Volume 1 / Issue 8 Monthly Newsletter January 12, 2017 MISSION STATEMENT Through community and multiagency partnerships: receive, analyze, and develop meaningful intelligence to counter crime and extremism through predictive and strategic policing strategies that quickly translate into action. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NYPD SHIELD AND NATIONAL SHIELD NETWORK. THE SHIELD PROGRAM The SHIELD program establishes a platform connected to a national network to keep you informed as to what is occurring in our community and abroad. The program is designed with an understanding that crime and terrorism events throughout the region, state, nation and even the world, can have an impact on our Hanover community. The SHIELD program provides community members and organizations with information on emerging local and regional crime trends as well as evolving terrorist threats that may impact Hanover County. SHIELD is the central destination for community organizations to obtain information and engage Sheriff s Office resources. HANOVER CRIME TREND AWARENESS In December 2016, high activity areas were concentrated towards downtown Mechanicsville, which is Zone 20 on the map below. Figure 1 identifies areas in which we continue to see higher activity in comparison to other areas of the county. Connecting Communities Across The Globe Figure 1
Figure 2 During the month of December, neighborhoods in western Mechanicsville experienced several larcenies from vehicles as well as motor vehicle thefts. Based on this crime data, analysts have identified the potential for increased larceny activity in the areas of Hunters Crossings (identified in orange), Spring Meadows and Bell Creek Park (both identified in yellow) and Hanover Grove (identified in orange). Figure 2 highlights these neighborhoods of interest. Officers are aware of this information and continue to monitor activity in these neighborhoods. Historically in January, the western area of the county experiences an increase of breaking and entering incidents in comparison to the rest of the year. Currently we are not experiencing any such trends; however, patrol officers are aware of this historical information and maximize high visibility patrols. We continue to encourage our citizens to report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff s Office. During the month of December 2016, there was a series of auto thefts along the Route 1 corridor. In addition, several auto thefts occurred in neighborhoods located in the western part of Mechanicsville. While there is no trend on the day of week or time of day, the Sheriff s Office continues to monitor auto thefts and would like to remind its citizens of these helpful tips which can reduce the risk of becoming a victim: Secure your vehicle - Remove valuables from your vehicle. - Lock your car doors. - Never leave your keys in your vehicle while unattended. - Park in well-lit areas. Crime Prevention Tips Those who engage in crime are always searching for a soft or easy target. The simplest way to deter their attempts is to practice good, common sense crime prevention habits. - Always be aware of your surroundings, unusual persons, behavior or activity. - Report suspicious bags, mail, packages. - Report suspicious vehicles. - Report any suspicious person(s), vehicles or activity to the Hanover Sheriff s Office as soon as possible.
TERRORISM AWARENESS Shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport On Friday, January 6, 2017, at approximately 1:15 p.m., 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, a U.S. citizen, opened fire with a semi-automatic Walther 9mm handgun in the baggage claim area of Terminal 2 at Florida s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, leaving five dead and six wounded. Additional injuries were sustained as people fled the scene and evacuated the location. Prior to the attack, Santiago boarded a flight in Anchorage, Alaska, bound for Fort Lauderdale with a connection in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After arriving in the terminal, Santiago retrieved his checked items, which included a box with the handgun and two ammunition magazines. He loaded the weapon in an airport terminal bathroom and emerged, firing indiscriminately at the people he first encountered in his immediate vicinity. Santiago emptied the first magazine and reloaded a second, methodically firing an estimated 15 rounds in under two minutes. According to witness accounts, Santiago fired at close range and aimed at the heads of several of his victims. He was silent during the attack, offering no apparent overt indication of a motive. After he stopped shooting, he reportedly dropped his firearm and surrendered to authorities of the Broward County Sheriff s Department, who made contact with the suspect roughly 80 seconds after the attack began and arrested him without incident. Initial reports of a possible second active shooter situation at the airport were unfounded. The incident resulted in a massive multi-agency law enforcement response and the temporary closure of airport operations at the location. According to details released by FBI Miami during a press conference, Santiago flew from Alaska to Florida specifically to carry out the attack. He was not on a no-fly list and he transported his firearm and ammunition on the aircraft in compliance with current Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements. Initial reports of a possible dispute in the terminal or altercation mid-flight appear unfounded. Perpetrator Background According to media reports, Santiago had several prior criminal encounters with law enforcement. In November 2016, he was a walk-in at the FBI s Anchorage, Alaska, field office and behaved in a way that prompted him to be taken by the Anchorage Police Department for a mental health evaluation by local authorities, according to FBI Anchorage. Santiago reportedly expressed incoherent thoughts that
the government was after him and trying to control his actions. He also claimed that the CIA was forcing him to watch ISIL propaganda videos to control his mind and that he heard voices telling him to join ISIS. There is conflicting information regarding Santiago s mental state at this time. Close contacts of Santiago have described him as suffering from psychological issues including hallucinations after returning from his military service in Iraq. Santiago was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico at a young age. He reportedly served in the Puerto Rico National Guard, deploying to Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011 before being discharged in 2013. He also served as a combat engineer in the Alaska National Guard until August 2016, when he received a general discharge under honorable conditions. He was most recently employed by a security company in Anchorage. On January 9, 2017, Santiago made his first appearance in court and was ordered held without bond until a detention hearing set for next week. He has been charged with three federal crimes that carry the possibility of the death penalty, including causing serious bodily injury to someone at an international airport, using a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime, and causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm. Sources Hanover County Shield NYPD Shield Network https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/01/09/fort-lauderdale-shootingsuspect-to-make-first-court-appearance-on-federal-charges/?utm_term=.e78f1551272f http://abc11.com/news/fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-suspect-appears-in-court/1693568/ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fort-lauderdale-hollywood-airport-shooting/fl-estebansantiago-first-court-hearing-20170109-story.html http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/08/us/fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-main/index.html http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38545653 http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fort-lauderdale-shooting-five-killed-airport-shootinggunman-idd-esteban-n704001 http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/national/fbi-fort-lauderdale-airport-shooting-suspectleft-baby-car-while-meeting-with-alaska-agents/kidwpnhjz9uov7yxyczcij/ HCSO SHIELD IN THE SPOTLIGHT The Hanover County Sheriff s Office is the first law enforcement agency in Virginia to develop the SHIELD initiative in partnership with the New York City Police Department SHIELD program, and the success of this initiative is already apparent. The continued partnerships with our community have produced positive results and, as terrorism and multi-jurisdictional crime are becoming more common, merging this methodology with
traditional community policing concepts has caught the attention of leaders across the country. Just recently, we were asked by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to put together a formal instructional class on our predictive policing process and SHIELD initiative and teach these concepts to law enforcement agencies across the state. In addition, the SHIELD initiative combined with our community policing methodology was submitted to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) /Cisco Community Policing Award. This award recognizes outstanding community policing initiatives worldwide. Winning entries demonstrated the meaningful change that occurs when law enforcement officials and their communities utilize available resources for crime prevention and improvement of quality of life. The SHIELD initiative met these qualifications and effectively demonstrated the Sheriff s Office counterterrorism and crime prevention strategy and our belief that strong partnerships create safe communities. As a result, the Sheriff s Office placed second in the entire world in our category for this innovative community policing and partnership initiative! This award reflects what we already know: thanks to valuable partnerships contributing to a community that cares, Hanover County truly is a great place to live, work and raise a family! REPORTING Should you have any information about any crime or suspicious activity, please contact the Sheriff s Office. In the case of an emergency, please dial 911. For non-emergency events in progress, please dial (804) 365-6140. Other non-emergency information can be shared at SHIELD@hanovercounty.gov.