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2015.03.17 Work Session Packet (2nd) Posted: March 13, 2015 CRYSTAL CITY COUNCIL SECOND WORK SESSION AGENDA Tuesday, March 17, 2015 To immediately follow the EDA Special Meeting Conference Room A Pursuant to due call and notice given in the manner prescribed by Section 3.01 of the City Charter, the second work session of the Crystal City Council was held at ______ p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 in Conference Room A located at 4141 Douglas Drive, Crystal, Minnesota. I. Attendance Council members Staff ____ Parsons ____ Norris ____ Peak ____ Therres ____ Adams ____ Revering ____ Dahl ____ Gilchrist ____ Deshler ____ Serres ____ Kolb ____ Libby II. Agenda The purpose of the work session is to discuss the following agenda items: 1. Presentation of Police annual report 2. Constituent issues update 3. New business* 4. Announcements* * Denotes no supporting information included in the packet. III. Adjournment The work session adjourned at ______ p.m. Auxiliary aids are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by calling the City Clerk at (763) 531-1145 at least 96 hours in advance. TTY users may call Minnesota Relay at 711 or 1-800-627-3529. 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov CCCRRRYYYSSSTTTAAALLL PPPOOOLLLIIICCCEEE DDDEEEPPPAAARRRTTTMMMEEENNNTTT “Service with Compassion and Integrity” TO: Mayor and Council Members FROM: Stephanie K. Revering, Chief of Police CC: Anne Norris, City Manager DATE: March 9, 2015 SUBJECT: COUNCIL WORK SESSION: March 17, 2015 ___________________________________________________________________________ MMEEMMOORRAANNDDUUMM Attached to this memo is the 2014 Crystal Police Department Annual Report. We will be at the work session to present the report to you and to answer any of your questions. Thank you. Crystal Police Department 2014 Annual Report ! “Service to the community is our top priority” MISSION STATEMENT The Mission of the Crystal Police Department is to serve all citizens with respect. We will form partnerships with our community to provide a safe environment TABLE OF CONTENTS From the Police Chief…………………,,………….…………….3  Patrol Division…………………………..……………….………4  Investigative Division……………………..……………………..4   Statistical Data……………………………..……………….…5-6  Trafﬁc Unit.……………………………….…………………..…7  District Map. ……………………………….………………….. 8  K-9 Unit………………………………………………………9-10  Animal Control………………………………..……………… 10  Support Services Unit..…………………………………… 11-12  Records Unit ………………………………………………… 12  Explorer Unit……………………………………………….13-14  Reserve Unit……………………………………………..……..15  Awards / Commendations……………………………..……16-18    About the Cover… The theme for this year’s cover is the “service to the community and the importance of working together as a team”. Pictured left to right in the photo on the cover Ofﬁcer Mason Barland, Ofﬁcer Jake Albers, Ofﬁcer Matthew Wright, Ofﬁcer Rob Hodge and Lt. Derrick Hacker. From the Police Chief   Stephanie Revering Ms. Anne Norris  City Manager - City of Crystal  4141 Douglas Drive N.  Crystal, MN 55422 Dear Ms. Norris, Service to the community is our top priority. The men and women of the Crystal Police Department deliver that service through professional policing that reﬂects our respect for the citizens we serve. Our successful efforts are dependent upon strong relationships between our officers and the people of the City of Crystal. These community partnerships have long been the foundation of our policing strategy and I am pleased to report that our city continues to be a safe place to live, work and raise a family. The 2014 Annual Report reﬂects on our activities and accomplishments during the past year. It summarizes the efforts of employees and many volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the public safety in the City of Crystal. Quite o$en this hard work goes unnoticed by the pubic, so please take a moment to read through the awards and commendations listed in the back of the report. We are very fortunate and honored to have such exceptional personnel that are wi%ing to risk their lives on a daily basis. While I am extremely proud of our dedicated staff, I recognize that it is critical to provide them with the best tools possible to serve the community. New technologies a%ow us to be more effective in combating crime. Some of those help us keep our community engaged through electronic outreach. In 2014, with the encouragement and support of our newly elected City Council the Police Department began expanding our outreach efforts through new social networking technologies. Leveraging these new technologies to improve our service