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Quarterly Report - First Quarter - 2004

TO: Kenneth D. Krombeen, City Manager
FROM: Vernon L. Snyder, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Quarterly Report – First Quarter
DATE: May 3, 2004

Listed below is a review of some police activities for the first quarter of 2004; the months of January, February and March.

Complaints Investigated

Performance Report

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY:

This report, for the first time, has listed retail fraud separately from other larceny offenses.  Retail fraud, or as it used to be called, shoplifting, is one of the types of larceny offenses that the department investigates.  The increase in retail fraud has caused an increase in our larceny offenses.  It is hoped that it may be easier to compare crime trends and the impact of the commercial growth better by separating the two offenses.   

In many of the local jurisdictions, retail fraud is treated as a very low priority crime.  We are fortunate in the City of Grandville, with the low crime rate that we enjoy, to be able to aggressively respond to retail fraud incidents.  This response is not limited to just the police department.  All of the local elements of the criminal justice system understand the need to take this offense seriously.  Loss prevention personnel from the stores, public safety personnel from the mall, and patrol and investigative personnel from the police department all work together to apprehend, investigate, and prepare cases for prosecution.  City Attorney Paul Greenwald aggressively prosecutes cases involving thefts from area businesses.  59^th District Court Judge Peter Versluis and the 59^th District Court Probation staff, headed by Chief Probation Officer Brad VanZanten, effectively work with offenders to impress upon them that their conduct is not allowed in businesses in the City of Grandville.  

Sexual assaults reported during the quarter include offenses that received media attention.  Several of the offenses were the result of the illegal activities of an employee that performed massages at an area business.  Management of the business assisted in the investigation of those offenses, and the suspect has been arrested.  In the investigation of another sexual assault at an area business, the investigation determined that the victim had made a false report.  She was charged with making a false police report.  

The offense of burglary was down significantly during the quarter.  It is hoped that the trend will continue as burglaries were down during 2003 to one of the lowest levels in recent history.   

The metropolitan area had been experiencing a rash of tool crib larcenies in areas of new construction.  Officers in Grandville were aware of the pattern of offenses.  Officer Rodney Holmes was checking in a construction area and observed a vehicle with the lights off near a tool trailer.  Upon further investigation, he arrested one suspect and recovered numerous tools that had been removed from the trailer.  

A pattern of larceny from vehicle offenses had developed in the area of Grandville High School and the mall parking lot.  Officer Ron Colvin and the staff at the high school coordinated a surveillance of the parking lots around the school.  The school security officer observed two suspects as they attempted to break into a vehicle.  School and police personnel responded and arrested the two suspects.  Additional investigation by Grandville detectives and the Police-School Liaison Officer resulted in solving all of the offenses at the high school and some of the recent ones at the mall.  Additional offenses at both Rogers High School and Wyoming Park High School were solved as well.  A considerable amount of the stolen property was recovered.

Grandville police officers were aware of a pattern of short change scams in the western Michigan area.  Working with area merchants, the two suspects who were responsible for the offenses were arrested in the City of Grandville when they attempted their scams at two area businesses.  

Grandville officers worked with management of Goodwill Industries who reported that they were being victimized regularly by people that were stealing donations at their drop off site.  A number of security suggestions resulted in some changes at the building.  Additionally, officers worked with employees on a sting that resulted in five arrests on February 7, 2004 when the suspects were observed stealing items from Goodwill.  As of this date, the original five suspects have all pled guilty and been sentenced for their offenses.

TRAFFIC:  

Traffic violations were up compared to the first quarter of last year.  Traffic accidents were up slightly also.  All types of alcohol enforcement also increased significantly.  Parking enforcement also showed an increase.  

The Michigan Chiefs of Police Association presented the Grandville Police Department with an Award for Excellence for Traffic Safety for initiating and coordinating the area red light project.  That project included officers from the Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker, and Wyoming Police Departments, the Kent County Sheriff Department, and the Michigan State Police Rockford Post, working together in an effort to decrease intersection accidents through cooperative enforcement of red light violations.

COMMUNITY POLICING:  

Community policing officers conducted several fingerprinting clinics at area businesses.  The computerized digital fingerprinting and photography system that was purchased through private funds has greatly increased our capabilities in this area.  The publicity surrounding incidents involving the abduction of children nationwide have resulted in the department receiving an increase in the number of requests for this service.  

Community policing officers also participated in a career day at Grandville High School.  The relationship that has developed between the officers and the students in the school system due to the activities of the Police-School Liaison Officer and the Community Officers makes the booth operated by the department one of the most popular ones for the students to stop by.

Community policing officers also hosted the Business Law class from Grandville High School as part of the Junior Achievement program.  Approximately thirty students spent most of their school day at the Grandville Police Department.  They received classroom instruction, tours of the department, 59^th District Court and Probation, and a short ride along with the officers in an effort to introduce them to the job that we do.

The community policing officers also continued to participate with the Safe Kids Coalition by doing child seat safety inspections with other area police departments.  Grandville Police and Fire Department personnel continue to house one of two permanent child seat checking stations at the Grandville Fire Department two days a month.    

Patrol Officer Lisa Nichols conducted a missing person investigation at the Grandville Friendship Home.  In the course of the investigation, the missing person was located.  During the investigation, staff at the home requested that someone assist them in training their residents.  Officer Nichols returned at a later time and conducted a class on personal safety for residents and their parents or guardians.

Respectfully Submitted,
Vernon L. Snyder, 
Chief of Police

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