ROCKFORD DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

ROCKFORD DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY 2017 ANNUAL REPORT TO PROTECT and TO SERVE

TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Mission Statement 1 Enforcement Division 1 Fire Services Division 2 Training Division Report 3 Traffic Enforcement 5 City Code Violations 5 Criminal Investigations 6 Community Policing 7 Community Outreach Events 7 Volunteer Services Unit 12 Summer Bicycle Patrol Internship 12 Fire Inspection Services 13 Grants 13 Records 13 Staffing 14 Law Enforcement Accreditation 14 Closing 15

MISSION STATEMENT It is the mission of the Rockford Department of Public Safety to provide professional, high quality and effective police service in partnership with the community. WE ACT to meet the daily needs of the community, to preserve peace and order, to prevent crime and its effect, and to aid traffic safety. WE SEEK to provide a professional well-trained staff, to work as partners with other law enforcement agencies and serve as a valuable resource for the people of Rockford. WE STRIVE to enhance the quality of life, through an active partnership with the citizens and business community in Rockford. WE RECOGNIZE the importance of maintaining the character and charm that the City of Rockford is known for and agree to provide police services without regard to sex, race, religion, national origin or social status. Page 1

2017 ACTIVITY REPORT Enforcement Division ENFORCEMENT COMPLAINTS 2016 2017 CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS* 842 525 CITY CODE VIOLATION 221 184 CATEGORY COMPLAINTS 2,775 2,521 TOTAL COMPLAINTS 3,838 3,230 TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT MOVING VIOLATIONS 138 145 VERBAL WARNINGS 4,359 4,450 PARKING VIOLATIONS 181 270 TOTAL TRAFFIC 4,678 4,865 ARRESTS FELONY 67 27 MISDEMEANOR 498 349 TOTAL ARRESTS 565 376 *MICR is Michigan Crime Reporting information for statewide crime analysis Page 1

2017 ACTIVITY REPORT Fire Services Division FIRE CLASSIFIED INCIDENTS 2016 2017 BUILDING FIRES 4 8 OTHER FIRES 2 7 RESCUE 1 0 OTHER 88 45 TOTAL FIRE INCIDENTS 95* 60 *Totals include calls to assist other Departments MEDICAL CALLS 275 294 BUILDING INSPECTIONS 323 310 Page 2

Training Division Report Personnel participated in continuing training for Medical and Fire disciplines. Public Safety employees received 30 hours of continuing education and practical fire training drills in 2017. In addition, all personnel participated in 9 online CentreLearn Practical courses as part of their continuing medical credits. Police Division personnel were provided an additional 8 hours of Police Response to an Active Shooter training that was conducted at Valley View Elementary. The training was instructed by our Firearms and Simunition Instructors, PSO Brandon Boelema and PSO Tyler Glass. This training utilized the simunition weapons systems available through membership in the West Michigan Criminal Justice Training Consortium (WMCJTC). We remain committed to the professional development of our officers and our leadership development program. PSO Boelema and PSO Thomas are currently enrolled in a Leadership training program hosted by the WMCJTC that is scheduled to conclude in the Spring of 2018. Officer Bradley and Officer Graham completed 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). This program is a partnership between the Kent County Chiefs of Police Association and Kent Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The goal of the program is to train every police officer in Kent County. The training provides officers with the skills to effectively assist individuals in crisis, primarily mental illness or substance abuse. Officer Finch successfully completed his training and became Fire Fighter I and II certified. Officer Abbate completed Medical First Responder (MFR) training and is now a licensed medical first responder. Officer Curler finished up his MFR training curriculum and will take the licensing exam in early 2018. Officer Abbate and Officer Rosin are enrolled in the Plainfield Township Fire Department FF 1 & 2 Academy and are expected to complete the training in the Spring of 2018. IN-HOUSE FIRE TRAINING PRESENTED AND COMPLETED INCLUDED: Emergency Vehicle Operation Vehicle Extrication Bloodborne Pathogens SCBA Lockout/Tagout Search and Rescue Hazardous Materials Ladders & Ventilation RIT Pump Operations TRAINING ATTENDED BY ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS INCLUDED: MCOLES Standards Training MCOLES Firearms Standard Officer Safety Patrol Rifle Qualification Legal Update CPAM Training Conference Page 3

Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) DataMaster DMT Breath Test Operator Basic Speed Measurement Operator FTO Basic Training Taser Instructor Re-Certification Legal Update Physical Control Tactics Instructor MACP Mid-Winter Training Conference MACP Summer Professional Development Conference Honor Guard Training Active Shooter Simunition Training Reality Based Scenario Simuntion Training Firearms Instructor Training MACP Assessor Training Ultimate Training Officer Training Reid Interview and Interrogation Diversity Issues and Community Partnership Simunition Instructor Strategic Planning Process Glock Armorer Project Management Progression of Leadership and Transitional Responsibilities Total hours of P.S.O. Training in 2017: 1,565 Page 4

