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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 Annual ReportCape Girardeau Police Department 20 21 A NNU A L REP ORT A d m i n i s t r a t i o n Chief of Police Wes Blair Assistant Chief of Police Support Services Bureau Adam Glueck Assistant Chief of Police Operations Bureau Rodney Barker Lieutenant Jeffrey Bonham Patrol Division Commander Lieutenant Darren Estes Auxiliary Services Division Commander Lieutenant Donald Perry Investigation Division Commander Lieutenant Richard Schmidt Operations Support Division Commander Lieutenant Bradley Smith Special Operations Division Commander table of contents Chief’s Message 5 Operations Bureau Patrol Division 7 Criminal Investigations 10 Detective Unit Scientific Investigations Unit Professional Standards Unit Major Case Squad Special Operations 15 Community Policing School Resource Officers Traffic Unit Support Services Bureau Personnel 17 Personnel Awards 19 Auxiliary Services 20 Communications Unit Operations Support 21 Jail Training & Community Affairs 22 Statistics 23 Final Roll Call 24 Mayor of Cape Girardeau:Bob Fox Chief of Police:Wes Blair Cape Girardeau Police DepartmentCape Girardeau, Missouri mission & values our mission: The mission of the Cape Girardeau Police Department is to protect life, property, and the rights of persons; to enforce ordinances and laws; and to preserve peace, order, and safety. In the pursuit of our mission, the Cape Girardeau Police Department will establish effective relationships with the community through community partnerships, community involvement, and by nurturing public trust. We will hold ourselves to the highest standards of performance and ethics. We will be constantly aware of the needs of our community and those we serve. We will consider innovative strategies to improve working conditions and policing programs in order to enhance our service. We will continually strive toward community problem solving and accountability. We will, through concerted efforts, improve the overall quality of life in our community. our values: Integrity: We value adherence to the rule of law, to the Constitutions of Missouri and the United States, and to complete honesty. Accountability: We value ethical decision-making and accepting responsibility for our decisions and actions. Community Participation: We value working with Cape Girardeau's communities to ensure the safety and security of our neighborhoods. Quality of Service: We value providing fair, courteous, responsive and efficient service, equally to all people, which observes each individual's dignity and worth. message from the chief of police 2021 proved to be a challenging year for all of us. However, your Cape Girardeau Police Department has remained committed to our service to our community. I am incredibly proud to be leading a group of police officers and civilians who provide services to our citizens professionally, compassionately, and in keeping with our mission, vision, and core value. Unfortunately, the collaborative approach in policing our community with our community was made more difficult during this era of COVID-19. Still, we remain steadfast in our desire to work with the citizens of Cape Girardeau to seek solutions to improve public safety. On a national level, policing professionals witnessed a spike in violent crimes and homicides for 2021. However, because of our work to build relationships with our community, I can report to you that the Cape Girardeau experience is not the same. In 2021, we saw a 24% decrease in violent crime and a 13% decrease in overall crime. Additionally, gunfire and those affected by it experienced a 17% decline in gunfire calls for service and a 62% decline in the number of individuals struck by gunfire. By implementing enhanced technologies such as gunshot detection software, we expect this trend to continue downward as we enter into 2022. On behalf of the dedicated men and women of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, I am pleased to present you with our 2021 annual report. We look forward to another year of dedicated service to our community and citizens. department bureaus The Operations Bureau, under the command of Assistant ChiefRodney Barker, is the largest and most visible component of the CapeGirardeau Police Department. The Operations Bureau is comprised ofthe Patrol Division and a number of specialized units that serve thecommunity as first responders to a myriad of incidents. The men andwomen assigned to the Operations Bureau take pride in serving ourresidents, businesses, and visitors through a community-orientedpolicing approach using the Department's mission, visions, andvalues as guiding principles. The Support Services Bureau, under the command of AssistantChief Adam