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Quarterly Report - Second Quarter - 2005

TO: Kenneth D. Krombeen, City Manager
FROM: Vernon L. Snyder, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Quarterly Report – Second Quarter
DATE: July 29, 2005

Listed below is a review of some police activities for the second quarter of 2005; the months of April, May and June.

Complaints Investigated

Performance Report

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY:  

Breaking and entering offenses were up both for the quarter and year to date.  Several of the incidents include storage garages.  It is not uncommon when these incidents occur for the suspects to force entry into multiple garages in one night.

One of the burglaries reported in the quarter involved a suspect in a Grand Rapids double homicide.  The person was identified and charged with first degree home invasion and unlawfully driving away an auto for the Grandville offense.  More and more of the offenses occurring in the City of Grandville are being committed by offenders living in other areas.  This highlights the need for officers from all of the area departments to work together on common crime problems.  

Sexual assaults were up for the quarter but down for the year to date.  The offenses of larceny and retail fraud are both down year to date.  These offenses are two of the most frequently reported offenses in Grandville and represent the most significant increase in time spent by officers since the commercial growth in the south end of the City.  Most of the other offenses remained consistent with earlier reporting periods.  

TRAFFIC:  

Traffic violations and verbal warnings were down approximately 9% for the quarter.  At the same time, traffic accidents, both property damage and injury related, were down significantly both for the quarter (-32%) and for the year to date (-22%).  

The Department continues to participate in Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) grant activities.  Once again, grants have provided for drunk driving and seat belt enforcement.  New this year is the grant funding for the red light project.  This project was started by the Grandville Police Department two years ago.  Local departments worked together to enforcement red light violations at high crash intersections.   The OHSP had visited some of our previous enforcement efforts.  Last year, the Grandville Police Department, on behalf of the other local participating police departments, requested that the OHSP consider grant funding for additional red light enforcement efforts, particularly in the late afternoon to early evening hours.  An OHSP grant has been provided this year for such an effort.  The highest crash intersections in the area have been targeted for these efforts.  In Grandville, this includes the intersection of 44^th Street and Ivanrest Avenue SW.  The grant has funded several enforcement efforts at this location this summer.  

PERSONNEL:  

During the quarter, there were four personnel from the Department that have left.  Officer Ron Colvin retired from the Department after thirty-two years of service.  Ron has most recently been assigned as the Police-School Liaison Officer.  He has prior experience in both the investigative and patrol areas. 

Officer Jennifer Roelofs resigned from the Department after serving for ten years.  She had worked both in patrol and investigative assignments.  Jennifer has decided to be a full time “Mom” after having her first child earlier this year.

Clerk/Dispatchers Kristina Kramer and Maureen Forman both resigned from the Department during the quarter.  Kristina has decided to return to school and change careers.  Maureen has taken advantage of an employment opportunity in California.  

The Department celebrated its annual awards dinner on May 6, 2005.  A number of officers were formally recognized for their professional police activities during the year 2004.  Officer Ron Colvin was recognized as the Police Officer of the Year and Officer Lisa Clockman received the Chief’s Award of Excellence. 

TRAINING:  

Grandville Police Officers participated in the precision driving school during the quarter.  This is one of the courses offered by the training consortium that the Department joined within the past year.  There is no cost for the officers to participate in the training.  Police driving is one of the highest liability portions of the job.  Each year nationally more officers die in the line of duty due to the nature of the driving the job requires than from any other cause.  All members of the Department participate in precision driving training every three years to retain the skills necessary for the job.  

During May, two Grandville officers became certified as field force instructors.  This training was provided by the training consortium and additional funding was provided by Homeland Security funds.  The class will provide local instructors who can train officers from area departments to work together on crowd control.  While the need for crowd control may seem unnecessary in Grandville, there is always a potential need for this type of training when responding to a labor dispute, policing an athletic event, or responding to demonstrators at a business.  The Department must also be prepared to honor its mutual aid obligations.  

COMMUNITY POLICING:  

Community Policing Officers assisted again in the fundraiser held at the Outback Restaurant for the Grandville July 4 fireworks.  The officers helped to coordinate the event, distributed and sold tickets, and assisted on the day of the fundraiser.  

Community Policing Officers participated in a number of bike rodeos again this year.  These include both events held at the schools as well as events sponsored by the Greater Grand Rapids Safe Kids Coalition.  The officers also continue to participate in child seat safety inspections, both at area businesses and at the permanent fitting stations.  

Community Policing Officers participated again in the annual Grandville City Barbeque.  The officers provided fingerprinting and photographing of the youngsters of city residents using the computerized system purchased several years ago.  This service is provided free of charge and provides parents with pictures and fingerprints of their children in case they become missing or abducted.  Parents are also provided with a DNA kit that they may use to save a sample at home as well.  

Once again, the annual Kent Metro High School Police Academy was held at Grandville High School.  Thirty-five area high school juniors and seniors attended the academy.  The students are exposed to many facets of the job of a police officer during the intense one week school.  This is a great opportunity for officers from the participating departments to interact with the young people. 

MISCELLANEOUS:  

The Grandville Police Department has become a very significant member of the local law enforcement community.  The Department regularly works with other departments through the training consortium, community policing efforts, the investigation of criminal activity that transcends jurisdictional limits, and in the area of emergency management.  The mutual aid agreement that was approved by the councils and commissions of all of the Kent County governmental entities, has been used as a model for other areas to consider.  It goes far beyond the typical agreements.  The Grandville Police Department was an active participant in the formation of the agreement.  Just recently, the area chiefs signed an addendum to the agreement that includes the sharing of all appropriate radio frequencies used by all Kent County area police departments.  This means that any department responding to a request for police assistance anywhere in the county will have the appropriate radio frequency on both their mobile and portable radios.  This is another area in which the local law enforcement agencies are well ahead of departments in other areas of the state.  Again, the Grandville Police Department instigated this radical change.  As has been reported regularly, it is no longer possible or appropriate for police departments to work in an isolated environment.  They must be ready to work together to meet the enforcement needs of their communities. 

                                                                        Respectfully Submitted,  

                                                                        Vernon L. Snyder,

Chief of Police

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