Traffic Enforcement Enforcement Officers participated in two initiatives sponsored and paid for by the Office of Highway Safety Planning. 680 hours were logged participating in OWI Enforcement and 201 hours were spent on Seat Belt Enforcement. Drunken Driving Enforcement continued to be a priority with 25 OWI arrests made in 2017. $5,085.00 was recovered as part of our cost recovery ordinance requiring the convicted drivers to repay the City of Rockford. An electronic, solar powered speed board was installed on Oak Street near Gaylord. It can be turned to face north or south for traffic. This is our third speed board to be installed and is part of our proactive approach to addressing neighborhood traffic concerns. The board can be easily moved to other locations in the City if traffic issues arise. The department has received positive feedback from residents about the sign. Our goal is to purchase more signs for high traffic areas around the City. ACCIDENT REPORTING 2016 2017 Traffic Accidents 164 133 Fatal Accidents 0 0 Injury Accidents 35 18 OWI Accidents 7 1 The highest accident intersections were identified as: Wolverine Blvd. & 10 Mile Road 35 accidents E. Division & Childsdale 8 accidents E Division & S Main 7 accidents City Code Violations 184 City Code Violations were reported in 2017. All code violations were resolved with the involved party s cooperation. The top five incidents reported were Loose or Barking Dogs, Noise, Abandoned (Junk) Vehicles, Long Grass and Skateboarding. Page 5

Criminal Investigations The Rockford Department of Public Safety continues to have a high clearance rate of criminal cases. The Rockford Department of Public Safety actively investigated cases ranging from Criminal Sexual Conduct, Selling Marijuana, Identity Fraud, Possession of Drugs, Retail Fraud, and Assault. THE FOLLOWING ARE A FEW NOTEWORTHY CASES. In February, Lt. Sawyer made contact with two individuals in a vehicle in the downtown business district. During the contact, the individuals admitted to having marijuana and schedule 4 prescription drugs in the vehicle. They were arrested and interviewed. During the interviews, one of the suspects admitted to selling the marijuana. The drugs, cash, and vehicle involved in the incident were seized. The total value of the seizure was $3,440. One of the suspects was charged with Delivery / Manufacture Marijuana and Delivery / Manufacture Schedule 4. In July, PSO Boelema investigated a home invasion that resulted in two watches being stolen with a value of nearly $9,000. During the investigation a suspect was identified, and one of the watches was recovered. The suspect was charged with Home Invasion and the Illegal Use of a Financial Transaction Device. In August, PSO Glass assisted Sparta PD and MSP in apprehending a male who was eventually charged in the death of his elderly mother. In November, several vehicles were broken into at MVP Sports. Officers responding quickly gathered information from the victims, investigated the use of the victim s stolen credits, and disseminated photos of the suspects and their vehicles. The information gained from our investigation assisted agencies in West Michigan, Metro Detroit, and the FBI in identifying and linking several cases to a well-known national criminal organization referred to as the Felony Lane Gang. The suspects were eventually arrested by FBI Agents in Florida and property from our thefts was recovered. In December, PSO Boelema, PSO Bradley, and Lt. Sawyer investigated an armed robbery at the C-Store Gas station. Information from the victim, video from the store and the wireless downtown camera system assisted was used to obtain a search warrant for the suspect identified in the case. The suspect was taken into custody after a short pursuit by MSP. The firearm was recovered, the suspect admitted to the armed robbery and several others in Kent, Ionia, and Montcalm counties. The suspect was charged with Armed Robbery and Felony Firearm for the armed robbery at the C-Store. In December, officers were dispatched to the Colonial Motel for an unresponsive male. Officers arrived on scene and determined the victim had overdosed on heroin. Officers provided medical care and administered naloxone (NARCAN) and the victim was revived and transported to the hospital. Our Drug Enforcement Efforts resulted in 89 arrests related to drug activity. One investigation led to the seizure of $3,440.00 in assets from a drug dealer. Page 6

