Mentor Police Department

2014 Annual Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Table of Contents

1



Foreword

3



Mission Statement

4



Introduction

5



Police Officer/Civilian Employee of the Year

5



Distinguished Awards

6



Victim’s Assistance Program

7



Historian

7

ADMINISTRATION DIVISION 

Introduction

8



Court Services

8



Community Services

9



Personnel & Training

12



Vehicle Fleet Maintenance

14



Range and Defensive Tactics

15

OPERATIONS DIVISION 

Introduction

16



Patrol Bureau

16

» 

Traffic Services Criminal Investigations Bureau

18 19

»

Computer Forensics

19

»

Video Forensics

20

»

Evidence Technician Program

20

»

Narcotics

21

»

Statistics

22

»

School Resource Officer

23

»

Volunteer Police Chaplain Program

23

1

SPECIALTY TEAMS 

Accident Investigation Unit (AIU)

24



Aggressive Criminal Enforcement (ACE)

24



Bike/ATV

25



Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)

26



Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT)

27



K- 9 Unit

27



Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)

28

SUPPORT SERVICES 

Introduction

29



Communication Division

29



Corrections Unit

31



Property and Evidence

32



Records Department

34

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

36

2

Foreword As Chief of Police, I am proud to present the 2014 Annual Report for the City of Mentor Police Department. This report details the activities of, and progress made by, the department in 2014. The format is a compilation of individual section reports brought together into a single document. This allows for a unique overview of department operations as viewed by the personnel who are responsible for program implementation. The Mentor Police Department continues to receive much support from the City Manager, his staff, other city departments and City Council. It is vitally important to also acknowledge the support offered by the citizens of this community. They have allowed us to make a major impact on the delivery of police services in the city and attain the goals we established at the beginning of the year. As we have seen across the nation this past year, there continues to be new challenges facing law enforcement on a daily basis. This makes the support we receive from our community all the more important. The men and women of the Mentor Police Department will continue to work hard to meet these new challenges with the ultimate goal of keeping our citizens safe and continue to earn the support we have received from them.

______________________________

Kevin Knight Chief of Police

3

Mission Statement

W

e, the members of the Mentor Police Department, vow to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the State of Ohio, to maintain order, and to protect life and property. We pledge to promptly deliver the highest quality service and wisely use available resources. We shall strive to improve the quality of life for the community, and endeavor to be role models.

W

I

e will accomplish our mission through innovation, problemsolving, and community involvement.

n accepting this challenge, we will genuinely pursue our core values of Integrity, Caring, Fairness, and Professionalism.

INTEGRITY We are dedicated to individually upholding the public trust and being held accountable for performing our duties ethically, morally and honestly.

CARING We are dedicated to showing concern, courtesy and sensitivity to ourselves, fellow employees, and those we serve. We will be compassionate and treat everyone as we wish to be treated.

FAIRNESS We are dedicated to treating all persons with respect, understanding and dignity. We will consistently use common sense in a non-discriminatory fashion to promote harmony and equality.

PROFESSIONALISM We are dedicated to providing the community with a competent, responsive and supportive department. We will provide quality service through effective communication, cooperation, and personal involvement. Our commitment to excellence in all we do will present a professional image.

4

T

he Mentor Police Department consists of three major divisions, each responsible for separate duties and functions, but designed to offer support to each other. Currently the Police Department consists of the Administrative Division, Operations Division and Support Services Division. The Command Staff of the Police Department is made up of the Chief of Police, who oversees the entire Department and three Captains each of which commands one of the three Divisions. The Command Staff works at coordinating all the efforts of the Police Department to achieve the Department’s goals and objectives. The Chief and the Captains are assisted by two full time secretaries. The Victim’s Assistance program is directed through the office of the Chief of Police.

Police Officer of the Year and Civilian Employee of the Year Early in 2014, the employees of the Mentor Police Department, sworn and civilian are given the opportunity to nominate and vote for the officer of the year and the civilian employee of the year for the previous year. These awards are given to employees who embody the principles of the Mentor Police Department, maintain a standard of excellence in their daily work, and serve as role models to their co-workers. We are proud to announce that the personnel of the department have named Officer Donald Swindell and Mechanic Al Zenz as employees of the year for 2013. Ptl. Donald Swindell has served the citizens of Mentor as a patrolman for over seven years. Ptl. Swindell is a member of the SWAT Team and is a Field Training Officer. Ptl. Swindell has assisted less experienced officers with his knowledge of traffic enforcement, especially with drug interdiction. Ptl. Swindell was awarded the Department's Exceptional Service Award for a drug related case that resulted in the seizure of nearly a kilogram of cocaine, 1/2 kilogram of heroin, a loaded pistol, and over $100,000 in cash. This is the second year in a row that Officer Swindell had been involved in a seizure of over $100,000 based on traffic stops. Police Mechanic Al Zenz has worked for the department since 1988. Al's knowledge about car repair has saved the city a considerable amount of money. This past year, Al took on the challenge of researching and up fitting the new model cars and utility vehicles. He also worked alongside the IT department with the installation of new computers and camera systems and Al's knowledge and understanding of the department's needs led to a successful transition. He truly demonstrates a high degree of professionalism and an exemplary work ethic. Congratulations to Ptl. Donald Swindell and Mechanic Al Zenz on their awards!

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2014 Distinguished Awards In an effort to recognize outstanding work and achievement, the Mentor Police Department has adopted the Lake County Association of Chiefs of Police (LCACP) Award Program. The awards consist of a citation bar to be worn on the officer’s uniform and an account of the award to be placed in the officer’s personnel file. Some awards are issued internally through the department. The Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service, Combat Cross, Injured on Duty, and Life Saving Award are normally awarded by the LCACP awards committee. Occasionally, officers are recognized for his or her achievements by outside agencies and businesses. Officer of the Year Award - 2013 Civilian of the Year Award - 2013

Patrolman Donald Swindell Al Zenz

Exceptional Service Award: Patrolman Bryan Wayne

Dispatcher Dawn Osewalt Letter of Commendation: Sergeant Timothy Nekic Detective Sergeant Richard Slovenkay Patrolman Bryan Distelrath Detective Mark Fetheroff Detective Brian Haller Patrolman Ryan Heramb Detective Colleen Petro Detective Daniel Radigan

Lake County Chief’s Life Saving Award: Patrolman Michael Bruening Patrolman Richard Gerber Patrolman Raymond O’Brien On October 9, 2014 Patrolmen Bruening, Gerber and O’Brien responded to a one car motor vehicle crash on SR 2. Upon arrival, the male driver was found unresponsive in full cardiac arrest. The three officers removed him from the vehicle, brought him through a fence, began CPR, opened his airway and used the AED. Lifesaving efforts were continued until the Fire department arrived. It was determined that without the officers’ efforts, the man may not have survived.

Ptl. Rich Gerber, Ray O’Brien, and Mike Bruening

6

Ptl. Orf, Captain Gunsch, Ptl. Kupchik

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award Ptl. Orf was awarded the MADD Top Cop award for his aggressive efforts in OVI enforcement and his commitment to saving lives by taking drunk and drugged drivers off the road. Ptl. Kupchik was nominated for the MADD “Deuce” award which recognizes officers who have shown a continued commitment over the years to the enforcement of alcohol and drug related driving violations.