through greater outreach, public accessibility and reduction in crime wi% be a priority for the coming year. Sincerely, Stephanie Revering  City of Crystal Police Chief POLICE ADMINISTRATION Lieutenant Derrick Hacker supervises the Investigations Unit of the Crystal. The unit is comprised of: In 2014, the Investigations Unit reviewed over 1000 reports. These reports are submitted from Crystal patrol officers, Hennepin County Child Protection, Hennepin County Adult Protection along with information the investigators obtain from citizens and confidential informants during the course of their work. In addition, to the investigation of case reports, the Investigations Unit manages vehicle forfeitures for DWI and qualifying felonies. Along with overseeing, coordinating and conducting compliance checks of local business in regards to the sale of tobacco and alcohol. •1 Lieutenant / Supervisor •2 Criminal Investigators •1 Narcotics Investigator - assigned to the Drug Task Force •1 DARE / SRO Officer / Part – Time Investigator •1 Specialist who conducts investigations of juvenile and adult protection cases PATROL DIVISION The Crystal Police Department devotes the largest share of its resources to the patrol operations - the 24 hour 7 day a week commitment to equip a professionally trained police staff and provide services to those in need. The Patrol Division is led by Lieutenant Doug Leslin and is comprised of one lieutenant, four sergeants and 21 police officers. In addition to responding to emergency calls for service, patrol officers also conduct routine patrol throughout the city, enforce traffic safety laws, perform spot checks on city parks and buildings and visit with local businesses on a regular basis. The Crystal Police Department patrol division When a citizen dials 911 for emergency service, it is the patrol division of the police department that responds to their call. In 2014, patrol officers responded to 34,362 calls for service. The department’s uniformed Officers can be found reaching out to members of the community, building trust between citizens and the police that will ensure the public’s willingness to provide the police with information when needed. INVESTIGATIVE UNIT Criminal Incident Statistics PART I CRIMES 2012 2013 2014 HOMICIDE 1 0 0 RAPE 2 5 2 ROBBERY 18 16 14 AGGRAVATED ASSAULT 15 8 19 BURGLARY 116 60 88 LARCENY/THEFT 575 423 463 AUTO THEFT 32 35 31 ARSON 3 3 5 TOTAL Part I Crimes 762 550 632 PART II CRIMES 2012 2013 2014 ASSAULT 175 173 203 FORGERY/COUNTERFEITING 20 22 25 FRAUD 102 96 134 EMBEZZLEMENT 0 0 1 POSSESS STOLEN PROPERTY 9 10 13 VANDALISM 172 124 126 WEAPONS 7 7 11 PROSTITUTION 2 0 1 CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT 21 22 21 NARCOTICS 77 85 103 GAMBLING 0 1 0 FAMILY/CHILDREN 9 5 3 DUI 256 276 209 LIQUOR VIOLATIONS 28 15 13 DISORDERLY CONDUCT 87 54 60 VAGRANCY 0 0 0 ALL OTHER OFFENSES 127 99 101 TOTAL Part II Crimes 1,092 989 1,024 TOTAL PART I and II CRIMES 1,854 1,539 1,656 Crystal PD Calls for Service Ye a r 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 0 8,750 17,500 26,250 35,000 34362 31624 32803 32464 30681 Moving/Non-Moving Citations (Adults) Ye a r 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 17 5 0 35 0 0 52 5 0 70 0 0 6230 6626 6133 6199 5369 TRAFFIC UNIT The Crystal Police Department Traffic Unit is led by the department’s 2013 Officer of the Year Mason Barland. The Department places a strong emphasis on safety violations which include speed, seat belt, child safety seat violations, distracted driving, traffic light violations, crosswalk enforcement and commerical motor vehicle operations. The Crystal Police Department is committed to working with other agencies through the Hennepin County Traffic Advisory Committee (HCTAC), Hennepin County Traffic Enforcement Group (HCTEG), and the Minnesota Towards Zero Deaths initiative. Officer Barland worked many such projects this year, coordinating two commercial vehicle inspection saturations, and two high-visibility traffic enforcement projects to coincide with the Crystal Frolics. Officer Barland serves as the director of the HCTEG and was elected to the board of directors for the HCTAC. Officer Barland issues his favorite “ticket” - a free ice cream cone to children as a reward for wearing their helmet. During 2014, blue enforcement lights were successfully installed at four of the city’s most dangerous intersections (as determined by crash statistics). These lights help officers enforce violations of failing to stop for red lights. This project is a joint venture between the City of Crystal Engineering Department, the Crystal Crime Prevention Board, and the police