Community Policing The Rockford Department of Public Safety continued to sponsor at least one community event each month. Rockford Youth Night, Rockford Area Kids Triathlon, National Night Out and Shop with a Cop are just a few of the events that build positive relationships between the police and the community we serve. The Department offers Child Safety Seat fitting and instructions at the Fire Department in cooperation with the Safe Kids Program sponsored by the Helen Devos Children s Hospital. In 2017, the department held 3 car seat events. During the events 71 child seats were inspected and 27 child safety seats were distributed. The Department sponsors a Child Safety and Fingerprinting Program where elementary aged children participate in a child safety presentation followed by electronic fingerprinting. 24 children participated in the program in 2017. Eleven neighborhood watch groups were supervised by our Officers, along with our business watch program. Community Outreach Events YOUTH NIGHT The Rockford Area Youth Night event was held at MVP Athletic Club on Friday, February 17th. Over 100 area middle school students joined Rockford Public Safety Officers, State Troopers, Kent County Sheriff Deputies and firefighters for a night of basketball, football, dodgeball and other activities. Funds raised by a registration fee were used to pay for pizza and t-shirts for participants. ROCKFORD COMMUNITY EXPO The Rockford Public Safety Department participated in the Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce s Community Expo at Rockford High School. A booth, displaying the department s many functions and equipment, was manned by a Public Safety Officer for the event. Officers provided children with stickers, tattoos and interactions with PC the Patrol Car. ROCKFORD D.A.R.E. GOLF OUTING The 2017 Rockford D.A.R.E. Golf Outing was held at Boulder Creek Golf Club on Thursday, June 22nd. 40 teams of golfers participated in the event and raised over $10,000 for the Rockford DARE program. Hole sponsorships, donations and raffle prizes were collected from dozens of local businesses. METRO HIGH SCHOOL POLICE ACADEMY PSO Graham participated in the 2017 Metro Police Academy as an instructor and squad leader. He joined community officers from Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, Kent County, Grandville, East Grand Rapids, Page 7

Walker, GRCC, GVSU and the Michigan State Police for a one-week mini academy. The program is designed as an introduction to law enforcement for Grand Rapids area high school juniors and seniors. Instructors introduce students to concepts of criminal and traffic law, defensive tactics, report writing, patrol operations, criminal investigations and many other topics. Over 40 area students participated in the academy. PSO Ian Graham instructing at the Metro High School Police Academy NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH Rockford currently has 11 assigned Neighborhood Watch groups. Each group is assigned to a Public Safety Officer, with some officers having two groups. Block captains have direct access to their officers for concerns and questions related to the law, city code and neighborhood problems. New groups were added from the North Highlands and Richter Place. Summer block parties were held on Gibraltar, Hillview Townhouses and Apartments and the North Highlands neighborhoods. Representatives from all 11 groups attended the National Night Out celebration and provided crime prevention and safety information to the general public. BUSINESS WATCH PSO Graham attended Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce Merchants Meetings and Rockford Heart meetings throughout the year. He was in touch with Executive Director Linda Southwick on a weekly basis to respond to business related questions and concerns, as they came up. ROCKFORD AREA KIDS TRIATHLON The Rockford Area Kids Triathlon was held at Rockford High School on Saturday, July 8th. The Rockford Department of Public Safety joined the Michigan State Police and Kent County Sheriff Department to organize the event, designed to promote health and wellness. Nearly 100 children, aged 3 to 16, Page 8

participated in the event. Proceeds from registration fees were donated to the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Michigan Special Olympics. PSO Graham and Juliet Dragos (WZZM 13) at Rockford Area Kids Triathlon NATIONAL NIGHT OUT National Night Out was held on Tuesday, August 1st. PSO Graham, Chief Jones and Mayor Jazwiec attended the kick off ceremony at Consumers Energy in Wyoming at 5:30am. The Rockford event was held at the Steven R. Servaas Municipal Complex from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Public Safety Officers were joined by State Troopers, Sheriff Deputies and local firefighters. Fire apparatus, police equipment and various vehicles were on display. Rockford s 11 Neighborhood Watch groups, along with local businesses and service groups, provided crime prevention and safety information to the over 500 attendees. Remax United donated hot air balloon rides throughout the event and several local restaurants provided food samples of their menu items. CRIME PREVENTION ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN In October, PSO Graham and Lt. Robinson attended the annual CPAM conference in Traverse City. PSO Graham is a member of the training committee and serves as the CPAM Awards Committee Chairman. The conference offered a variety of community related training to officers from across the state. PSO Graham and Lt. Robinson attended the training sessions and Lt. Robinson was elected Treasurer of the 2018 CPAM Executive Board. Page 9

CIVILIAN RESPONSE TO ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENTS (CRASE) PROGRAM PSO Graham and PSO Boelema continued offering the CRASE training to local organizations. 2017 classes included Community West Credit Union and the Krause Memorial Library. SHOP WITH A PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER The Shop with a PSO event was held on Sunday, December 3rd at the Rockford Meijer. The event was made possible through donations from the Rockford Meijer, Rockford Lions and Rockford Rotary Club. Public Safety Officers were joined by volunteers from the Rotary, Lions, Leos and Rotary Interact Club. 28 elementary aged shoppers, selected from local elementary schools, had an opportunity to shop with volunteers to purchase necessities like clothing, outerwear and footwear. Shoppers had a chance to meet Santa, purchase a toy for themselves, and received a gift card from Meijer to purchase a gift for someone else. Personnel from Fox 17 attended the event and added the story to their newscast. PSO Jacob Rosin at Shop with a Public Safety Officer Page 10