Victim Assistance Program The Mentor Victim Assistance Program is a service that addresses the needs of crime victims in the City of Mentor and Mentor on the Lake. Our program has served over 4,900 victims of crime since its beginning in 1997. Presently one full time victim advocate is employed working both with the court and the police department in assisting victims through the criminal justice process. The services provided were court accompaniment, crisis intervention, complete explanation of the criminal court process, referrals to appropriate community assistance organizations and counselors, notification of all segments and procedures regarding court hearings and dates, helping victims in completing a Victim Impact Statement, assistance in obtaining temporary protection orders through the Mentor Municipal Court, referrals regarding Civil Protection Orders at Common Pleas Court, assistance in filing and completing the Ohio Victims of Crime Compensation application, and notification and awareness of the VINE (Victim Information Notification Every Day) system. The Victim Assistance Office is located within the Mentor Police Department Building and can be reached at 440-205-2438. (Fax 440-205-3603)

Historian In late 2010, it was decided that the police department needed to make a special effort to preserve its history. The volunteer position of a Police Historian was created to document, record and honor past officers and the history of the department. Officer Tim Abbott volunteered to be the Historian. In the Spring of 2011, the display cases crafted by the city road department woodshop were installed in the patrol hallway where officers passing them are reminded of the rich history of their department and the citizens that are served. Donations were received from retired officers and others in an effort to preserve the past and honor those officers with some treasured photographs, memorabilia, and old equipment. A special thanks to retired officers Fred Watson and Carl Janz. Carl donated much of what he had accumulated over his long career and it is on display at this time. One display case is filled and the other is a work in progress. Since today is tomorrow’s history, the department is constantly collecting items, especially photographs of officers and current equipment. 7

Administration The Administrative Division is responsible for budget preparation and management, Community Services Unit, Court Services Unit, grant procurement and management, labor contract management, personnel, training, research and project management, web site management, and working with Public Works to manage the department’s fleet of vehicles. Perhaps the most significant project of the year was beginning the process of implementing a new public safety software system. This effort culminated in early 2014 when the official move to the new system occurred. Although the new system was active, there was still much work to complete during the year to fix issues that arose. Several officers and civilian employees worked hard on the project to ensure a complete, functioning product that will help everyone do their job better and more safely. The on-going process of monitoring the department’s budget continued. A significant budget challenge is to meet the continuing education requirements for our officers. To accomplish this many free training opportunities were pursued.

Court Services The Court Liaison Officer works very closely with court personnel and is responsible to provide security for the Mentor Municipal Court. The Court Liaison Officer continues to discuss and review safety and security with the court bailiffs and security officers on a regular basis to alleviate potential safety issues. Additional duties include transporting prisoners to and from the Court and the Lake County Jail. The officer also ensures timely delivery of official documents to and from the Court including criminal complaints, along with the arrest reports, warrants and subpoenas. This officer appears at all arraignments in the Mentor Municipal Court in lieu of the arresting officers. The officer advises the Judge of basic facts of each case, when defendants plead guilty or no contest at the arraignment, along with any prior criminal and/or traffic history. When defendants plead not guilty, the officer also advises the Judge of any prior criminal and/or traffic history and recommends bond(s) to the Judge. The Court Officer is the coordinator between different areas of the police department and other city departments as it relates to court activities. The Court Officer performs daily security checks of the courtroom, surrounding offices, hallways, staircases, and outside perimeter. Panic alarms are tested monthly and documented. This officer is in charge of the keyless entry program, which is compatible with that of the police department and city hall and allows officers quick access in the event of an emergency as well as city employees or contractors who need access through certain hallways. In 2014, the door to between the court and jail was upgraded with keyless entry for authorized personnel. The Court Officer continues to work with various city departments in upgrade projects regarding the keyless entry program. Drug Court also convenes weekly in the Mentor Municipal Court. These defendants are in the legal system due to their addiction to drugs. These cases are only Mentor Municipal Court cases. 8

Mental Health Court convenes weekly and handles cases of defendants with mental health problems that have contributed to their legal difficulties. These cases are referred from local court systems when defendants meet certain eligibility requirements. A Lake County Deputy and the Court Liaison Officer provide security for this countywide program. Prisoner transportation is accomplished through the use of a 2006 GMC Savana prisoner transport van. The transport section of the van is divided into two separate units, holding five prisoners each. This allows separation of male and female prisoners. The van is used for other uses including legal document delivery. There was 7,826 miles traveled using the van in 2014. 2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Prisoners Transported

854

937

1012

1114

1466

1363

1271

Warrants Delivered

605

562

728

607

698

717

563

Legal Documents Delivered

1496

1537

1666

1794

2162

1990

1652

Community Service Unit All members of the Mentor Police Department, as part of an officer’s normal operation and contact with the public, perform the function of community service. The Community Service Unit has continued to cultivate a positive image for the police department through educational programming in addition to interacting with the public on a daily basis. The Unit has consisted of two officers who maintain a working partnership with local, state, and national organizations, neighborhood watch groups, civic organizations, and area businesses through memberships, meetings, conferences, and safety presentations. In March, the Community Service Unit participated in an educational “Crime Safe” program for our senior citizens at the Mentor Chief Kevin Knight and AAA Safety Advisor Lori Cook Senior Center hosted by the Lake County Council on Aging. The Community Service Unit, FBI and Lake County Probate Judge Mark Bartolotta discussed current crime trends that target our seniors. For the past fifteen years, the Unit has completed extensive informational and statistical packets for the annual awards presented by the Northeast Ohio District American Automobile Association. The City of Mentor received top honors for the third year with the prestigious platinum award in showing leadership for traffic safety programming and projects.

9

The Mentor Police Department Community Service Unit participated in a variety of Community and Business Safety Events. Officers participated in the annual Lake County Fair Children’s Safety Day, “buckle down”, and parade. Officers host and coordinate an annual “Heroes Day” (formerly known as “Law Day”) at the Great Lakes Mall to include all Lake County safety forces. Officers coordinated the set up and lay out for displays and on-stage programming with all participating departments. Although the Ohio Department of Public Safety discontinued grant funding to educate third grade students about seat belt safety, the Unit still provides this educational program. This program has been incorporated into the Mentor School curriculum. Officers spoke to 610 students on the proper use of seatbelts using math and science demonstrations. For the past 24 years and as part of this safety program, the Community Service Unit has sponsored a seat belt safety poster contest. The ten school poster contest school winners received many prizes donated by local businesses and were invited to the Great Lakes Mall and presented their awards during Heroes Day in May. The winning posters are displayed throughout the day and then the top three prize winning posters are highlighted in the display case in the lobby of the police department for a month. The Community Service Unit coordinated the Officer Phil Safety Program with all of the elementary schools (K-5). This program is sponsored by local businesses and provides a presentation by a Ventriloquist Animator along with safety books given to each student (K-3). This program targeted general safety issues including bullying, drug abuse, and peer pressure. Another goal of the Community Service Unit has been to present the Mentor Police Department in a positive way to the youth of the City of Mentor. Officers assisted with bicycle licensing and provided flyers for the purchase of low cost bicycle helmets to each school. The Community Service Unit collaborated with the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids/Safe Communities Coalition to provide low cost bicycle helmets throughout the year. Purchasers are asked to make appointments to have the helmet properly fitted. In 2014, 95 helmets were fitted and sold to the general public and six were given away through various events.