department. The blue light installation, and our continuing, concentrated traffic enforcement efforts, contributed to our agency being selected by the Towards Zero Death program as an outstanding agency. Traffic Unit’s public education efforts included quarterly traffic safety articles, Cable 12 News interviews, press releases prior to saturated enforcement projects, and safety training for city crossing guards. We will continue to partner with other agencies and the public through increased enforcement, education efforts, and traffic engineering projects. Rewarding himself with ice cream, Officer Barland always wears his safety equipment. In one incident, a large group had become unruly at a local hotel and were refusing to leave. When officers intervened, one suspect fled on foot attempting to hide in one of our local residential neighborhoods. K9 Rocco was deployed to safely search for this person. K9 Rocco tracked this individual for nearly three blocks leading officers through many yards and hopping numerous fences. Finally K9 Rocco stopped at home alerting to a garbage can. Much to the dismay of the wanted person, Rocco found him hiding in that can covered in the garbage he was hiding in. It was discovered this suspect was already wanted by other agencies for felonies including burglary. Other note-worthy arrests were made when K9 Rocco located suspects that were hidden in buildings. On several occasions, suspects who were wanted for assaults involving weapons and suspects wanted for burglaries have attempted to hide in buildings to elude officers. K9 Rocco was able to safely search these buildings finding these suspects quickly. During the 2014 calendar year, K9 Rocco excelled at his patrol responsibilities. Rocco was quite productive as he was deployed 143 times. Rocco provided assistance to not only our citizens but neighboring agencies as well. Notable during those deployments were 47 arrests directly attributed to K9 Rocco. These arrests include several tracks of wanted parties who fled on foot and were located using Rocco’s keen sense of smell. Department K9 Unit Annually, K9 teams are required to certify with the United States Police Canine Association. This ensures police K9 teams meet specific requirements to continue patrol work. This can be a rigorous testing process, however K9 Rocco performed well at his first annual certification and successfully passed. Over the year, K9 Rocco continued an extensive training program. Over 360 hours of training was completed. Rocco attended many different trainings, some even hosted throughout the state and instructed by trainers coming from as far away as Germany. Rocco also completed a narcotics training program with the City of St. Paul’s K-9 Unit. This program was over 160 hours of training time and took place over a course of one month. K-9 Rocco did extremely well during this training and passed the United State P o l i c e C a n i n e Association’s narcotics certification test. Rocco is now certified in the detection of narcotics such as marijuana, both crack and powder cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and ecstasy. This added function will allow Rocco to keep our citizens safe by removing dangerous drugs from our city while stopping the transportation of these narcotics. Rocco relaxing after a long day of work. Animal Control Unit ! Animal Control Officer Tom Mahan encountered or responded to a total of 447 animal-related incidents during 2014 The number of citizen complaints was 343 and the number of officer-initiated complaints was 104. Officer Mahan attended Crystal Code Enforcement meetings and represented New Hope and Crystal at the PUPS board meetings. In addition, Mahan assists in the training of new Community Service Officers and Patrol Officers in both cities by reviewing animal related ordinances and procedures. Animal Control Officer Mahan participates in Night to Unite events and continues to serve as Chair on the Executive Committee of the Minnesota Animal Disaster Coalition. SUPPORT SERVICES Support Services Unit of the Crystal Police Department is responsible for the handling of all property and evidence collected by the Crystal Police Department. In addition, the Support Services Manager provides the department’s technical support, supervision of the CSO Unit, crime analysis, and oversight of the City of Crystal’s building security and jail administration. During 2014, officers and employees of the Crystal Police Department entered approximately 3,000 items into the Property & Evidence Room. The items entered included evidence taken during criminal investigations, as well as safe-keeping or found