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Quarterly Report - Fourth Quarter - 2004

TO: Kenneth D. Krombeen, City Manager
FROM: Vernon L. Snyder, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Quarterly Report – Fourth Quarter
DATE: January 31, 2005

Listed below is a review of some police activities for the second quarter of 2004; the months of October, November and December.

Complaints Investigated

Performance Report

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY:

Once again, criminal offenses have remained relatively stable, with many offenses showing decreases compared to recent years.  Sexual assaults were down for the quarter, but appear to be up slightly for the year.  Robberies were down for both the quarter and for the year.  Burglaries were up for the quarter, but about the same as last year, the lowest on record for many years.  Larcenies were down for both the quarter and for the year. 

The department began tracking retail fraud, or shoplifting, separately earlier this year.  Offenses were down slightly for both the quarter and for the year.  Retail fraud is the most significant change in the overall crime picture in Grandville since the extensive commercial growth in the south end of the city.  The department works very closely with mall public safety officers and loss prevention personnel to minimize the amount of time that patrol officers must spend investigating these offenses.  Incidents that occur at the anchor stores in which the suspect is an adult, has good identification, does not fight or flee, and the property stolen is valued at less than $200 does not require a patrol response.  Loss prevention officers forward their reports to the Detective Unit and order the suspects in for Retail Fraud Day in 59^th District Court.  Grandville investigators then conduct any necessary records checks and follow-up investigation.  When the suspects appear, they are fingerprinted and arraigned on the appropriate criminal charge.   Any reported offenses involving juvenile suspects usually require a patrol officer response and require about three hours of the responding patrol officer’s time.

Malicious destruction of property is down for both the quarter and for the year.  Assaults are also down for both periods. 

Offenses such as larceny and malicious destruction of property tend to be the most common crimes that residents report to the police.  The observation that these offenses seem to be trending downward is especially significant in light of the changes that have occurred in the city since the commercial build up in the south end.

On December 15, 2004, Grandville police officers investigated the death of seventeen year Matthew McKinney due to a heroin overdose.  The circumstances surrounding this death are very consistent with the earlier reported death of Nora Lares from the past quarter.  An adjacent county also experienced a heroin overdose death.  Grandville officers have shared information with agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration in their investigation into the trafficking of heroin.  That investigation has resulted in the earlier arrest of Kevin Obi for heroin related offenses, and more recently, Obi has been charged more specifically with providing the heroin that caused Nora Lares to die.  The death of Matthew McKinney has resulted in additional arrests.  It is expected that additional arrests and charges will be made that will impact the trafficking of heroin as it relates to Grandville.

During the quarter, Grandville officers assisted at Grandville High School, Middle School, and Orion High School on a number of drug related activities.  The schools contracted to have drug detecting dogs check the parking lots and locker bays searching specifically for drugs, alcohol, and firearms.  Although this is the first year the schools have contracted for this service, drug dogs have been used for the past several years at the schools.  Students have been made aware each year that dogs may be used periodically.  This year, as in the past, very little has been found in the course of these searches.  A minor amount of marijuana, some alcohol, and some legitimate prescription medication was located.  Since January of 2000, public schools have been required by law to report certain types of offenses to the police, including drug offenses.  With the cooperative relationship that exists between the police department and the schools, there is 100% compliance with the reporting requirement.  This allows both the schools and the police department to take appropriate action in a coordinated manner.

On October 25, 2004, Grandville police personnel were invited to participate with school personnel for some in service training.  The staffs from both Grandville High School and Orion High School attended.  The status of the drug investigations was discussed with the staff.  Grandville Vice Officer Ken Howland also displayed many of the current drugs and the paraphernalia associated with their use.

TRAFFIC:

Traffic accidents were up for the quarter and will be up for the year as well.  The amazing thing is that this is the first year since all the commercial growth in the south end that will result in more reported accidents than those reported during 1998, the last year before the mall opened.  With all of the new businesses that have opened since 1999, it will be important to closely examine the intersections to see if the traffic patterns have changed and influenced where the accidents have been occurring.                                                                                                                                                             Traffic Accidents

Traffic enforcement was down rather significantly for the quarter, but down only slightly for the year.  Part of this decrease is probably due to extensive training efforts that occurred during the quarter that will be explained later in this report.

TRAINING:

On October 1, 2004, a major emergency management exercise was held.  The event occurred at the Kent County Sheriff Department Emergency Operations Center and involved approximately fifty people representing many agencies, including area law enforcement, area fire departments, emergency medical services, hospitals, the Kent County Health Department, and many other social agencies.  The exercise simulated a major explosion that had been reported at Rivertown Crossings Mall, and included their management and staff.

Starting on November 15, 2004, Grandville officers began an extensive training program sponsored by a Homeland Security Department grant.  This training was coordinated through the Kent County Emergency Management Office.  There are three sets of classes that all officers are in the process of completing; Terrorism Awareness for Emergency Responders (TAER), Unified Incident Command (IC), and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE).  In excess of three hundred and fifty hours of total training has been completed during the last half of the quarter.  The remainder of the training will be completed during the first quarter of 2005.  The Homeland Security Grant provides funding for the courses and overtime for officers attending the classes or back fill for officers to allow on duty officers to attend.  Even with the available overtime funding, the scheduling of classes at times put a strain on patrol staffing.

On November 12, 2004, Sergeant Dennis Richards graduated from the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.  This school is offered one week per month for ten months.  It includes seven college management related courses for a total of twenty-one credits from Northwestern University.  The department now has four graduates of this program.  It is considered one of the most prestigious law enforcement management programs in the nation.

COMMUNITY POLICING:

Grandville Community Policing Officers have now organized and trained a total of 119 Child Watch volunteers.  Volunteers place a poster in their window at home that identifies their house as a safe place for children to run to if they are in trouble.  Background checks are conducted on all prospective volunteers and those passing the checks are then provided with training.  Volunteers meet regularly with community policing officers.  In Grandville, the program goes beyond the national program.  Community policing officers frequently contact the volunteers and pass on information about criminal activity in their neighborhoods.

The Walmart store in Grandville regularly provides a check to the Community Policing officers to use on their projects.  During the quarter, Walmart provided a check for $1,000 to the officers.  This money was used to purchase two new preliminary breath testing instruments.  Grandville is very fortunate to have such socially responsible businesses as Walmart.  The department regularly receives similar support from other businesses such as Meijers, Outback, Marshall Fields, Younkers, and Grand Pontiac to name a few.  Their support is greatly appreciated.

A true highlight of the quarter, and for the year, was the recognition of Officer Dave Greco as the Crime Prevention Practitioner of the Year for the State of Michigan.  This award is presented annually to an individual who is recognized for his or her significant efforts to reduce crime.  Dave was not only nominated by his department, but was also nominated by members of the Kent County Sheriff Department for his contributions.  Dave has a unique ability to connect with people.  He is particularly effective when interacting with young people.  Dave received his award at the Annual Crime Prevention Association of Michigan conference October 19, 2004 in Traverse City. 

                                                                        Respectfully Submitted,

                                                                        Vernon L. Snyder, 

Chief of Police

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