10

Child safety programs are provided to show that police officers are their friends and that if they are in trouble an officer is there to help them. Several programs incorporate using proper child safety restraints in vehicles. Every two years, officers must re-test to keep their certification for Child Safety Seat Technician current. In 2014 Officer Collier became a certified Child Safety Seat Technician joining Officer Satterfield. In 2014, the unit conducted 59 child safety seat installations. The Community Service Unit continued to coordinate the police department’s Helmet Safety Citation program. This program awarded children for wearing their helmets while practicing safe riding techniques. After an officer observed and “stopped” a child wearing a helmet, he issued a “safety citation”. This citation can then be redeemed at the Police Department for great prizes. In 2014, eleven police officers participated, issuing 132 safety citations to area children. In 2014, Officer Kevin Hatch was the top bicycle helmet citation writer for the department. In conjunction with the National “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, Lake County Crime Prevention Task Force and the police department co-sponsored the “Protect and Serve” Tavern at the Great Lakes Mall. Officers Collier and Satterfield scheduled the guest servers which have included State Representative John Rogers, Lake County Commissioner Judy Moran and Cleveland WEWS TV Anchorwoman Danita Harris and Weatherman Mark Johnson. The Community Service Officers continued to coordinate the “Prevent-A-Gram” program. This office received daily reports from patrol regarding observations of potential criminal opportunistic targets, transferred the information to typed mailings and sent them to homes and businesses alerting them to potential problem areas. In 2014, volunteers sent out 420 Prevent-A-Grams to citizens. The Unit has been charged with preparing, writing, and administering most of the grants and donation requests for the department. In 2014, the Unit also continued to administer the Ballistic Vest grant and the High Visibility Enforcement grant. In late December, the department was awarded and will be administering a crime deterrence grant through 2015. The Unit coordinated and supervised four volunteers through the police department volunteer program. Volunteers assisted with preparation and set up of displays, worked special events, wore the McGruff costume, did clerical activities, and assisted in the Courtroom. The Unit continued as the police liaison for six “regular” part-time and two “fill in” adult school crossing guards. In August, Crossing Guard Phyllis Slifko was featured in a News Herald article “Walking the walk safely” Phyllis has been making sure students arrive safely to school for the past thirty-three years.

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Personnel and Training Unit During 2014, the department invested 12,031.5 hours in training to maintain and improve the skill levels of sworn officers and civilian employees. Training is required for specialized units such as the S.W.A.T. Team, the Crisis Intervention Team (Hostage Negotiators), Sniper Unit, Detective Bureau, Bomb Squad, K-9 Teams, Evidence Technicians, Crime Prevention, Bike Patrol, and newly promoted and hired staff members. The training for the Chief of Police and the Captains is categorized as administrative training. Progressive police management training provides the knowledge and skills necessary for assuming additional responsibilities in administrative staff positions. During 2014, administrative training included attendance at the IACP Conference, FBI-NAA Training, the Ohio Jail Administrators Conference, and the National–based Incident Reporting Training. Staff Officers Training is designed for Lieutenants and Sergeants. To properly develop our Patrol Division it is imperative that our staff officers remain current with state, local, and federal legal decisions for street-level interpretations. To support this level of management, one sergeant was nominated and chosen by the governing board to attend The Ohio State University Public Safety Leadership Academy. This partnership with The OSU John Glenn School of Public Affairs and The Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy is an intense, 10-week, leadership and management course for law enforcement. Although the Leadership Academy is exclusively for the rank of lieutenant and above, the high standards, expectations, and progressive organizational structure of the Mentor Police Department prepared the sergeant who attended to excel in this training and as he advances in his leadership role at MPD. Two sergeants attended PEALS: Police Executive & Administrative Leadership School, a 3-week course. The most recently promoted sergeant attended Leading Law Enforcement, Media Relations, and Supervision of Police Personnel training from Northwestern University. In 2014, the department implemented a Sergeant Mentoring program. The program was very successful with a lieutenant assigned to assist in the proper training of the newly promoted sergeant. The department plans to continue this new program. Organizational goals are achieved by officers experienced in all aspects of law enforcement and criminal justice. The Patrol Division is responsible for accomplishing a major portion of the police department’s goals. During 2014, MPD was host to a training titled: First Responders to Hostage/Barricade Situations. This 4-hour training was attended by all sworn officers. Fourteen evidence technicians attended the annual Evidence Technician Training including Courtroom Testimony. Six patrol officers completed Basic Evidence Technician training. Some patrol officers attended Street Survival, Tactical Interviewing, and tactical communications training. During the month of July, 54 officers attended Active Shooter training at Mentor High School. Taser training began during 2014 and will continue through 2015 for all patrol officers to be certified to utilize the next generation of Tasers, the X2. Three ACE team members attended Basic Law Enforcement Intelligence training. The Traffic Crash Investigation Team attended Drag Factor Determination for Traffic Collisions. 12

Currently, there are 16 Field Training Officers (FTO) in the patrol division. There was a rare break for the FTO program as there were no new officers hired in 2014. The department did have six officers who successfully completed their probationary period. It is anticipated that there will be five new officers hired and placed in the FTO program in 2015. Roll Call Training encompassed monthly review of department policy and procedures and video training. The policy review included the Emergency Operations Plan; Special Operations; Multiple Unit Response; Domestic Violence; Use of Force; Pursuit Policy; and the Preservation and Handling of Evidence and Property. The Mentor Fire Department distributed and instructed patrol officers on the IPOK – personal first aid kits to be worn on duty belts. The Detective Bureau investigates a wide range of crimes. The bureau’s training during 2014 included Informant Management; Street Gangs; Medical Examiner’s Case Studies; Homicide Prevention: Nonfatal Strangulation. Eleven Evidence Technicians attended the Ohio Identification Officers’ Workshop. In September, the department hosted an ATF training class titled, Firearms, Explosives, and Arson Investigations. Twenty-six patrol officers and detectives attended. The department’s Juvenile Unit is a division of the Detective Bureau. During 2014 the Juvenile Unit detective attended training including: Child Abduction Investigations; Sexual Assault Cold Hits: Investigation, Prosecution, and Victim Response; Basic Forensic Response: Missing & Abducted Children; and Exploring the Sexual Offender and Physical Abuser. The Community Service Unit (Crime Prevention) focuses on reducing crime by maintaining a working partnership with local, state, and national organizations, neighborhood watch groups, and area businesses. The newest Crime Prevention officer attended the Ohio Child Passenger Safety Conference. To keep abreast of the latest scams, the Crime Prevention Unit attended the Ohio Crime Prevention Association Conference. The Bike Patrol Unit has been very successful patrolling residential areas, businesses, parks and assisting with special events throughout the City of Mentor. Two officers attended Basic Police Bicycle Patrol School. MPD has two members on the Lake County EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Unit, the bomb squad. The regional explosives response team trained twice monthly. The EOD Commander attended the Bomb Squad Commander Conference. One MPD patrol officer/bomb squad member attended WMD Radiological/Nuclear Responder Operations; HAZMAT Technician training; and MERTT: Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation training. The Records Department played a vital role in the transition to the new public safety software system implemented by the police department. More than 2000 hours of training during 2014 was utilized to transition the entire department to the new computer system. Our Volunteer Chaplain Program is now an integral part of our department. During 2014 one Chaplain attended Crisis Intervention Team Training.

13

Communications technicians attended various training courses throughout the year. The dispatcher training included, but was not limited to: Stress Identification and Management; Crisis Intervention Team Training; “9-1-1 Homicide: Is the Caller the Killer?” and annual LEADS-TAC in-service training. The Communications Supervisor attended the APCO Conference. Utilizing in-house instructing is economically advantageous. During 2014, instructors for specialized training attended: the Standard Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) Instructor Update; ASP Baton & Handcuffing Instructor certification; Taser recertification; R.A.I.D.E.R. Instructor training and various Advanced Armorer schools. Four Defensive Tactics Instructors completed the elite, intense Relson-Gracie Law Enforcement Instructor training – Level 1. The Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission requires each Ohio Peace Officer to attend Continuing Professional Training for compliance with the Ohio Administrative Code 109.803. To comply, all sworn officers were required to complete training related to crimes against families. The educational background of officers of the department is as diverse as the members. Our officers have an array of college degrees including Organizational Psychology, Chemistry, Economics, English Literature, History, Business Administration, and High Performance Technology. Forty-nine Officers have achieved Criminal Justice Degrees to include 18 Associate’s Degrees, 30 Bachelor’s Degrees and one Master’s Degree in Public Administration. One officer has completed law school. Three officers have completed some post-baccalaureate studies. Seventeen members have completed some college, while 5 are currently attending college. Training is the viable function that prepares the committed police officer to safely meet every challenge on the job and to make sure our officers go home to their families at the end of their shift. The Mentor Police Department sets the benchmark standard that others in the industry emulate. Our commitment to training maintains our police department on the cutting edge of police professionalism.