property. In addition to physical items, the Support Services Manager processed over 5,600 digital photographs and archived 4,100 digital audio recordings. The use of information technology resources by law enforcement has continued to expand across the country. In 2014, the Crystal Police Department began using BAIR Analytics ATAC Workstation to assist with crime analysis functions in late 2014. This software, which is also used in several neighboring communities, can help identify crime trends and assist with forecasting predictions. Below is a report generated from the new system. ! C.S.O. UNIT The Crystal Police Department Community Service Officers are responsible for responding to calls for service that don’t require the assistance of a sworn police officer. The CSO unit is responsible for routine jail operations at the Crystal Police Department. CSO’s book, photograph and fingerprint Crystal Police Department arrestees – and are responsible for their care and custody while they are in our temporary holding facility. In 2014, the CSO’s booked 360 arrestees through our holding facility. Crystal CSO’s work closely with the City of Crystal’s Community Development Department, providing assistance with code enforcement activities and ordinance enforcement. In 2014, our CSO’s handled over 195 code enforcement investigations – which provides a direct benefit to citizens of Crystal in the form of improved quality-of-life throughout the city. RECORDS UNIT The records unit is responsible for all record keeping within the department related to accidents, incident and arrests documented by the Crystal Police Department. The unit is comprised of three full time administrative employees and one half time employee. Records staff are responsible for department data practices requests, statistical information, payroll, predatory offender registration compliance, submission of cases to the city and county attorney for charging, issuance of city dog licenses and coordination of false alarm calls. Again in 2014, records staff processed an increased number of incident reports and transcribed several thousand dictations. In addition, the unit continued to reduce the number of suspense files and maintained an excellent quality of service to internal and external customers. ! The Crystal Police Department Explorer Post logged a record number of hours for the program throughout 2014 with approximately 2495 hours of time volunteered! For the first time in the history of the POST, the Crystal Police Explorers attended the National Competition and competed against hundreds of other units from the entire US and Puerto Rico. They demonstrated teamwork, dedication and determination, and came home with two awards, in addition to placing in several events at the state level in an annual competition earlier in the year. Throughout the year, they dedicated several hours to improving the department and community, including working at the Crystal Frolics. Pictured below are members of the POST volunteering to paint obstacles for the Crystal K9 training facility along with a list of events the Explorers participated in 2014. COMMUNITY EVENTS / FUNDRAISERS •Crystal Frolics •Toys for Tots •National Night to Unite •Painting Crystal K9 Obstacles •Kids, Cops and Firefighters •Alcohol and Tobacco Compliance Checks •Crosswalk Enforcement Project •Seatbelt Surveys •Bagging at Cub Foods •Role Players for Department Training •Attended Mendota Heights Officer Patrick’s Funeral •Anoka Halloween Parade •Crystal Halloween Event •Torchlight Parade •Food Drive / Vehicle Fair •Blaine Triathlon •Security at ValleySCARE •3M PGA Golf Tournament •Airport Open House The following officers worked as advisors to the post in 2014: Sergeant Pete Underthun – Committee Chair; Sergeant Brandon Dorr – Committee Chair/Advisor Officers Julie Severson, Jonathan Wilkes, Tracie Lee, Bryan Elfstrom and Jake Albers - Advisors EXPLORER POST #3950 COMPETITION / TRAINING •National Law Enforcement Explorer Competition in Bloomington, IN (July) •MN Law Enforcement Explorer Competition in Rochester, MN (April) •Annual Training at SCALE Regional Public Safety Training Facility in Jordan, MN •Training at the Center for Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement at HCTC •Monthly Firearms Training •Bomb Scene Training-Bloomington PD •Meetings •Ride-Alongs AWARDS RECEIVED National Competition •3rd place Shoot – Don’t Shoot •4th place Burglary in Progress State Competition •1st place Domestic Crisis •1st place Traffic Accident Investigation •1st place Report Writing •3rd place White Collar Crime •3rd place Crime Prevention Explorer of the Year Corey St. Pierre