Glueck, oversees Department Human Resources,Training, Public Information Services, and Jail Operations. TheSupport Services Bureau is also responsible for theCommunications Unit, which is often a point of first contactwith the community in providing emergency and non-emergency services. The Support Services Bureau has beenintensely focused on hiring the highest caliber employees forsworn police officers as well as civilian staff. patrol division When a citizen or visitor calls the Cape Girardeau Police Department for assistance, the initialresponding officer is assigned to the Patrol Division. These officers meet with the reportingperson, collect evidence, and make arrests. If a scene or criminal investigation is complex, thepatrol officer can request the assistance from a specialized unit for additional investigativeresources; however, the initial case is worked by the patrol officer. The Patrol Division, the backbone of the department, is the largest division within thedepartment. The Patrol Division is comprised of the majority of the uniformed officersworking in the city. There are four patrol platoons, each supervised by a sergeant. Thedepartment has four active K9 units, which are each assigned to a platoon. In 2021, there were 45,155 calls for service from the community which resulted in 6,706 cases. ThePatrol Division relies on a high standard of professionalism, a strong ongoing training program,and a high level of dedication to duty to accomplish their mission of service. Photo Credit: Southeast Missourian k9 unit The Cape Girardeau Police Department K9 Unit consist of four teams, which includes a handlerand a police K9 on each team. Our K9's are what we refer to as "multi-purpose" dogs. Our K9's arecertified annually through the Missouri Police Canine Association. Due to the resignations of Patrolman Brotz and Patrolman Yoder in 2021, K9 Jango and K9 Debohave been boarded/housed with the department's in-house K9 trainer, Patrolman Bourbon.Patrolman Bourbon continues to train Jango and Debo weekly to maintain their skills for when anew handler is assigned to the unit. 2021 K9 Stats Vehicle Search 68 17 57 27 169 Drugs Found 35 9 41 23 108 Building Search (Suspect) 8 3 10 4 25 Tracking 2 1 5 7 15 Public Demonstrations 6 0 1 1 8 Assist Police Units 67 10 24 8 109 K9 Thor K9 Freedom K9 Debo K9 Jango TOTALS special response team The Special Response Team, commonly known as SWAT, is a group of highly-trained tacticalofficers designed for deployment during critical incidents. These incidents include, but are notlimited to, hostage situations, barricaded subjects, high-risk search warrants, high-profile escorts,and crowd control. During 2021, the Special Response Team had 3 callouts where the team was activated for ascheduled callout. Members of the Special Response Team serve on a voluntary, part-time basis. They train aminimum of 12 hours per month, in addition to the critical-incident operations throughout theyear. There are currently 16 special response operators, four CGFD paramedics, and onecommander. criminal investigations division The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) is under the command of Lieutenant Don Perry. Thedivision is comprised of ten trained investigators that specialize in a variety of different crimes,such as juveniles, sex offenses, narcotics, and financial crimes. One detective also specializes inconducting polygraph examinations. The division also includes the Scientific Investigations Unit (SIU). The SIU provides properhandling, storage, maintenance, and disposal of law-enforcement-held property and evidence.The property and evidence room maintains the integrity of evidence for criminal prosecutions, aswell as the safe keeping of property for all citizens who come in contact with the department. The CID’s primary responsibility is to conduct follow-up investigations of criminal mattersreferred to them. The detectives are responsible for follow-up on all assigned cases until such timethe case can be cleared or satisfactorily closed. Cases can be cleared or closed by arrest,determining no crime was actually committed, or exhausting all investigative leads. The CID provides leadership and expertise to improve the quality of life in our community. TheCID works together with citizens, as well as other divisions, to reduce crime and the fear of crimethroughout the city. Photo Credit: Southeast Missourian professional standards unit Complaints of Bias or Complaints of Profiling Excessive Force Alleged Corruption InsubordinationBreach of Civil Rights False Arrest Other Allegations of Serious Misconduct The Professional Standards Unit (Internal Affairs) investigates allegations of employee misconduct to ensure compliance with the professional standards with the Cape Girardeau Police Department. This