Vehicle Fleet Maintenance All of the police fleet is maintained by the city Public Works Equipment Maintenance Department. They have done an exceptional job at dealing with not only the maintenance, but the challenge of upfitting all new electronics, LED lighting, camera and computer system hardware in this transition of new vehicles. They accomplished all this while incorporating the needs of police and Internet Technology departments. The Police Department’s motor vehicle fleet consists of 25 marked patrol vehicles and about 25 miscellaneous vehicles. Mentor’s marked vehicles patrol over 700,000 miles annually along with the miscellaneous vehicles accumulating another 100,000 miles. Typical life expectancy of a marked patrol car in Mentor is three years. In September 2013, Mentor purchased five PIUV’s. The Police Fleet mechanics had the challenge of upfitting the five new patrol Ford Inceptor Utility SUVs into the fleet. The installation of all the different equipment went well and the future of using the SUV as a patrol vehicle is promising. 14

Range and Defensive Tactics In 2014 the police department continued its very active Range and Defensive Tactics programs. Both programs are run twice each month. Range attendance requirements differ for rankings of Distinguished Expert, Expert, Sharpshooter, and Marksman, from 7 to 10 sessions per year, respectively. Our police officers understand the critical importance of this training and attend well above the state required minimum standard. All range sessions begin with firearms inspection and range safety rules. During the year officers were issued new duty weapons. Included were lights attached to the guns themselves. With this added tool officers will be better able to rapidly identify threats they face in low level light situations. This transition was made by trading in old duty weapons as well as guns seized by the department over the years. By using our resources efficiently in this manner, we were able to purchase the new handguns and all related duty gear at no cost to the community. With these new weapons came the challenge of a new platform on which officers needed to train. During the year, and continuing into 2015, officers have had repeated scenario-based training sessions. The goal is to keep officers proficient with each of the many tools available to them during the course of their work day. Range training also included using the AR15 patrol rifle and outdoor shotgun proficiency. Some range sessions were dedicated to increasing proficiency with off-duty weapons. During defensive tactics training for 2014, the officers were instructed in response scenarios performed with verbal commands involving handcuffing, ground control, shotavoidance, weapon retention, blocks, kicks and ASP baton proficiency.

15

Operations Division The major goal of the Operations Division is to maintain a safe environment for the residents of, and visitors to, the city through effective and efficient delivery of police services. Two main units of the Operations Division are the Patrol Bureau and the Criminal Investigations Bureau. Each unit has its own objectives and responsibilities which provide guidance to all officers in meeting the goals of the Division.

Patrol Bureau The Patrol Bureau works on a twelve hour per day shift. This shift format allows for thorough coverage of the city at all times of the day. This 12-hour workday format was started in July, 2006 and has been regularly evaluated. It has been found to be an effective means to provide quality services to the citizens of Mentor. The Patrol Bureau continues to utilize the Aegis report writing system that was established in 2003. The system enables officers to write reports more efficiently and assists with the gathering and retrieval of information for investigations, statistics, and record keeping purposes. In an effort to keep the computer services current with changing technology, the police department upgraded the current system to a windows-based platform for Aegis. The upgrade was implemented in March of 2014. The new software system provides enhanced capabilities, allowing officers access to more information while in their patrol cars. The department is also in the process of transitioning to electronic ticketing with a projected implementation in early 2015. The Police Department, Mentor Fire Department and Mentor Public Schools formed a partnership to discuss and develop appropriate responses for potential critical incidents occurring at the schools. As part of this preparation, active shooter training and victim rescue techniques were conducted at Mentor High School in cooperation with the Mentor Fire Department and Mentor Public Schools. Further planning and training is anticipated for 2015. Traffic crash investigation continues to be a large part of the patrol force workload. The number of traffic crashes on the city streets decreased by 5% compared to 2013. There were two fatal traffic crashes this past year. While the number of traffic crashes did decrease in 2014, the department remains vigilant in enforcing traffic laws within the city. One goal of the department is to keep citizens driving safe in the city. A major goal and objective in reducing injury accidents is aggressive enforcement of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OVI) violations. To help in the enforcement of OVI violations, as well as traffic violations in general, the department participated in three State of Ohio sponsored traffic enforcement programs, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”, “What’ s Holding You Back” and “Click it or Ticket”. In addition, the department participated in a high visibility and OVI enforcement grant sponsored by the state.

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The call activity in the department decreased by 941 calls for service in 2014 compared to 2013. The total number of arrests remained relatively unchanged. Thefts and drug offenses were leading arrest categories for both adult and juvenile offenders. The number of drug arrests in 2014 increased 41% over the number in 2013. A causative factor to this increase can be attributed to the overwhelming abuse of illegal narcotics, specifically Heroin. In response to the increase in drug abuse, the department conducted a special detail targeting retail thefts with a nexus to drug abuse. The detail produced significant results with arrests and additional intelligence gathered regarding the operation of retail thefts to support drug addiction. Based on the success of this special detail the police department was awarded a $25,000 grant to fund continued aggressive enforcement in 2015.

2013

2014

Difference

Percent change

Calls for Service

26,422

25,481

941

-3.5%

Total Arrests

1,477

1,425

52

-4%

Adult Arrests

1,290

1,247

43

-3%

Juvenile Arrests

187

178

9

-4%

OVI

336

307

29

-9%

1,592

1,518

74

-5%

338

316

22

-7%

Traffic Citations

7,028

6,394

634

-9%

Written Warnings

1,945

1,615

330

-17%

Total on Street Accidents Total Injury Accidents

During the year the patrol division worked hard on many significant criminal investigations. Arrests were made for several of the following types of incidents: burglaries; robberies; assaults; drug trafficking; weapons violations, along with a host of other criminal offenses. The Patrol Bureau is the backbone of the Police Department. Officers have been diligent in their efforts to provide the citizens of Mentor with top quality police service to provide a safe community for all.

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Traffic Services Although Traffic Law enforcement is a continuous program throughout the year, at times there were special need cases to be addressed. Traffic Complaints were addressed in one of several different ways. One method included using the Speed Monitoring Awareness Radar Trailer (SMART) which is a portable, self-contained speed display unit that can be towed to sites with speedrelated problems. Other ways traffic complaints were addressed are as follows: special attention on a given street was requested through the daily bulletin or roll calls, a specific officer may have been assigned to spend a certain amount of time on a certain street, and the street may have been included as a “traffic calming” street. In 2014, Lt. Dan Molnar managed Traffic Services for the department. Lt. Molnar also managed the road officer patrol portion of the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) High Visibility Enforcement Overtime traffic grant. . Grant began in October 2013 and went through September 2014. This grant consisted of scheduled enforcement blitzes during designated holiday weeks and other periods of high traffic. The goal of these enforcement blitzes was directed toward speed and seat belt enforcement, distracted driving, as well as alcohol related violations. During this grant, A total of 1196 traffic stops were made and officers issued 3 OVI citations, 101 safety belt/child safety seat citations, 249 speed violations, 25 driving under suspension tickets, 10 no operator’s license citations, 62 other moving violations and made 2 felony arrests. Officers issued a total of 450 citations and 744 warnings. There were 23 complaints received through various channels. Most of these complaints were initiated by either city council or citizens in the community. The most common complaint was speeding vehicles. Nineteen of these complaints were assigned selective enforcement. The others were handled by deployment of the SMART machine. Complaints coming directly from a citizen were followed up with personal contact. The police department also conducted a Traffic Calming program. The program was assigned to Lt. Dan Molnar. The program ran from April 1 thru December 8, 2014. Officers were assigned to work at select locations in residential areas during the year in an effort to keep citizens in those areas safe. The City Public Works Department assisted in the Traffic Calming program by posting signs in targeted locations during the year. With the cooperation of Judge Trebets, officers were encouraged to tighten up their speed enforcement tolerances with respect to posted speed limits in these areas. It was set up in 6-week segments, each representing enforcement efforts equally in all four council wards. Enforcement efforts consisted of posting traffic calming signs at each location supplemented with traffic enforcement by the patrol force. As a result of this program, 129 citations and 38 written warnings were issued.