The 2014 Explorer of the Year is Corey St. Pierre. Cory has been a Crystal Police Explorer for 3 years. In 2014, Corey dedicated 423 hours of his time to the Crystal Police Explorer Post and the community. This included meetings, training, competition, and working at various events such as Crystal Frolics, the 3M PGA Golf Tournament, ValleyScare andKids, Cops and Firefighters. He has always been willing to work events when able and brings a positive image of the Crystal Police Explorer Post when attending events in other cities. On September 27th, 2014, Corey was working as an Explorer at ValleyScare providing security when a guest had a seizure on a bench outside a ride, which turned into a full cardiac arrest. Without being prompted, Corey assisted with crowd control and assisted paramedics by preparing advanced first aid equipment. Several ValleyFair Security Officers and the Security Lieutenants commented that Corey had remained calm, handled the situation extremely well and was of great assistance to the first responders. For his demonstrated ability to stay calm under extreme pressure, take immediate action in situations where quick thought is necessary, and willingness to assist others in challenging situations, the Crystal Police Department is proud to present Corey St. Pierre with the Explorer of the Year Award.  National Awards Ceremony, July 2014 RESERVE UNIT The Crystal Police Reserve Officers volunteered more than 1500 hours in 2014. Each Reserve Officer is responsible for volunteering a minimum of 120 hours in a calendar year. “The Crystal Reserve Unit provides a valuable resource to the Crystal Police Department, especially during busy times such as the Crystal Frolics” said Officer Mason Barland, the department’s Reserve Unit Coordinator. “Our Reserves came in and conducted high visibility patrols during the early morning hours of Black Friday and again on New Year’s Eve, helping ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday season.” said Barland. ! In 2014, the unit hired nine new Reserve Officers and promoted two officers to the rank of Sergeant. Our longtime and dedicated Captain Michelle Brenna retired leaving us with 11 active members at the end of 2014. In addition to the dozens of events the reserves work every year, Reserve Officers also assist our paid staff, both sworn and non-sworn, at accident scenes, crime scenes, and any time large crowd and/or traffic control is needed. Reserve Officer of the Year Sergeant Nick Nelson Each year, the Reserve unit selects a member to be recognized as our Reserve Officer of the Year. This year, the Reserve Advisory Board selected recently promoted Sergeant Nick Nelson as Reserve Officer of the Year for 2014. Nick has been with the Crystal Police Reserves for three years. In his day job he conducts fraud investigations for US Bank. Since being promoted to Reserve Sergeant, Nick has developed a new system of tracking hours worked and created a new calendar system for coordinating events and patrol shifts. Sergeant Nelson currently serves as the Reserve unit’s Sergeant in charge of events. 2014 Officer of the Year - Timothy (T.J.) Tourville Officer Timothy Tourville began his career with the Crystal Police Department on October 19, 2009 as a Community Service Officer. On February 14, 2011, Officer Tourville was promoted to his current position of Police Officer. During his career with the Crystal Police Departmnet, Officer Tourville has built a solid reputation as a proactive police officer and a tireless worker. When not assisting residents on calls for service, Officer Tourville works diligently to make the streets of the City of Crystal a safer place. Officer Tourville is annually recognized by the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Organization for his efforts related to driving under the influence offenses. In 2014, Officer Tourville arrested ? individuals for a variety of crimes. including ? for Driving Under the Influence offenses. Also in 2014, Officer Tourville spent a majority of the year serving as a Department Field Training Officer. Department Field Training Officers taken on the additional role of training new Officers while still handling the day to day operations expected of Police Officers. Officer Tourville handles his training duties with enthusiasm and dedication. Trainee Officers are confident that Officer Tourville is providing them with the absolute best preparation for solo patrol. TJ’s great attitude and tireless work ethic create a motivating atmosphere for his coworkers. Officer Tourville has excellent observations skills and is known to do a thorough follow up on behalf of crime