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Quarterly Report - Second Quarter - 2004

TO: Kenneth D. Krombeen, City Manager
FROM: Vernon L. Snyder, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Quarterly Report – Second Quarter
DATE: August 11, 2004

Listed below is a review of some police activities for the second quarter of 2004; the months of April, May and June.

Complaints Investigated

Performance Report

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY:

The Grandville Police Department recorded its first homicide in over a decade during the quarter.  Grandville Police and Fire personnel responded to a 9-11 call on May 15, 2004 at an apartment complex on Chicago Drive near the east city limits.  The emergency responders located a 41 year old male resident of the apartment down on the floor.  An examination determined that he was dead.  Evidence at the scene and witness interviews indicated that there had been a fight at the apartment.  A person that had been involved in the fight was identified and located.  Wyoming Police Officers assisted the responding officers in securing the scene and locating the witnesses and suspect.  Crime Scene Investigators from the Michigan State Police processed the scene.  An autopsy was performed by members of the Kent County Medical Examiner’s Office.  The results of the investigation were turned over to the Kent County Prosecutor who determined that the person who was involved in the fight with the victim had acted in self defense and therefore, the homicide was ruled as justifiable.  

Only one robbery was reported during the quarter compared to four during the same period last year.  The Shell gas station at 28^th Street and Wilson was robbed on April 15, 2004.  A suspect entered the station armed with a knife and demanded money.  A suspect was identified through investigation.  Grandville and Wyoming officers searched several locations in Wyoming for the suspect and developed information that the suspect had taken a bus out of Grand Rapids.  Investigators determined that he had left the Greyhound station and was traveling south.  Officers from South Haven were notified that he may be on a bus that would stop in their city and asked to check for him.  They were assisted by Van Buren County Sheriff deputies and Michigan State troopers who located and arrested him when the bus arrived.  

Burglaries were down significantly during the quarter and for the year to date compared to last year.  Grandville officers assisted Wyoming officers when they responded to a business burglary on 28^th Street east of the Grandville city limits.  After a foot pursuit, Grandville officers arrested the suspect.  

Larcenies and retail frauds were down for both the quarter and for the year to date.  Grandville officers again assisted representatives of Goodwill Industries on Prairie.  Their problem with larcenies had continued.  A surveillance with their employees resulted in several arrests and the recovery of the stolen property.  

TRAFFIC:

Accidents were up for both the quarter and year to date compared to last year.  The increases include both property damage and personal injury accidents.  There were no fatal accidents reported for the quarter or year to date.  

Officer Andrew Measell was recognized with other area officers by the Kent County Chapter of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving for his efforts in alcohol enforcement for the past year.  Arrests for operating while intoxicated are up significantly both for the quarter and year to date compared to last year.  

The Grandville Police Department is working with other area departments on Office of Highway Safety Planning efforts for both seat belt and drunk driving enforcement.  The OHSP grants fund overtime assignments for targeted offenses at specified locations.  

The Grandville Police Department is again coordinating the cooperative red light enforcement effort.  In eight enforcement days during the quarter, a total of 307 vehicles were stopped.  A total of 111 red light tickets and 116 seat belt tickets were written to violators for observed violations.

COMMUNITY POLICING:

Grandville High School won this year’s seat belt challenge.  For the past several years, Grandville High School, Jenison High School, and Hudsonville High School have competed for recognition for the highest percentage of students that wear seat belts.  Special events are held at the school during the week to educate students in the importance of wearing their belts.  Officers from the cooperating departments team up to track the percentage of front seat occupants that are wearing their belts.  Grandville High School students scored the highest with a 97.9% compliance.  This year, Principal Randy Morris was presented the award by Mike Prince, the director of the Office of Highway Safety Planning.  Mr. Prince stated that the OHSP is very pleased with the seat belt challenge and is thinking of making it one of their new initiatives for next year state wide.  

Community officers conducted a number of bike rodeos at local schools as well as other community events.  The rodeos teach bicycle safety to the young riders in an effort to reduce injuries.  

The Kent Metro High School Police Academy was again held at Grandville High School the first week of the school’s summer vacation.  A total of 44 high school juniors and seniors attended the academy.  Officers from the Grandville, Kentwood, Walker, and Wyoming Police Departments as well as deputies from the Kent County Sheriff Department, provided insight and training on the nature of law enforcement to the students.  This class is always a highlight to both the officers and students involved.

Community policing officers coordinated a clean up project at a house near Kenowa Avenue and 36^th Street.  The residents were unable to keep up with a number of zoning and housing problems that had developed.  Grandville High School students in the emergency medical technician class volunteered to do much of the labor and equipment was furnished by the Department of Public Works to improve the neighborhood’s appearance by cleaning up the house and yard.  

Grandville Officers again assisted with the Riverbank Run this May.  Although only a small portion of the run occurs in Grandville, our officers assist with both traffic and other safety concerns that occur on our part of the race route.  Once again this year, Grandville officers assisted the 59^th District Court Probation staff with the Indian Mounds clean up project in the weeks before the race.  New this year to the project was the use of the community service project to paint over graffiti on the bridges in the area.  We are very proud of the natural beauty that exists on Indian Mounds when the area is cleaned up.  

Grandville officers hosted a meeting with Grandville Public School officials and other community leaders regarding truancy.  Although truancy is not found on a large scale in our schools, the impact of this problem on the small number of youths in our area can have a life long impact.  The Grandville Police Department is committed to partner with the schools to continue working on this issue.  

Respectfully Submitted,
Vernon L. Snyder, 
Chief of Police

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