DECEMBER 2020

Overall, Total Crime in Roseville Increased by 1% in 2020 from 2019 

Per the FBI Uniform Crime Report and National Incident Based Reporting System, 2020 was RPD's busiest year to date with overall crime, but only by 33 incidents. More specifically, Roseville experienced several noteworthy shifts in the amounts of certain crimes when comparing 2019 to 2020: 

Shoplifting down 366 incidents (-34%); Motor Vehicle Theft up 51 incidents (+43%);
Theft from Auto up 231 incidents (+101%); Burglary up 111 incidents (+71%); Vandalism up 154 incidents (+91%); Robbery up 22 incidents (+65%). 

We are always looking at ways to reduce crime and improve safety for everyone in Roseville.  You may have learned a bit about our new Community Action Team from the November 30, 2020 presentation to City Council (CAT portion begins at 16:30 minute mark).  

Stay tuned for a formal introduction to the CAT team soon. 

 Let's take a look at how we can reduce some of these numbers through crime prevention. 

If you leave valuable items in your vehicle then you risk the chance of being a victim of theft from auto or more, depending on what is stolen. 

For example, purses or wallets stolen from vehicles often upgrade into fraudulent use of a credit cards or identity theft. Spare keys left inside vehicles can turn into a motor vehicle theft. Sometimes, the stolen vehicle is used to commit other crimes.   

If given the choice, we'd rather spend time to discuss burglary prevention with residents than to spend time writing burglary reports.

It's not about officers not wanting to write reports. It's about working together to reduce opportunities for crime.  We are happy to coordinate a time to speak with you and your neighbors about ways to reduce opportunities for crime in your neighborhood.

Click here to request more information about coordinating a Neighborhood Crime Prevention meeting in your neighborhood. 

PATROL INCIDENT SUMMARIES

A few of the more noteworthy incidents from December 2020

CN: 20032182 - Person in Crisis (PIC)

Date/Time: 12-26-2020 at 3:30 p.m.
Location:  County Road C and Snelling Avenue

While on patrol, a Roseville officer observed a van parked sideways on eastbound County Road C that was blocking the turning lane to northbound Snelling Avenue. 

The officer observed an adult male who was walking back-and-forth into lanes of traffic near the van. The officer parked the squad car to block traffic and approached the male to ask him if he needed help.  The male was not listening and was singing loudly to music coming from the van. At this point, the officer believed the subject was having a mental health crisis. The officer continued to tell the male that he was there to help. The officer asked if he could help him straighten out his vehicle when the male turned toward the officer and yelled "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"   

The officer began backing up to create space between the male as the male continued yelling "WHAT DO YOU WANT?" while continuing toward the officer.  The officer ordered the male to stop and to not get any closer to the officer while the officer continued to back up. 

At this point, an additional officer arrived to support the primary officer just as the male continued towards the primary officer with clenched fists and exhibiting behavior that he intended to fight the primary officer. The supporting officer who was listening to the incident via radio, caught up to the male and deployed a BolaWrap. 

A BolaWrap is a non-lethal device that projects a rope-like restraint. In this instance, it was successfully deployed at the person's midsection and bound the male's arms long enough for officers to safely put hand-cuffs on the male. The male was safely detained while Allina Medics arrived to evaluate and help the male.  The department had only received the BolaWraps approximately one month prior to this incident. 

Once the male was safely coordinated with Allina Medics to be transported for a mental health evaluation, the primary officer shifted his focus to the van in order to get it moved and in custody of the male or a trusted party.

While the officer was clearing the vehicle, a phone call came through the vehicle's Bluetooth.  The officer answered the call and it was the girlfriend of the male.  The girlfriend offered that the male is diagnosed with schizophrenia and that she was worried for him because he was gone longer than she anticipated. The officer moved the vehicle to a safer location and waited for the girlfriend to arrive.

The girlfriend arrived and was very thankful to the officer that for helping her boyfriend and father of their children. The officer explained what happened and handed over the keys.
 

The following day, Chief Scheider receives an email from a bystander who witnessed the incident.


"I'm writing to let you know that I witnessed yesterday's altercation at County Rd C and Snelling.  I drove up to the gentleman before any officers arrived and given the nature of his situation, I decided to turn back around and document everything in solidarity with our community members of color.
 
I was truly shaken by the pure nature and weight of the situation, but left feeling hopeful that future incidents like this one can and should be handled with the poise and calculated maneuvers that the Roseville Police Officers displayed. 

At the start of the incident I was worried, and sadly almost certain, that things might end in violence creating yet another unneeded statistic for our community. This was hardly the case.

Once the officers were able to apprehend the man who was clearly in mental distress, they worked collectively to try and calm him down until the medics arrived.  At one point I noticed what looked to be an officer rubbing the man's shoulder and reassuring him he's going to be ok."  

<Click here to read the entire email>

Several days after the incident, Deputy Chief Adams followed up with the male over-the-phone to talk about the incident. DC Adams explained how RPD is always looking at new trainings, emerging technology, and tools; like the BolaWrap that was used in this scenario. DC Adams continued to explain how officer body worn camera footage (data) is generally private and non-public without the consent of the data subjects.  DC Adams asked the male if he was interested in allowing RPD to use the video to show the effectiveness of the (newer) BolaWrap in situations like this.