victims. He is described by his coworkers as “an excellent partner” and a “great asset to the department.” For his continued dedication to the Crystal Police Department and is tireless work to provide excellent law enforcement services to the citizens of Crystal, Officer Timothy Tourville is the 2014 Crystal Police Officer of the Year. Civilian Employee of the Year - Jennifer (Jen) Novak Jen Novak began her career with the Crystal Police Department in February of 2013. During this time, Jen has become efficient in all areas of the records unit. Jen is well organized and has excellent time management skills. Jen is described by her coworkers as “a valuable resource” and “always willing to help with whatever the project may be.” During 2014, Jen was instrumental in several new organizational and process changes in the records unit. She completed a training manual for the department’s Community Service Officers to assist in creating an efficient process for background checks and gun permit applications. In addition, she organized and entered all department training into the Workforce Director system. Jen has excellent communication skills and has the unique ability to read a situation and handle the issue independently. Her planning and time management skills are exceptional. She meets the challenges of a heavy workload with enthusiasm and a “can do” attitude. Jen displays an outstanding ability to work with others to accomplish the unit’s goals. For the above reasons, Jennifer Novak is the 2014 Crystal Police Department Civilian Employee of the Year. Awards and Commendations Exceptional Police Performance Officer Matt Marson On April 11, 2014 at approximately 0853 hours, Officer Marson was in his squad parked in a church parking lot on Douglas Drive. While Marson was checking his emails, he heard the sound of glass breaking and looked towards the parking lot behind 2730 Florida Ave N. He observed a female with a hammer, breaking the windows on an Audi parked in the lot. Marson began driving to the scene and arrived as the female was getting into another car. He immediately ordered her out of the car with her hands up, and she complied. She was handcuffed and placed in the squad car. The hammer was located in plain view in the car. The female admitted to breaking the windows of the car. Officer Marson’s keen observation skills along with his quick actions, prevented this felon from leaving the area and possibly never being found. Officer Marson’s self-initiated arrest is a source of pride for the Crystal Police Department. Officer Geoff Kusick and Officer Tim Tourville On April 16, 2014 at approximately 2000 hours, Officers were called to the 6100 block of Florida Avenue for a burglary that had just occurred. The reporting party was a neighbor who provided suspect and suspect vehicle descriptions as the burglars fled the scene. Although dispatch advised that the suspect vehicle left north into Brooklyn Park, Officer Kusick observed a suspicious vehicle in the Rostamo’s lot, south of the victim’s address. The vehicle briefly attempted to evade Kusick, and with quick radio traffic and safe emergency vehicle operations, Officer Tourville and Kusick stopped the suspect vehicle in the 5700 block of Bottineau Blvd. Officers Tourville and Kusick separated the three occupants of the vehicle and detected deception as they questioned these parties about their recent whereabouts. Officer Tourville secured the suspects at the stop location while Officer Kusick interviewed both the homeowners and the reporting neighbor. Tourville and Kusick partnered with officers from other agencies to clear the victim’s residence and complete a show-up in which the witness identified all three suspects and the suspect vehicle. Officer Tourville observed a safe in the back of the suspect vehicle, which the victim reported to be missing from the residence during Kusick’s interview. All three suspects were booked and held for probable cause burglary. The suspect vehicle was towed to the Crystal Police Department where a warrant was executed by Investigations. The search yielded the recovery of a safe, a laptop, and a plethora of jewelry. Due to Officer Tourville’s and Officer Kusick’s keen observation skills and thorough follow-up these residential burglars were charged with the crime. Their devotion to their work product is worthy of commendation. Officer Rob Hodge, Officer Lisa Vague and Officer Jake Albers On May 10, 2104 at approximately 1300 hours, Officers were dispatched to the Walgreen’s located at 6800 Bass Lake Road for a robbery involving a female suspect. Several Officers responded to the area. Officer Albers had