unit is attached to the CriminalInvestigations Division and is staffed by the Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division. These allegations may include, but are not limited to: 2021 Investigations and Findings: Citizens Complaints: No. of Investigations: 4No. of Employees Investigated: 5Findings of Misconduct: 1No. of Unfounded Investigations: 3 Professional Standards Investigations: No. of Investigations: 6No. of Employees Investigated: 6Findings of Misconduct: 6No. of Unfounded Investigations: 0 The Cape Girardeau Police Department works diligently to maintain an openenvironment where our community members can freely tell us when they arepleased of dissatisfied with our performance. When we receive allegations ofemployee misconduct, we thoroughly investigate the incident to determine the appropriate response. Findings of misconduct result in disciplinary actions that may include, but are notlimited to: Written Reprimand, Suspension without Pay, and/or Termination of Employment cape girardeau/bollinger county major case squad Several employees of the Cape Girardeau Police Department serve on the Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad (MCS) in addition to their positionswithin the department. Since its inception in 1983, the Major Case Squad, made up of officers and detectives from six law enforcement agencies has worked a total of 73 cases. Lieutenant Don Perry has served as the Major Case Squad Commander since 2019. February 1, 2021: Kadesia Harris, age 27 of Cape Girardeau, was found in the 1200-block ofSouth West End Boulevard near a tree line. Janice M. Leimbach, a 62 year old female fromCape Girardeau, and Matthew S. Morris, a 22 year old male from Gideon, Missouri weretaken into custody and charged with the class E felony of abandonment of a corpse.Leimbach's bond was set at $25,000.00 cash only bond. Morris' bond was set at $100,000.00cash only. The Major Case Squad disbanded on February 2, 2021. September 23, 2021: David Flores, age 39, of Cape Girardeau was found shot in a residencenear Giboney and Hickory Street. Delijah James and Isaiah K. Triplett, both 18 years of ageand of Cape Girardeau, were taken into custody and charged with murder in the seconddegree, robbery in the first degree and two counts of armed criminal action in connectionwith the death of Flores. Bond was set at $1,000,000.00 cash only bond for each subject. TheMajor Case Squad disbanded on September 25, 2021. December 11, 2021: Officers responded to the area of North Frederick and Olive Street forreports of multiple gun shots being heard in the area. Officers arrived on scene, canvassedthe area, and located several shell casings near this intersection. Throughout the course of the investigation, it was determined that three victims had beenshot while they were inside their vehicle near that same intersection. All three victims weretransported to a local hospital for gunshot wounds. The victims are identified as a 28-year-old victim from Cape Girardeau who was taken to a local hospital and later released; ajuvenile from Cape Girardeau who was transported to a St. Louis hospital and later released;and a 19-year-old from Cape Girardeau who was listed in critical condition at the time of theincident, however, later passed away from the extent of his injuries days after the incident. The Major Case Squad disbanded on December 15, 2021 after establishing and investigatingmultiple leads surrounding this incident. The Cape Girardeau Police Department is stillactively investigating this crime. 2021 Activations community service unit Community-policing initiatives havebeen developed nationwide by localgovernments in an effort to help improve the quality of life. Communitypolicing is a philosophy in which thecommunity and law enforcementcollectively decide what local and neighborhood problems are and whatresources can be used to address them. Corporal Couch is assigned to the Community Service Unit. He worksprimarily with neighborhood residentsand groups, serving as a link betweenthem, the police department, service agencies, and the local government tohelp recognize crime trends andeliminate the source of crime in thecommunity. In 2017, the department formed a Crime Analyst position. This position isresponsible for the analysis anddissemination of crime activity data andthe collection and maintenance of crime intelligent information for the City ofCape Girardeau. The informationprovided contribute to officer safety andcrime reduction efforts. The crime analyst is also responsible forresponding to requests for crime datafrom departmental staff. Data exportedis used by officers for more effective, efficient policing, and by administrationfor improved staffing decisions. This position is currently staffed by Patrolman Bobby Bollinger. PatrolmanBollinger