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Criminal Investigation Bureau The Mentor Police Department Detective Bureau consists of a Detective Lieutenant, a Detective Sergeant, six general duty detectives, a juvenile detective, two narcotics investigators, one School Resource Officer, and a secretary. The Detective Lieutenant and Detective Sergeant are responsible for the administration of the Detective Bureau and the management of the Narcotics Unit as well as Internal Affairs investigations and several other investigative programs. The Detective Bureau also administers the program of registering armed security officers working in the city and conducting background investigations on applicants for positions within the Police Department.

Mentor Police Department 21,394 likes ·

The Detective Bureau uses Facebook and Twitter accounts not only to get information out to the public, but also to assist with investigations. Several cases have been solved with help from the public after surveillance photographs were posted on social media requesting information on the identity of the person.

Detectives are responsible for follow-up on all assigned cases until the case can be cleared or satisfactorily closed. Cases can be cleared in several ways: closed by arrest, restitution to the victim, referral to the agency that has jurisdiction on the case, determining no crime was actually committed or exhausting all investigative leads. Detectives also are encouraged to self-initiate investigations from information developed from other means such as civilian contacts, confidential informants or referrals from other agencies or sources. Detectives are responsible for assisting and supporting the patrol division in investigations when the need arises. Case Load

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014*

Total Cases

274

330

279

280

300

Total Cleared

276

314

284

287

243

Cleared by Arrest/other means

189

214

146

176

157

Cases Closed Pending

87

100

138

111

86

*The numbers indicate cases that were assigned in 2014 and cases cleared or closed in 2014. A portion of the cleared and closed cases are carryover cases from 2013 that were not completed until 2014.

Computer Forensics Unit This unit forensically processes phones, computers, and other electronic devices to obtain evidence of crimes. The crimes can include child pornography, importuning, drug trafficking, and other situations where electronic communication provides evidence of a crime. The department has assigned one officer to work with the Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force for training and assistance with examinations. During 2014, he conducted 54 electronic device exams related to crimes in the city or other agencies. His participation with the Electronic Crimes Task Force will continue in 2015. 19

Video Forensic Unit This Unit processes and enhances video from various sources. The unit uses a Video Forensic Computer system utilizing Avid software. Two detectives are currently trained in the use of this system. This is the only system of its kind in Lake County, resulting in numerous requests from other departments and city and county prosecutors for video projects. Video projects are used in identifying suspects from video and hopefully aid in their successful prosecution. This system also allows for enhanced still photos from videos to be distributed to media outlets and other law enforcement agencies to aid in the identification of suspects. The majority of the cases solved through social media are still images captured by Detectives using this software. In 2014, 34 video projects were conducted.

Evidence Technicians The Mentor Police Department Evidence Technician Program consists of nineteen patrol officers and all nine Detectives. The Evidence Technicians provide crucial support to patrol officers by collecting and preserving evidence at crime scenes. Their duties include photographing and collecting evidence. The photographs they take are of both crime scenes and victims of crimes. The evidence they collect include fingerprints, tool marks and impressions, shoe and tire prints, DNA, and trace evidence (hairs and fibers) left at the crime scene. The Evidence Technicians also take photographs of major traffic crashes to assist in crash investigators. In total, Evidence Technicians processed 642 cases in 2014 which included almost 16,000 digital photographs. Evidence Technicians engage in ongoing training every year. Evidence Technician training is led by a senior Detective who is qualified as a Master Evidence Technician. This training is supplemented by instruction from The Lake County Crime Lab and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). The training in 2014 focused on touch DNA evidence. Agents from the Lake County Crime Lab and BCI instructed the course in touch DNA collection.

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Narcotics In 2014, the narcotics unit again primarily investigated drug trafficking offenses in and around the city of Mentor. The unit primarily investigated drug related crimes as well as drug overdoses. The reporting of prescription drug thefts continued as people who are prescribed drugs need a police report to have their prescriptions replaced. False theft complaints are combated with our prescription theft statement. Detectives investigate the prescription history of reported theft victims as well as their history of making drug theft complaints to ensure they are not repeatedly making claims that drugs were stolen. Since the inception of the form, not one person has tried to make a drug theft complaint twice. We continue to have one detective assigned to the United States Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force. This appointment has brought together a great network of investigators throughout the state and county. Along with serving Lake County agency warrants, they have worked several proactive patrols around the county. During the Detective’s service with the task force in 2014, 194 people were taken into custody for warrants, surrendered due to task force efforts, or were arrested during proactive patrols. Of those arrests, five were for murder, six for attempted murder, and seven firearms were recovered. Our Detective sent the task force 23 felony warrants for service that originated in Mentor. Of those, 18 were taken into custody by task force officers or turned themselves in because of their efforts, four of them were arrested outside of task force efforts, and one is still a fugitive.

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2014 Statistics (includes patrol investigations) Expenditures 

Narcotics spent $2,020.00 for investigations in 2014. Funds were used to buy narcotics, pay informants, or to otherwise further investigations (i.e. purchase items)



$650.00 was paid to confidential informants for assistance in cases

Item Marijuana Drug Paraphernalia Cocaine Prescription Pills Heroin MDMA

Weight/Quantity

Est. Street Value

2,637.5 grams (6 lbs)

$13,700.00

410 pieces

N/A

18.9 grams 1,300 pills 47.8 grams 4 unit doses

$620 N/A $7,000.00 $40.00 $21,360.00

Total

Currency Seized in 2014* Currency Returned to suspects Currency outstanding (pending cases) Currency Forfeited to MPD Pending cases include numerous open items where cases are closed but where it is unknown from the court case if the money is officially forfeited to MPD

Firearms seized

16

Vehicles seized

15

Vehicles forfeited

0

Vehicles towed but not seized are NOT included in this list. Several of the seized vehicles are currently awaiting court forfeiture

$24,050 $1,897 $5,729 $18,321

Confidential Informants

16

Buy walks

5

Buy busts

3

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School Resource Officer The SRO works at the high school and interacts with the students, faculty, and school administration. He provides a law enforcement figure students can approach for information, guidance, or help. The SRO is responsible for investigating crimes and complaints that are committed on school property and making arrests when appropriate. He also aids in seeing that school board rules and guidelines are followed and teaches some classes that are law enforcement related.

Ptl. Chris Ivanovics

In 2014 the SRO handled 29 investigations that resulted in 19 arrests. Several of these arrests were drug related. The School Resource Officer helps conduct Safety Town during the summer months. Safety Town is a program sponsored by the Junior Women’s Club of Mentor. Safety Town teaches young children basic personal and community skills such as fire prevention, traffic rules, stranger awareness, and domestic safety just to name a few. In 2014 there were two, one-week (morning and afternoon) sessions.

