Police Department - City and Borough of Sitka

Sitka Police Department Monthly Report

January 2006

Major Cases or Events

Operations Division

Events:
The only significant event this month was the ending of the holiday season. A saturation patrol grant was obtained for New Years which resulted in one DUI arrest, although a few arrests for other crimes were made that weekend as well. This weekend resulted in one burglary arrest for a stolen computer at a residence and other lesser arrests.

The School Resource Officer has been active with school related events including games and other functions.

Incidents/Cases:
A significant series of incidents that took place over the course of this past month were burglaries involving the Raptor Center and local residences. The perpetrator of the residential burglaries was discovered as he was flying south. He was intercepted and arrested in Boise, Idaho by Boise Airport Police after SPD officers notified them that he was on the plane with stolen property and was wanted for felonies in Utah. The investigations are continuing in an effort to see if he is linked to the Raptor Center burglaries and other thefts that occurred during the two weeks he was in Sitka.

Sexual assaults and sexual abuse reports are up this month. Two sexual abuse cases involving children were referred in January. Prosecution of these significant cases has stretched into February.

Domestic violence and domestic violence related cases spiked in January. There were 21 domestic violence related cases or calls generated and entered in the reporting system. There were other reviewed cases likely related to domestic violence but not labeled as such. Assaults and order violation arrests are up significantly. One case involved the use of an AK-47 and resulted in felony charge of Misconduct Involving a Weapon, Assault DV, and Reckless Endangerment because a child was present. CID-COPS callouts were higher this month as well.

DUI arrests were set at eight. Other arrests include property crimes and assaults or disorderly conduct cases.

The most significant cases this month have been the burglaries that were outlined in the Incidents category and the Sexual Abuse of Minor cases. These cases will all result in arrests and charges. Most were scheduled to go to the February 3rd Grand Jury. These cases will show up again in the February monthly report.

Total Calls for Service - 1400

911 Calls	153
Total Cases	186
Arrests	66
Protective Custody	7
DV Assault	9
Assault	4
DUI	8
Vehicle Thefts	2
Drug Related Cases	2
Burglary	6
Sexual Assaults	1
Motor Vehicle Accidents	12
Citations	78

Support Services

Traffic Officer Puckett managed to empty the old impound yard at the Kimsham Landfill. A total of 34 junked/abandoned vehicles were disposed of at Sawmill Cove Industrial Park car crusher.

The fencing materials for the new impound yard at Sawmill Cove Industrial Park were ordered. This project will probably not get started until the weather improves and has been turned over to the Public Works Department for completion.

We have been working with the Department of Public Safety on the live scan fingerprint machine. It is hoped we can order this on the state contract, which would save us money. The funds for this project are coming from a Homeland Security grant.

Jail Officer Myer is on limited duty, and unable to work in the Jail Facility. From all indications it will be several more months before he can return to duty. He has been working on a special project for the Chief.

With the exception of the interview room all the recordings are now digital. Preserving and providing digital documentation has greatly improved the quality of the discovery we provide to the City Attorney, Assistant District Attorney, and local defense attorneys.

Training

Seven hours of in-house training for sworn officers was conducted that included firearms qualifications and low light shooting scenarios.

range

Photo Taken by Chaplain Kerry Chadwick

Jay Myer was selected to write and consolidate the training manuals and materials for the Emergency Services Vessel. This training will include crewmen and operators. He has nearly completed the crewman portion of the training manuals and has a draft of the overall operations policies for the vessel.

Maintenance/ Facility

A new jail vehicle to replace the existing one was ordered using grant funds to pay for the purchase and specialized equipment for the vehicle. This vehicle will be in service in February.

Grants/ Community Policing Programs

SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER GRANT: School Resource Officer Sergeant Ed Green was heavily involved with school events over the holidays.

FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER: This one stop shop for domestic violence with the Sitka Tribe and Sitkans Against Family Violence is moving forward with plans to open a Family Justice Center in Sitka in March. The site for the Family Justice Center will be at 429 Katlian Street, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Healing House, and is currently being remodeled. Three staff members have been hired. The Executive Director position hiring process is in progress and should be completed in February.

HOMELAND SECURITY: The Sitka Police Department received a grant of about $600,000 from Homeland Security to upgrade the dispatch center including making it ALMR (Alaska Land Mobile Radio) compliant. Final details are being made to purchase and installation is anticipated in May 2006.

The Sitka Police and Fire Department received a joint grant of about $200,000 for an anti-terrorism emergency response Boat. A boat was selected from SAFE Boats International and was approved by the City Assembly. This boat should be operational this summer.

Operations procedures and training standards will be formalized in the coming months. Training will commence as soon as practical. Two officers have been selected and will be attending a month of boat related training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in March.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (DV) GRANT: The Department received notice that this grant program was not refunded for the next two years. The Department received $25,000 from the Department of Public Safety to help with funding until grant or other funds can be secured. The Sitka Tribe of Alaska submitted an application in January 2006 for the grant to be continued.

REGIONAL JUSTICE CENTER: The Department continues to work with other groups towards a multi-use facility that will house a new facility for the Department.

HIGHWAY SAFETY GRANT: Funded extra patrols for D.U.I enforcement were on the roads over Superbowl weekend. There were three DUI arrests.

CID/ COPS (Child Intervention and Development/Community Oriented Policing). This program is one of the few of its kind in the country and was developed from a model initiated at Yale University in Connecticut. The program had been very successful to this point. The goal of CID/COPS is to get children exposed to violence including domestic violence professional help with the ultimate goal of violence prevention.

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