May 2018

MAY 2018

Issue 3

Connecting Our Police & the Community WELCOME TO C.O.P’S & THE COMMUNITY, WHERE WE HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF ANOKA’S FINEST AND ADDRESS COMMUNITY CONCERNS!

C.O.P’S & THE COMMUNITY

Protect yourself and your belongings! FINALLY at last some warmer weather has arrived. With warmer weather upon us, the thieves will be out even more know. It’s important for you to protect your belongings.

Car Break-Ins • •

•

Be aware of your surroundings and your neighbors. Do not leave packages in plain view inside your vehicle. Put them in the trunk or cover them up. Do not leave valuables in your vehicle such as: o Cash o Ipods o Cellular phones and chargers o Detachable stereo covers o Important papers and documents o Laptop computers o Loose change o Radar detectors

o o

Sports equipment Purses (even if it is just

•

for a second)

• • • •

Keep a record of serial numbers for stereo equipment, amplifiers, and other personal items. Park your vehicle in a well-lit area. Report suspicious activity to 911 immediately - when in doubt, call 911. Secure your vehicle at all times. Lock your doors and do not crack open your windows even in the summertime.

Robberies from Persons • • •

If you see anything suspicious, do not hesitate to call 911. Do not carry extra cash or valuables. Do not let strangers inside your home or apartment. Use your peephole to see who is at the door.

• • • •

Do not walk alone at night. Darkness gives robbers an advantage. Have your keys ready when you approach your apartment, home or vehicle. If someone follows you, do not drive home. Go to a welllit place and report it. Park in a well-lit area of the apartment complex. Walk briskly and with confidence.

MAY 2018 | Issue 3

2

POLICE EXPLORERS Anoka Police Department sponsors a Law Enforcement Exploring Post. Exploring is associated with the Boy Scouts of America and it gives young adults ages 14 to 20 the opportunity to “explore” a career in Law Enforcement. This allows the young adults to work closely with officers and see if this is a possible career that they would like to pursue in the future. Anoka Police Explorer Post 3996 has been around since 1986. They train with various employees of the Anoka Police Department on Sundays, typically from 4pm to 6pm. The members of the Exploring Post learn about various aspects of law enforcement throughout the year. In April of each year, the Post competes against other Law Enforcement Exploring Posts from across the State of Minnesota. This competition is in Rochester, Minnesota. There are a variety of competitions that range from 1st Aid to Traffic Accident investigation. Along with the team competition there are individual competitions that they can participate in. At the end of April, the Explorers competed at Rochester for the state Law Enforcement Explorers Conference. There were over 500 explorers who competed. They compete in teams of 3 or 4 explorers. Our explorers came home with 4th place in First Aid and 3rd place in Arrest and Search. The explorers can compete in individual competition too. In Air Soft: Dominik Olsen took 1st and Joseph Vu took 2nd Place and in the Bike Patrol Competition Gavin Gillespie took 3rd Place. The members of the Exploring Post volunteer hundreds of hours throughout the year. They assist with the Anoka Halloween Parades, various events with St. Stephens Church, and Family Funfest at Franklin Elementary. (Police Explorers picture to the right with Advisor Heather Novak and Shayle Dominquez)

May 10, 2018 the department held our 33rd annual awards night. Many officers and employees received awards. Honorary Service award: 5 years of service – Jackie Bowdich 10 years of service - Zach Robertson, Julie Splettstoesser 15 years of service - Derek Nelson 20 years of service – Mark Yates

Your Questions Answered:

25 years of service - Andy Youngquist, Mary Wellman Educational Achievement:

Q: What can I do if I need help installing my car seat?

Chelsea Yeager, Meghan Kleven, Maggie Walstrom Exceptional Service: Zach Robertson, Chad Hagen, Jake Sorteberg, Derek Nelson, Tom Gagnon, Eric Groebner, Derek Eckstrom, Tony Jackson, Paul Schley, Shayle Dominguez, Jerry Bounsavath Grand Cordon Medal: Derek Eckstrom, Tony Newton, Tom Gagnon, Tom Schneider Letter of Commendation: Jack Houlton, Chelsea Yeager Reserve Officer of the year: Elizabeth Barnett Employee of the year: Chelsea Yeager Officer of the year: Jerry Bounsavath

A: Well you are in luck! We at Anoka PD can help you with that! Contact Nicole at our office!

Submit a question to [email protected]. Your questions may be featured in next month’s edition of C.O.P’S & the Community!

MAY 2018 | Issue 3

3

On Monday, May 21st, 2018, Community Service Officer Heather Novak received the Excellence in Service award from the Minnesota Association of Women Police (MAWP) at their Awards Banquet in Alexandria, MN. CSO Novak has been with the Anoka Police Department for 9 years. She started in 2009 as a part-time security officer, moved to full-time CSO in 2013, and became supervisor of our CSO Unit in April 2017. Of course, MWAP just confirmed what we already know, she’s awesome! Please join us in congratulating her.

OUR COPS RECEIVED CITATIONS On May 9, 2018 we held our first ever Cops and Cones event. One young lady stopped by and issued our officers a Citation. Guess what it was for? You won’t believe this………………… BEING AWESOME!

YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE ME IF I TOLD YOU “REAL PD” Anonymous complainant, advising that a male is threatening to shoot anyone who comes near his garden. Described as a white male, tall, thin, gray beard, black jacket and riding a scooter. Upon arrival we were directed to the north side of the building where the male was found patrolling the area on his red mobility scooter. The male was not armed and stated that he said what he did to make a point to one person who he believes to be the one responsible for taking his flowers from the garden. The male stated that he shouldn't have said what he did. I suggested the male apologize to the group and he said he can't because the one person is there. Upon clearing I noted the male drove up to the group in front of the building and began talking to them.

IN AN OFFICER’S OWN WORDS Officers dispatched to location for a beaver in a hose in the engine bay of above vehicle. Officers arrived and tried coaxing the beaver out but it was very angry being disturbed during his slumber. Officers and multiple bystanders tried using batons, catch pole, animal grabber, and even a windshield ice scraper. After a long 30 minutes, officers were able to catch the beaver using all of these items and it was safely placed into a kennel. I transported the beaver to a boat landing away from the downtown area while playing the hit song "I Fought the Law" by The Clash and released it to the wild.

DANGERS OF THE JOB IN AN OFFICERS OWN WORDS Dispatched to location for a vehicle lockout. I was hesitant to hold a long metal rod in the midst of so much lighting but decided to proceed anyways.

MAY 2018 | Issue 3

4

We brought back Neighborhood Crime Watch Groups! Contact Crime Prevention Technician, Nicole Neis at [email protected] or (763) 576-2807 for information or if you would like to be part of a Neighborhood Crime Watch group.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Contact Nicole at [email protected] to register!

NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR CITIZEN’S ACADEMY! Are you broke? Are you overweight? Do you need your teeth whitened? Do you need help to quit smoking or chewing? We actually cannot help with any of those, but, if you want to learn more about what police officers do, do we have an opportunity for you. We are holding our first ever Citizens Academy beginning in Sept 2018. It will go for 6 weeks on Wednesday nights. If you are interested please contact Nicole Neis at 763-576-2807 or [email protected]

Do you want more awesome-ness? Be sure to follow us on social media! www.facebook.com/AnokaPD www.twitter.com/AnokaPD