After giving it some thought and speaking with his family, the male voluntarily came to the police department to sign a release..."if it saves one life, then it is worth it."  

CN: 20030755 - Person in Crisis (PIC)

Date/Time: 12-11-2020 at 2:40 p.m.
Location:  XXXX

Officers were responding to a call where a husband reported that his wife was threatening to kill herself and their 4-year old child and had just left in a vehicle with the 4-year old child. Officers learned from the husband that his wife is "bipolar, has not been taking her prescribed medications, and is paranoid that the police will shoot her." 

While officers spoke with the husband, dispatch was attempting to ping his wife's cell phone in order to determine her location and direction of travel.  Detectives were working with Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (MNBCA) to create and send an Amber Alert. Minutes later, an RPD Sergeant was able to reach the wife who disclosed that she was going through the Caribou Coffee near the intersection of Rice and Larpenteur. Officers quickly coordinated an effort to block the exit from the drive-thru which afforded an in-person conversation without risk of her attempting to flee in the vehicle with her 4-year old child. 

Using de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques, officers were able to convince the mother to exit the vehicle.  The officers were able to negotiate with the mother and arranged to have the grandmother of the child arrive to the scene. The grandmother arrived and the child was released safely to her custody.  

One Adult Female from Roseville was transported to the hospital. 

CN: 20026994 - Stolen Vehicle / Weapon / Narcotics

Date/Time: 12-15-2020 at 2:37 a.m.
Location: Fairfield Inn; 2045 Centre Pointe Drive

While proactively patrolling hotel and motel parking lots, a Roseville officer ran the license plate of a suspicious vehicle parked at the Fairfield Inn. The vehicle was determined to be stolen in Minneapolis.  Officers placed a tire deflation device under the tire and waited nearby to see if anyone would return to the vehicle. 

At 3:11 a.m., Roseville officers observed the vehicle leaving the parking lot with the rear tire deflated. The stolen vehicle accelerated as officers attempted to stop the vehicle. Roseville officers did not actively pursue the vehicle but followed from a distance. Ramsey County Sheriff's Office deputies engaged in a pursuit with the vehicle on County Road D and 35W. The suspect lost control of the vehicle and came to a stop just north of County Road C. The suspect appeared to be under the influence of a narcotic and was taken into custody without incident. 

The suspect was identified as a 16 year-old male from Circle Pines.

Officers located a .32 caliber revolver (fully loaded), knife, and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle and within reach of the driver's seat. 

The suspect offered that he "got the car" from a guy in Minneapolis an hour earlier and denied knowing anything about the revolver. 

The juvenile detention center refused to admit the suspect due to exhibiting behavior consistent with methamphetamine intoxication. 

One Juvenile Male was arrested for Receiving Stolen Property, Flee Police in Motor Vehicle, and Possession of a Firearm under the age of 18 and was transported to the hospital. 

CN: 20032284 - Stolen Property / Narcotics / Fraud

TRAINING

The Roseville Police Department strives to have the highest trained officers and staff possible.  Each month our officers and staff attend many hours of training on a variety of subjects. 

Training attended this month:

• Crisis Intervention Training (40 hours)
• BCA Terminal Agency Coordinator Online Workshop
• Interdiction
• Taser Certification
• Preventing In-Custody Suicide 2020
• Mental Health Part 3 Intervention 2020
• Mental Health Part 4 Capstone 2020

STATISTICS

Stay informed!

Please visit our transparency and data sharing initiative webpage. 

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT

2020 Shop with a Cop

(Copy and pasted from an RPD post on Nextdoor.com December 23, 2020)

Greetings!

Normally, I post a collage to help paint the picture of what our Shop with a Cop program looks like. This year, SWAC (as we call it) looked a little different.

At this point in 2020, it probably isn't a great idea to rent and fill a bus with kids and officers, then take said kids on a shopping spree, followed by a huge gift wrapping party/pizza party at the Skating Center (like we have done for the past 15 or so years). This year, we focused on using the over $6,000 raised to help balance some of the negativity that the pandemic has brought to our community.

Of course, we bought some toys, but this program is bigger than that. We were able to help a single mom turn her cell phone back on so that she can keep in touch with family and other services.

We purchased and delivered Uber cards to families without access to a vehicle.

We bought a Chromebook for a 16 year-old struggling with distance learning.

A (now Roseville) family who was displaced from their Minneapolis apartment due to smoke damage from the civil unrest was able to purchase new clothes.

A 12 year-old received a gift card to purchase his first bike.

Each family received gift cards for a family meal, if not 2-3 family meals.

These are just a few of positive outcomes from this year's Shop with a Cop program.

Thanks (again) for giving us the opportunity to deliver a 'boost' of resources and encouragement to 12 families (27 kids!) in our community.

Thanks (again) for trusting us with delivering these resources.

Thanks (again) for thinking of those in our community who needed these resources and random acts of kindness.

We believe these deposits into our community always yield positive returns. As one of our Multicultural Advisory Committee members says, "we all do better when we all do better."

Best wishes for a happy, safe, and healthy holiday season.

Corey

Community Relations Coordinator
Roseville Police Department
corey.yunke@cityofroseville.com

Stay tuned. 

We're working on a new and improved monthly summary / newsletter.  THANKS for all of the suggestions and constructive feedback!