Volunteer Police Chaplain Program The program was formally instituted in February of 2009. The current members are Rev. Joel Algeri, Rev. Stoney Drain, Fr. Timothy Plavac, Rev. Donald Knipp, and Rev. Brian Landrum. The program has continued to incorporate new developments in way of counseling, hospital visits, funerals, and ride-a-long/officer contact. The Chaplains continued to make their services available by writing notes to officers, department picnics/holiday parties, hospital visits, funerals, and ride-a-longs/departmental visits. One Chaplain, after responding to a DOA call, continued follow-up contact with the family and helped them with grief counseling. The Chaplains also attended the Police Memorial Parade in Cleveland, and the annual “Kops and Kids” Christmas party. In addition, Chaplain Drain reported the donation of $566.97 during his department visits and counseling sessions. Chaplain Landrum provided food and drink for the officers working on the 4 th of July. Each of these situations resulted in positive feedback from departmental personnel. These dedicated men volunteered 215.75 hours to the Mentor Police Department in 2014. They hope to increase that number in the coming year.

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Specialty Teams Accident Investigation Unit The Accident investigation Unit consists of three patrol officers. One of the officers is a level one crash investigator, another officer is a level two crash investigator and the third officer is a Reconstructionist. In 2014 the Mentor Accident investigation Unit continued to work and train with the multi-jurisdictional Lake County Regional Accident Investigation Unit (Lake CRU). The unit trained monthly working with the Total Station and diagramming software, as well as working with the mathematics involved in investigating accidents. The City of Mentor purchased a new laptop for the AIU unit. The unit investigated two fatal accidents and officers assisted with several serious accidents throughout the year in the city of Mentor. They also responded to a fatal accident in Willoughby Hills and assisted on the investigation.

Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Unit In 2014, the Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Unit (ACE) was comprised of four patrol officers and two narcotic detectives. These officers worked dedicated ACE shifts as manpower permitted during 2014. ACE officers continued to incorporate an ACE approach to their daily activities and regularly assisted other officers and supervisors with interdiction related activities and investigations. The unit had a very proactive and productive year. ACE Officers contributed to making 193 drug related arrests, 7 of which were drug trafficking arrests. The unit seized five cars and over $7,900.00 in cash. The unit also made 66 warrant arrests and 11 weapons related arrests. The unit also referred several cases to the Narcotics Unit that led to additional arrests. Our ACE program continues to develop and we have seen an increase in acceptance and interest in the program from other patrol officers. Two ACE officers attended a one week Motor Vehicle Criminal Interdiction Conference. Two patrol officers showed interest in ACE activities and they attended interdiction courses this year. These two officers will be putting their training into action in 2015. We hope to support continual training for our ACE officers so they may stay current with evolving interdiction procedures and ever-changing case law.

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Bicycle/ATV Unit In 2014, the Bicycle Patrol Unit remained a valuable tool and unit for the police department. This year the unit conducted its annual training at Cleveland Police Department’s outdoor range which included a bike/handgun qualification course. The Bicycle Refresher course training helps prepare officers physically and mentally for riding in the summer months. In addition to this training the unit completed a long group ride throughout the Mentor Lagoons trails and into the Mentor Nature Preserve. The Bike Patrol Unit added two new officers and currently has ten members. For the first time the bikes will be outfitted with red and blue lights which will greatly assist the unit when responding to calls in large crowds. The Bike Patrol Unit continues to participate in events such as the Law Enforcement Torch Run, Fourth of July, Beach Fest, City Fest, Safety Town, Bike Parades, Car Shows and Mentor Farmer’s Market. A bike officer also was instrumental in apprehending a robbery suspect who was fighting with a Loss Prevention Officer at Gabriel Brothers. The Bike Patrol Unit managed to ride 20 shifts this year which is the same shifts as last year. The Unit continued to participate in the bicycle helmet safety citation program.

Ptl. Yenkevich and Ptl. Zevnik

Two patrolmen, one detective, and one special officer are currently assigned to the ATV. The ATV was utilized during Memorial Day weekend in the Lagoons during the opening of the boating season. It was used during 4th of July, Beach Fest, City Fest and on a daily basis for the Deer Culling Program. A goal for 2015 is to use the ATV at the City Marina more on weekends throughout the boating season. Both the Bike Patrol and the ATV continue to serve a great purpose within the city. It is a great public relations tool at these community events and enables the officer to respond quickly, if needed, in crowded areas. Even though they are not an everyday tool, they provide excellent police coverage at special events and festivals throughout the city.

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Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) The Lake County Bomb Squad continued its tradition of providing excellent response to, and coverage of, incidents involving hazardous materials and devices in Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula counties. With what began with two bomb technicians from the Mentor Police Department back in 1992, the squad is now well equipped and staffed to respond to a multitude of hazardous incidents. The squad is recognized as an Accredited Public Safety Bomb Squad by the FBI and National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board. This status entitles the squad to receive bomb disposal equipment distributed by the United States Departments of Justice and Homeland Security through the field offices of the FBI and the State and local Emergency Management Agencies. During 2014 the squad received a new response truck and related equipment awarded through federal grants. The squad added one member in 2014 to replace retirements in 2013. That member is waiting to attend basic bomb technician training in Huntsville, Alabama. The team consists of four bomb technicians, one explosives detecting K-9 team, and one paramedic. The team has members from six area agencies: Mentor Police Department, Mentor Fire Department, Painesville Township Fire Department, Wickliffe Police Department, Painesville Police Department, and the Geauga County Sheriff’s Department. The team trains twice each month. This is to ensure continued familiarity with equipment and methods introduced by the FBI. Additional training was received from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security covering topics including improvised explosives, homemade explosives, suicide bombers, and vehicle borne explosive devices. In cooperation with neighboring bomb squads, our squad hosted and attended several joint training sessions. During the year the bomb squad was utilized 33 times. Examples of incidents to which the squad responded include: recovery of old dynamite, suspicious packages, recovery of munitions, military ordnance (including several live hand grenades), and recovery of improvised explosives, among others. Each incident presented a unique challenge for the squad. Fortunately there were no injuries or accidents related to the calls. The team also destroyed property turned in by communities in the region. This included old ammunition (about 110 pounds), fireworks (about 115 pounds), expired gas canisters, flares, and mortars. The team currently possesses equipment necessary to perform hazardous device recovery and disposal. This includes bomb suits, a robot, hazardous material equipment, three vehicles, a bomb disposal trailer, identification tools, and a host of other equipment. In conclusion, the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit has provided a necessary, important service to the residents of Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula Counties for over 20 years. In light of the ever present risk of attacks by foreign and domestic terrorists, the Unit has proven to be a valuable asset to the community and the various cities within the three-county region. Continued operation and support is essential to the safety and well-being of the citizens of the City of Mentor and the region.

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Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT) The Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT) is a specialized unit within the Mentor Police Department that has been trained to handle communications in crisis and hostage situations. The primary goal of the HNT in any crisis situation is the preservation of life and the peaceful resolution of the crisis through open communication and negotiation, thereby minimizing the need for the use of force. In all hostage situations the ultimate goal is the release of all hostages unharmed and the apprehension of the suspect, while maintaining the safety of the general public and officers involved. During crisis situations, the HNT is under the control of the scene commander and works alongside patrol officers, SWAT team members, bomb disposal officers, and/or other specialized units. HNT members are also responsible for gathering and providing intelligence to field and tactical commanders in case a tactical resolution is necessary. The HNT is called upon to communicate primarily with suicidal, armed, and/or barricaded subjects. In 2014 the team members responded to seven incidents requiring a negotiator. The HNT has one team leader and four negotiators. The team trains quarterly reviewing scenarios and practicing with specialized equipment. Three HNT officers attended the Midwest Crisis Negotiators Conference in Columbus, Ohio, in September. The conference is held annually and is an excellent opportunity for the negotiators to learn about new techniques and equipment as well as to hear first-hand accounts of how particular negotiations were handled around the country. In 2014 the team received instruction from the FBI, psychologists, and other experts in the field. The conference also provided the team members an opportunity to meet with other negotiators from across the country.