previously noticed a female in the area acting suspicious. Officer Albers made contact and identified the female prior to her getting on a bus. After the robbery call came out, Officer Albers returned to the area where the female had been standing near the Crystal Gallery Mall and noticed clothing items laying on the ground that matched the suspect description. Officer Albers and Officer Vague then stopped the bus and the suspect was taken into custody. The female was arrested and confessed to the robbery when being interviewed by Officer Hodge. Officer Hodge, Officer Vague and Officer Albers should be commended for their initiative and teamwork. Officer Albers should also be commended for his keen observation skills and attention to detail. Awards and Commendations Sergeant Pete Underthun On May 18, 2014 at 2036 hours, Sergeant Underthun was conducting routine patrol on Highway 100. Sergeant Underthun observed a vehicle to be speeding and driving erratically. When he attempted to stop the vehicle, a pursuit was initiated. As the pursuit traveled through several cities, Sergeant Underthun repeatedly reassessed the risk level, properly articulated conditions and properly justified the need to continue the pursuit. When the suspect exited onto Brooklyn Blvd from 694, Sergeant Underthun performed a PIT maneuver ending the pursuit, thus taking an intoxicated driver off the roadway. He displayed outstanding judgment while remaining calm during a stressful situation. As a veteran of the department, Sergeant Underthun continues to provide proactive police services to the city of Crystal. Officer Rob Hodge  On Monday, May 19, 2014 at 1112 hours, Officer Hodge obtained a warrant hit on a vehicle license plate he had run through his mobile data computer. Officer Hodge later located the vehicle at the Shell Gas Station in Robbinsdale and performed a stop on the vehicle. The vehicle then took off on Officer Hodge and a short pursuit ensued. The vehicle accelerated through a portion of Robbinsdale and into North Minneapolis. The vehicle went to an address in the 3700 block of Washburn Avenue North where the male suspect got out and ran into the residence with Officer Hodge following in “hot pursuit”. The suspect was then taken into custody and arrested for fleeing police in a motor vehicle. Officer Hodge should be commended for his demeanor through the pursuit, his mindset during the foot chase and for his overall actions during this incident. Officer Geoff Kusick and K9 Rocco On July 19, 2014 at 0340 hours, an unknown suspect ran from officers while being questioned in a un-want situation at the Northstar Inn at 6000 Lakeland Avenue. After the suspect ran into the adjoining neighborhood, Officer Kusick and his partner, Rocco, began a search. The track went several blocks and over at least two fences. On the 6300 block of Douglas Drive, Officer Kusick recognized that Rocco was in strong odor. After Rocco alerted on a covered garbage can, the suspect, who had a felony warrant, was located. This situation is a testament to Officer Kusick’s commitment and work ethic. He spends countless hours training alongside Rocco to improve both of their skills. Both are a source of pride to the Crystal Police Department. Officer Kathi Gomez, Officer Matthew Wright and Officer Matt Saba On July 31, 2014 at 1558 hours, Officers were dispatched to the 3400 block of Perry regarding illegal dumping. Upon arrival, Officers determined that the suspects had followed a UPS truck around the neighborhood and were stealing the boxes after they were delivered. The suspects then went to this address and threw away the empty boxes. A witness was able to provide a vehicle description. Shortly after the call, Officer Saba spotted the suspect vehicle and a traffic stop was made. Officer Wright and Officer Gomez assisted. Located inside the vehicle was stolen property from several different jurisdictions as well as 28 grams of cocaine. Officers Saba, Wright and Gomez should be commended for going above and beyond in tracking down these individuals. Awards and Commendations The Badge It is polished and shiny and looks so fine. Once you earn it you have to tow the line. The minute you wear it upon your chest it becomes a symbol that you must do your best. It means honesty, integrity, and fairness to all. Your life is never your own, but at the publics call Night or day, any hour, it makes you a mark. It doesn’t protect you from a shot in the dark. Over the years the shine starts to fade, but brighter still is the woman or man it has made. It is often what separates you from the crowd.  It is a second family of which you are proud. - Author Unknown