M- Works Mentoring Program is to introduce the school to the police in a nonenforcement setting. Most children only see police in an enforcement role (writing tickets, taking people to jail, pulling people over etc.). In Officer B. Jacobson s role at the school, he interacts with the students in a casual manner by playing games, answering questions, and just hanging out and talking. At times he appears in plainclothes which helps the students see him as just a regular person. There are times that the mentor program has off-site functions. In the past they have gone bowling and ice staking. Recently they went to the Zero-Gravity Trampoline Park. These off site events are a lot of fun for the students, and the venues are generally restricted to only the mentor/mentee groups. These events provide ample time for the program to interact as a large group, with mentor/mentee all spending time together. This helps strengthen the program as a whole, and draws the members of the program closer. Officer B. Jacobson has begun his fifth year as a mentor at Golden Lake Elementary. In the spring, he ended his time with Damian because he graduated from the school. In the fall, Officer Jacobson began mentoring Ian. He meets regularly with a focus group outside of his time with Ian. His time with these focus groups proves effective at creating stronger relationships with the students and staff at the school. He also further expanded his role at the school by using some of his time addressing problems that came up between students, attending sporting events that Ian is a part of, and volunteering off duty time to be at the school. He played in a dodge ball tournament in the spring of 2010, 2011, and He also donated new games to the school just before Christmas. ~ 4 ~ Zero Gravity Trampoline Park in Mounds view Officer B. Jacobson and 5 th grader Ian.

5 Personnel update We are pleased to announce the hiring of Dennis Spreng as a part-time police officer with our Department. Dennis has previous and extensive law enforcement experience and has been serving as a Reserve Officer- Sergeant with our Department. Dennis started on Wednesday, January 9th. Officer Dennis Spreng Community Service Officer Lucas Frederickson Lucas Frederickson has been hired as a Community Service Officer for our Department. Lucas s first day was Saturday, January 5th. Last year Lucas was a Reserve Officer with the Department. He is currently Chief Coan and newly sworn-in part-time Officer Dennis Spreng. a senior at Metropolitan State University, where he is double majoring in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Lucas currently lives in Stillwater with his Siberian husky, Dexter. We want to welcome both Dennis and Lucas! Centerville s Shake Your Shamrock run Above: Shake Your Shamrock volunteer Sue Gergen along with Sergeant R. Blanck Above: Centennial Fire Fighter Hai Tieu, CSO A. Hattstrom, Officer J. Tarnowski, and Centennial Fire Fighter Mike Webster. Shake Your Shamrock run was held on Saturday March 16, 2013 in Centerville. There were 125 runners and it was a very safe and successful event. The start and finish lines were along Main Street just west of Centerville Road. Centennial Lakes Police was on hand to help with traffic control, and the Centennial Fire Department provided their six-wheel vehicle that helped ensure all runners/walkers made it off the course safely. ~ 5 ~ Thanks to Officer J. Tarnowski for organizing the traffic control. The CERT team was a big help along with Reserve Officer C. Broton, Officer B. Jacobson, Sergeant R. Blanck, CSO A. Hattstrom and CSO L. Frederickson. A special thanks to Sue Gergen for providing some of these pictures.

6 Polar Plunge Thank you to the CLPD team that took the plunge. From left to right: CSO J. Wressell, Officer A. Kruyer and family, Firefighter K. Peil, CSO A. Hattstrom, Officer J. Zech and Officer D. Spreng. A special thanks to Officer A. Kruyer for coordinating this event. Brave Minnesotans plunged into frigid water to raise funds for Special Olympics Minnesota as part of the 2013 Polar Bear Plunge. On Saturday, February 9, 2013 Anoka County hosted the Polar Bear Plunge at Crooked Lake in Coon Rapids. Anoka County had 693 participants this year, and raised $140,000. Centennial Lakes Police Department alone raised $2,130 this year. We want to thank everyone who donated and participated in this event including the following businesses: BarOle Trucking, Inc. of Centerville MNChamplin ATA of Champlin. Centerville Lions Club Fishing Tournament The Centerville Lions club hosted its 31 st Annual fishing contest on Saturday, February 16, The tournament was a huge success! Almost 1,300 Holes were purchased and a large Northern won 1st Prize! Our Police Reserves (C. Broton & J. Marshall), CERT members, and Officer J. Krueger did a wonderful job handling traffic, parking, and monitoring the gates. Thanks to Officer J. Krueger for organizing CLPD s involvement with this event. ~ 6 ~