K-9 Unit The Mentor Police K-9 Program became a fully operational unit in 2012. Patrolman Terry Wurgler and his K9 partner Titan and Patrolman Bill Mackey and his K9 partner Bo were assigned to the Midnight Shift platoons. Officer Terry Wurgler and K-9 Titan

The K-9 program had another busy and productive year. Both handlers continued to sharpen their skills as well as the skills of their K-9 partners. Some of the activities accomplished in 2014 by the K-9 teams were 188 MPD uses, 48 Mutual Aid uses, 2 Area Searches, 17 Building Searches, 14 Subject Tracks, 43 Community Policing activities, 95 Narcotics Sniffs, and 17 Suspect Control/Apprehensions. In addition, the K-9 teams assisted other MPD officers with 37 misdemeanor and 15 felony arrests. These numbers represent an increase of K-9 uses in most categories from 2012 and 2013.

In May, for the third year in a row, Ptl. Wurgler and Titan won the Northeast Ohio Bil-Jac award for suspect tracking and apprehensions. Ptl Mackey and Bo won the Northeast Ohio Bil-Jac award for narcotics detection.

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Both teams attended the annual 1-week North American Police Canine Handler’s Association (NAPCH) seminar covering multiple K-9 related topics and trainings activities. They also attended a 3-day North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA) Decoy Skills Workshop and a 3-day Shallow Creek Kennels K-9 Scenarios and Problem Solving Workshop. Both teams hold certifications from the North American Police Canine Handler’s Association (NAPCH) and the North American Police Working Dog Association (NAPWDA). The teams continue to train twice a month with other Northeast Ohio teams. K-9 Bo and Ptl Mackey at Channel 8 News Dog Parade

Both teams had a very busy year with community policing activities. They performed demonstrations at Law Days at GLM, Working Dog Weekend at Lake Farmpark, the Guns and Hoses charity softball game at Lake County Captains stadium, and the National Night Out Against Crime in Painesville. They performed meet and greets at Great Lakes Mall, Mentor High School, various elementary schools, Kops N Kids, Fill-A-Cruiser, Mentor City Fest, and the St. John Vianney Festival. Ptl. Mackey, with his partner Bo, participated in the Officer Down 5K race in Cleveland and was interviewed on air by News Channel 5. Mackey and Bo also participated in the Police Dog Parade which was televised on Fox 8 Morning News.

Ptl Wurgler and Titan conducted a narcotics sniff for Willoughby Hills which resulted in the seizure of 13 pounds of marijuana and drug trafficking charges. They also assisted Kirtland Hills with a sniff that uncovered 3,000 ecstasy pills. In fact, both teams contributed to multiple drug trafficking cases for several jurisdictions. Our K-9 program has progressed very well over the past couple of years. The increase in K-9 uses by MPD officers and neighboring agencies is proof that our K-9 teams are effective and very well respected.

Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) Last year marked the 34th year for the Mentor Police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. The team provides tactical support capabilities to augment the patrol response to crisis situations, assists the detective bureau when needed, and offers support for the surrounding communities. The team continued to attend various schools, conducted joint training exercises, and monthly trainings. The team consists of sixteen tactical officers from Mentor Police Department and two officers from Kirtland Hills Police Department and is augmented by the Hostage Negotiations Unit, the K-9 Unit, and The Lake County Explosive Ordnance (EOD) Unit. The SWAT team is led by one patrol Lieutenant with a senior patrol officer as the Assistant Commander. Due to a resignation in 2014 and after a rigorous assessment, one new officer was appointed to the Unit.

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Support Services The Support Services Division of the Police Department is comprised of four units that supplement the Patrol Division and Detective Bureau. These units include the Safety Forces Communications Unit, the Corrections Unit, the Records Unit and the Property & Evidence Unit. The dedicated men and women who work in these units provide a strong supporting cast to the Patrol Division and Detective Bureau which positively affects the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Police Department.

Communication Division The primary goal of Safety Communications is to provide high quality assistance to the public in an efficient, courteous and timely manner. This includes responding to requests for service from the public for Police, Fire and Rescue forces. Also included in this goal is to provide support to those forces responding to the protection and service of the City. A total of 145,247 telephone calls were processed by dispatch. The number of calls that came in over 911 lines was 17,121. The average phone answer time by dispatch for the year was 3.3 seconds, with 911 calls being answered in an average of 0.44 seconds. Requests for Police assistance totaled 33,472 for the year. Requests for Fire/Rescue totaled 7,508. Communications Technicians entered a total of 563 warrants into LEADS in 2014. In 2014 Mentor Dispatch processed 24 Lake County Mutual Aid Box Alarm (M.A.B.A.S.) requests, and dispatched 61 Fire Mutual Aid requests to surrounding communities. Dispatch made 480 notifications via the MIR3 Alert System in order to recall emergency personnel and activate special teams. In making these notifications, the MIR3 made 15,870 individual telephone calls, saving dispatchers’ valuable time and allowing them to remain focused on the incident at hand. Mentor’s Communications Dispatchers received a total of 553 combined hours of training in 2014 with 294 of these hours being completed in-house at no cost. A snow storm on November 13th, 2014 caused emergency phone call volume to increase by over 500% the normal rate. Countless traffic incidents and motor vehicle accidents occurred, necessitating dispatch to be manned at double the normal staffing level for several hours in order to handle the increase.

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New World Systems Public Safety Software was implemented in March. Dispatchers received extensive training both in the classroom and in the dispatch center in preparation for the transition. Planning for the School Active Shooter Alert Radio Response began in February 2014 and the plan was implemented in November 2014. One push of a button at any school equipped with an emergency radio alerts nine dispatch centers at the same time. The plan provides for an immediate and coordinated, multiagency response to a school active shooter alarm/incident within the Lake County, Ohio school districts. Dispatcher Suzie Sistek presented the “9-1-1 For Kids” program for the 6th consecutive year to over 600 students in Mentor City Schools during the month of April. Red E Fox was an enormous hit with the children once again. In June 2014, Dispatcher Amie Longstaff changed her employment status from full time to part time and Dispatcher Tori Hendricks began her employment as a full time dispatcher. Tori completed call taker and police radio training in October 2014. Dispatcher Dawn Osewalt was presented the Department’s Exceptional Service Award on November 24th for her fast actions and outstanding job performance in handling a 9-1-1 call on October 21, 2014. Dawn provided CPR instructions over the phone to the caller. As a direct result, a man’s life was saved. Chief Kevin Knight stated that Dawn was deserving because “she remained calm, reassuring the caller that she could do the CPR and had to use her Dispatcher Dawn Osewalt NH Photograher, Jeff Forman communication skills to keep the caller focused on the task at hand rather than to be checking for the rescue squad. This goes above and beyond ‘just doing her job’ “.