PSO Tyler Glass at Shop with a Public Safety Officer ROCKFORD D.A.R.E. PROGRAM The D.A.R.E. Program was taught to over 1,700 students participating in the Rockford School District. Students in the fifth, seventh and eighth grades participate in programs designed for them. In early December, PSO Graham attended a DARE Officer Training course in Cookeville, Tennessee. The twoweek course focused on preparing officers to teach all aspects of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program for elementary and middle school students. PSO Graham will begin teaching DARE in February of 2018. PSO Jason Bradley will return to a road patrol position in 2018. D.A.R.E. Graduation Ceremony Page 11

Volunteer Services Unit Our Volunteer Services Unit continued to play an important role in the services that the City provides to its residents and visitors. 15 volunteers fill daily shifts to assist the Department of Public Safety with what are considered non-traditional services to the community. In 2017, two volunteers left the unit and four new volunteers joined. The Volunteer Services Unit recorded 2,512 hours of service to the residents of Rockford. The Welcome Center was staffed for over 569 hours. The staff at the Welcome Center recorded over 1,096 visitors. The VSU participated in The Rockford Youth Night, Start of Summer Celebration, National Night Out, Holiday Open House, Shop with a Public Safety Officer and the Santa Parade. Volunteer Services Unit Summer Bicycle Patrol Internship In May 2017, Zachary Kornoelje and Kasey Metcalf were hired as summer interns to provide a visible presence in the parks and downtown business area. Both interns were enrolled in the Grand Rapids Community College Police Academy. As interns they attended all of the major city events throughout the summer months. The interns were scheduled for 8-hour shifts, 5 days a week. They conducted a total of 720 patrol hours. Page 12

In addition to assisting visitors with any assistance they needed, the interns were able attend training with the officers and complete ride along hours. This program has proven to be a valuable asset to reducing criminal activity in the parks and downtown business district. We look forward to continuing this program and hiring two new interns for the 2018 summer. Fire Inspection Services In 2017, Fire Marshall Mike Reus retired. PSO Jason Bradley and Fire Fighter Ken Phillips took over the fire inspection program. They continued to provide a comprehensive pre-incident inspection program where all Rockford commercial buildings are fire inspected and pertinent information along with floor plans are entered into a permanent database for use in the event that an incident occurs at the building. As part of a regular inspection schedule for commercial buildings the Department s Fire Prevention Outreach Program inspected 310 commercial buildings in Rockford. Grants In 2017 the department received two grants. The first was a 10% matching grant through the FEMA- Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant Program. A regional grant request was submitted with Algoma Twp FD, Courtland Twp FD, and Sparta FD to replace expired and obsolete SCBA Airpacks, SCBA Masks, and spare bottles. The department individually received $134,799.96 from FEMA to replace 20 SCBA Airpacks, 40 bottles, 27 SCBA masks, and miscellaneous related equipment. The department also received a grant through the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan for $500.00. The money was used for materials associated with the Shop with a Public Safety Officer, Neighborhood Watch, Youth Night, and National Night Out. Records 2016 2017 Fingerprinting 212 221 Alcohol Breath Tests 100 85 Firearm License to Purchase 72 68 FOIA Requests 99 89 Page 13

Staffing The Current Staffing as of December 31, 2017, stands at 10 Full time Public Safety Officers. 3 Part time Police Officers, 12 cross trained Public Services Employees, for a total of 22. The hiring of Officer Abbate and Officer Curler resulted in the agency being fully staffed for the first time in several years. Fire Marshall Mike Reus retired after 31 years of service to the City of Rockford in April. PSO Abbate and PSO Curler Oath of Office Fire Marshall Mike Reus Retirement Law Enforcement Accreditation In June, Rockford Department of Public Safety became the FIRST accredited police agency in the State of Michigan through the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (MLEAC). In order to receive the accreditation, the department had to comply with 104 nationally recognized standards of excellence. Assessors selected by the MLEAC spent two days at the department reviewing department directives and proofs of compliance with the standards. They also spent time riding along with officers, interviewing city staff, and interviewing citizens. Receiving this award is a testament to the dedication and professionalism exhibited by our officers every day. Taking the significant step to remain accredited will assist the department in improving our overall performance, and accomplishment of the goals set forth in our mission statement. Page 14

Closing The Rockford Department of Public Safety continues to follow its mission of community policing and fire prevention outreach as a means to build positive relationships with the community we serve. The term To Protect and to Serve is the goal of every Rockford Public Safety Officer and every Public Safety employee as they begin their assigned duties each day. Page 15