7 CLPD RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT/MANAGEMENT PLAN 2012 Annual Report/2013 Management Plan Our Department recently released its 2012 Annual Report/2013 Management Plan. The report reflects our accomplishments last year, including the transition to a standardized sidearm, development of policies and practices in accord with national standards, creation of a new badge and shoulder patch, the hiring and training of several new officers and support personnel, and the development of a long-term strategic plan. The report also provides a statistical accounting of crimes and arrests in our three cities and includes our organizational goals and objectives for The document can be viewed in its entirety by going to our CLPD website ( and clicking on the annual report link. Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Centennial Fire District recently helped coordinate efforts to provide an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to Circle Pines City Hall and a replacement AED to Centennial Lakes Police Department. The AEDs, donated by Allina Hospitals & Clinics, were presented on March 27 by Allina Health Heart Safe Supervisor Katie Tewalt, at right. Also at the presentation were, from left, Centennial Fire District EMS Coordinator Brad Racutt, Circle Pines Mayor Dave Bartholomay, Centennial Lakes Police Captain Ron Nelson, and Circle Pines City Administrator Jim Keinath. Community Emergency Response Team - CERT From left to right: CERT coordinator Michelle Lakso, Christy Bauer, Katrina Krist, Angelique Sloan, Linda Goeppinger and Michelle Pech-Larson. These CERT members recently took between hours of training. The training was for members to become trainers for the CERT program, as well as teach the program manager course so they can assist with CERT program management. The course also helped with broadening their skills and knowledge of the CERT program. The training was offered by the State of Minnesota in New Brighton on March and March The course was instructed by CLPD s CERT coordinator Michelle Lakso, Angie Trulson of Stearns/Benton CERT, and Erin Hausauer, a Sterns County EM. We thank these fabulous volunteers for their valuable time, and for their willingness and desire to assist with and improve our Community Emergency Response Team! ~ 7 ~

8 Make Time for Safety By: Administrative Sergeant Russell Blanck This article addresses the relationship between time and motorist safety. I recently had the dubious distinction of becoming a member of the Parents with a New Teenage Driver in the House club. Mindful of my wife s admonishment not to scare my daughter to death, I tried to sum up decades of driving experience, not to mention 17-years on duty witnessing some really horrific motorist conduct (and, from time-to-time, it s tragic outcome), into a single piece of advice. The result of that effort was make time. Time is a motorist s best friend. Think of all the ways making more time can help keep a driver safe. To begin, leave yourself more than just enough time to get to where you need to go. If you are not rushing you are less likely to speed, to follow too closely, to attempt to make that yellow light at an intersection, or to roll though a stop sign or crosswalk. While driving, consciously create more time to react. New drivers spend an inordinate amount of time looking at their mirrors. What they don t do nearly as well is look ahead towards what awaits them down the road. If a driver is only looking one or two vehicles in front of where she is headed, her ability to avoid or evade a problem is greatly diminished. Leave enough space between yourself and the vehicle in front of you not only to see what s ahead of you, but to create stopping or avoidance distance. If someone encroaches upon the space you have created back off and re-create sufficient reactionary space. Day-to-day driving is not a competition. Unlike drag racing, when the semaphore lights up green it is not a good idea to gun it. We have all witnessed vehicles scream through an intersection well after their light turned red. The fact that we had time to make that observation helped keep us safe. We all benefit from pausing, even if just for a moment, before proceeding into an intersection at a semaphore, stop sign or other traffic control device. Finally, the latest, but definitely not greatest, threat to reactionary time is inattentive driving. The more distracted a driver is the less time she has to react, often with dire consequences. Please do not text, , access the Internet, chat and, if possible, even talk on the cell phone while driving. You d be amazed how peaceful it can be to get off the grid, even if just for a few minutes. Please feel free to call me at should you have any questions or concerns. Additionally, please remember that you and everyone else in your vehicle wear their seatbelt. They save lives and it is the law. ~ 8 ~

9 Contact your area liaison officer with any questions you may have at: Circle Pines: Admin. Sergeant R. Blanck Officer J. Krueger Officer J. Tarnowski Officer J. Zech Detective K. Carlson Officer D. Spreng Lexington: Sergeant B.J. Stepan Officer A. Dixon Officer B. Jacobson Officer A. Kruyer Officer S. Werneke Centerville: Sergeant P. Aldrich Officer M. Langreck Officer A. Sandmann Officer M. Giese City of Circle Pines City of Lexington City of Centerville CLPD Newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Centennial Lakes Police Department Chief of Police: Chief J. Coan Editor: K. Honkomp, Data Entry Clerk C. Lewis, Office Manager Articles Contributed by: Chief J. Coan Sergeant R. Blanck ~ 9 ~ Photos Courtesy of: Sgt. B.J. Stepan Det. K. Carlson Officer B. Jacobson Officer J. Tarnowski CSO J. Wressell Sue Gergen CERT members Circle Pines Staff Photo Various CLPD Staff