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Corrections Unit The Mentor City Jail is classified as a 12-Day facility with ten individual cells, two court holding cells, a detoxification cell, a temporary holding cell, a kitchen area, prisoner showers, laundry room, visiting rooms, an interview room, sally port, jail office booking area, and jail administrator’s office. The Jail Facility is staffed by six (6) full time correction officers twenty-four hours a day. Renovation of the jail office was started in 2013 and was completed in early 2014. This renovation included updating and remodeling the jail control room, replacement of the intercom and upgrading of the existing light fixtures within each jail cell. The average daily population of the Mentor City Jail in 2014 was 3.2 prisoners compared to 3.8 prisoners per day in 2013. There was an increase in 2014 in the number of people held temporarily for court appearances for the Mentor Municipal Court from the Lake County Jail and Mentor on the Lake Police Department as compared to 2013. There was a 10% decrease in the amount of people sentenced by Mentor Municipal Court in 2014. There was also a slight decrease in the number of people processed at the Mentor City Jail, compared to 2013. Quarterly reports are forwarded to the Ohio Department of Youth Services Bureau of Community Based Programs to show that the Mentor City Jail is in compliance with holding juveniles, as required by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The number of juveniles processed in Mentor Jail for the last several years has been on the decline. There was a 9.6% decrease in the amount of Juveniles processed in 2014 as compared to 2013. 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2,210

1.975

2,354

2,173

2,073

Persons Sentenced

54

87

85

76

63

Persons Temporarily Held

559

556

638

650

684

Juveniles Processed

84

77

74

62

56

Prisoners Processed

Corrections Officers collected a total of $326,135.00 in bonds and fines for the Mentor Municipal Court. The Mentor City Jail has continued to strive towards compliance with current jail standards that are mandated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, Bureau of Adult Detention. Inspections are a big part of this. In-house jail inspections and searches were performed weekly. These included full inspection of the cells, bedding supplies, dayrooms, showers, security devices, visual inspection of sprinkler heads, heat detectors, emergency evacuation signs, cameras, audio monitors, and sanitation. 31

The Mentor City Jail has continued to maintain effective per day housing costs by good food service management and prisoner work assignments. There was a decrease in the number of meals served as well as a decrease in the amount spent on food. The amount of $1.76 per meal is still well below the average of $3.76 per meal for other 12-day facilities, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s Annual Jail Report. Despite this low meal cost there was no sacrifice in the quality or healthfulness of the food as the meals served in the Mentor City Jail were approved by the State Dietician and inspected by the Health Department on an annual basis. 2010

2011

2012

2013

Meals Served

4,526

4,274

5,269

Amount Spent

$11,041.47

$10,386.60

$12,179.53

4,683 $10,505.54

2014 4,386 $10,331.21

The Mentor Fire Department conducted its annual inspection of the Mentor City Jail and the facility was again found to be in compliance with no deficiencies. The Mentor City Jail was also inspected twice by Glen Ridge Pest Control. No deficiencies were found and the facility was found to be free of insects and pests.

Property & Evidence Property & Evidence provides a safe and secure location for all items turned in. To accomplish this task, the Unit must follow a strict chain of evidence. In 2014, this office processed 4,500 combined pieces of evidence, found property, recovered property, and seized property as compared to 5,300 pieces in 2013. All items were logged into the computer and placed in a safe location with the chain of evidence strictly maintained. Any movement of an item, such as transportation to the lab for analysis, signed out for court, returned to owner, or destroyed, was tracked. This past year 1,110 items were transported to the crime lab and BCI as compared to 1,460 in 2013. Disposition

2012

2013

2014

551

1,837

539

Prescription Drugs Drop Box

40 Bags (1,085 lbs.)

75 Bags (1,850 lbs.)

47 Bags (1,329 lbs.)

Returned Property

200 Citizens (602 items)

275 Citizens (761 items)

305 Citizens (1,430)

Auctioned Property

170 items ($2,257.00)

No Auction Held

435 items ($4,600)

Entries: Destroyed Items – Drugs

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2014 POLICE AUCTION

When items are no longer needed as evidence they are either given back to the owner, destroyed if illegal, or sold at the city auction. In 2014, we returned items to over 305 citizens and destroyed 539 entries of drugs. A city auction was held in 2014 where 435 items were sold for a total of $4,600. Property & Evidence has taken on the responsibility of securing and making copies of the Dash Cam videos and the Booking videos for use in court. We supplied the Prosecutors and Defense with this evidence. The Unit is in charge of completing calibration checks on all radar equipment. All units get tested every other year using a mobile calibration unit operated by Western Reserve Electronics located in Cleveland, Ohio.

Don’t Flush Your Old Drugs!

Property & Evidence took on a new responsibility in 2011, that being, maintaining the Lake County Prescription Drug Drop Box located in the Police Lobby. In 2011, 37 large bags of drugs weighing approximately 816 pounds were dropped off by citizens. In 2012, 40 large bags weighing 1,085 pounds and in 2013, 75 bags weighing 1,850 lbs. were collected. This past year 47 bags weighing 1,329 pounds were dropped off by citizens. These drugs were transported to Lake County Narcotics Agency and destroyed. The Total now is over 2.5 Tons of drugs that were disposed of properly instead of being flushed into our water system. In 2014 we will continue to provide the best service possible to both the Police Department and to the general public while maintaining the tight controls on the property and evidence entrusted to our care.

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Records Department The main focus for 2014 for the Records Department was the implementation of the New World System’s Law Enforcement Records System. There was a significant learning curve required to transition to the new system environment in all areas of the Records Department activities, from internal activities such as data entry and monthly reporting to external activities such as providing accident and case reports to the public. The transition was handled very well by the staff and we are now fully operational on the new system. The Records Department continued to strive throughout 2014 to provide outstanding customer service to the general public as well as to our internal personnel. The below chart shows the number and types of requests handled throughout the year. The unit handled close to twenty-two thousand requests and services of various types for the public and our internal customers throughout the year.

Public Records Requests Total 2014

Requests

2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

On Post 8-5

60

47

46

34

49

28

30

33

21

24

36

31

Case Rpt

134

148

102

63

151

123

110

133

147

173

102

104

Accident Rpt

1347 923

815

569

994

928

857

745

953

901 1059 858

Info & Background

693

596

732

571

710

641

740

725

888

970

687

284

Safety Citations

0

3

3

0

15

21

5

10

6

0

0

0

Tow Releases

68

62

70

81

54

72

77

72

74

76

45

46

Total

2,302 1,779 1,768 1,318 1,973 1,813 1,819 1,718 2,089 2,144 1,929 1,323

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The Department has also continued to administer supply ordering for the entire police department as well as petty cash administration. Each month the Department provided over 30 separate reports to various requestors, both inside and outside of the police department, to be used in the compilation of statistical data for their individual reporting. The Department also prepared and delivered a consolidated monthly report, as well as the local crime/traffic report to be delivered to the City Manager and placement on the city web page. As part of the new system implementation, the Department has been transitioning from UCR crime reporting to the federal government to IBRS crime reporting. This transition represents a significant change to both the patrol group and the Records Department in how data gets recorded. The Records Department continued to administer the off duty job program for the officers. This program provides off duty police support for all types of activities, from weddings and birthday parties, to high school sporting events, to highway maintenance and construction. In 2014, we processed and satisfied 1,111 requests for off duty police support. The Office Assistants continued to produce reports and information through the use of ad hoc data queries for both internal and external requestors. This included requests from the media, requests from various businesses, and requests from individual residents. Again, of particular interest this past year was vehicle accident information resulting from collisions with deer. Numerous information requests of this type have been satisfied for internal and external requestors. The Records Department was very proud to have participated in the annual Kops and Kids Christmas program again this year. The children were very excited to visit the face painting station where they were treated to face painting characters patterned after the Disney Movie Frozen. Office Assistants put a significant amount of effort in preparing for and conducting this activity. In 2014, the Department added one additional part-time Office Assistant to the team and, due to a retirement of a full time employee, the unit will be adding a replacement for this position in early 2015. The main focus for the Records Department for 2015 will be to continue to provide outstanding customer service to the internal and external users of our services, and to continue with our ongoing duties.

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MENTOR POLICE DEPARTMENT 2014 Chief of Police

Internal Affairs

Admin

Operations

SWAT/ HNT

First Platoon

Crime Prevention

Detective Bureau

Second Platoon

BIKE/ ATV

Narcotics

K-9

FTO

AIU

SRO

Victims Assistance Program

Chaplains

Fleet Mgt

Grants

Budget

Training

EOD/ Range

Policy Manual

Support

Court Officer

Court Security

Hiring

I.T. Liaison

Dispatch

Corrections

Property/ Evidence

Records

Bldg. Conditions

Radios

Crossing Guards

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