serves the Cape GirardeauPolice Department on a part-time basis. Photo Credit: Southeast Missourian school resource officers / airport security Five officers are assigned to the Cape GirardeauPublic School District. These officers provide aforum through which students, parents, faculty,and law enforcement officers can become betteracquainted and, as a result, continue mutualrespect for one another. These officers areinvolved in activities such as conductingclassroom presentations, coordination of groupdiscussions with students in the area of mutualconcern, patrolling school premises andsurrounding areas to reduce loitering and preventcriminal activity, as well as stimulate studentinvolvement in crime-prevention programs. 2021 School Resource Officers: Cpl. Wyatt: Career & Technology CenterPtlm. Potts: Central High School Ptlm. Rhodes: Central Academy SchoolPtlm. T. Angle: Central Junior High School Ptlm. Rubin*: Elementary Schools *Transferred to Communications in April 2021. ThisSRO position was not filled for the 2021-2022 schoolyear due to patrol staffing shortages) Since 2002, the Cape Girardeau PoliceDepartment has been in contract with the Transportation Security Administration(TSA) to provide security at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. Officers areassigned to provide security for screeningpassengers and luggage for daily flights to Chicago from Cape Girardeau. nuisance abatement unit The Nuisance Abatement Unit is comprised of a full-time supervisor, two full-time civilian abatement officers, and one part-time civilian abatement officer. They areresponsible for the many aspects of the unit, which includes illegal parking,inoperable/nuisance vehicles on public or private property, domestic animal complaints,and wildlife complaints. In 2021, restructuring of duties occurred between the department's Nuisance AbatementUnit and the City of Cape Girardeau's Inspections Services Division. Property violationspreviously handled by Nuisance Abatement (trash, litter, weeds/grass, etc.) are now enforced by the city's Inspections Division. traffic unit The Traffic Unit is one of the most visibleunits with whom the motoring public hascontact. This unit is tasked with ensuringthe safety of the residents and visitors thatutilize the network of roadways, walkways,and bikeways within the city. Goalsinclude ensuring the expeditious flow oftraffic and compliance with local, state,and federal laws. This is accomplished byutilizing several different approaches,including a combination of publiceducation and enforcement efforts. TheTraffic Unit also assists in the coordinationof "Click It or Ticket" campaigns, DWIenforcement, Hazardous MovingViolations (HMV) Reduction, as well asspecial events including parades and 5Ks. Due to staffing shortages in the PatrolDivision during 2021, the four trafficofficers were reassigned to the PatrolDivision in September. They continued toassist the Patrol Division for theremainder of 2021. our personnel The most important asset of the Cape Girardeau Police Department is our staff.Our department is filled with talented andexperienced individuals who hold manyadvanced certifications and degrees. Currently, 35% of our officers hold aBachelor's or Master's Degree. With an average of 11 years of service, their diversity and experience provides a balanceof appropriate performance andpreparation for the future. The Cape Girardeau Police Departmentprides itself in having competent, capable,and relentless members. Many policedepartments throughout the nation experienced a shortage in staffing during2021, and we were no exception. To effectively attract, recruit, and hire applicants for the position of police officer,the department started sponsoring recruitsthrough a police academy. The policedepartment's command staff is committed to continuously seeking operationally andfiscally responsible solutions to provide theexceptional services our community hascome to expect from their police department. Age of Officer Years of Service our personnel Communicator Kamil Kuziora, July 12Communicator Sydney Novack, July 12Communicator Wyatt Rouggly, July 12Jailer Tyler Diebold, July 12PT Communicator Melissa Dullum, July 22Communicator Allen Stensland, August 16 (PT to FT)PT Jail Control Operator Emma Czar, August 23PT Jail Control Operator Danielle Liebsch, August 23Records Clerk Tammy Deimund, September 13Records Clerk Britne Parker, September 27 PT Jail Control Operator Hannah Sichling, September 28Patrolman Orrin Hawkins, October 11Patrolman Noah Jones, December 11 New Hires Patrolman Jordan Carson, January 11Jailer Brittany Howie, January 25PT Jail Control Operator Jessica Humphreys, January 25Jailer Megan Wallace, February 25Patrolman Justin Barkley, March 1Jailer Timothy Cecil, March 8Jailer Shane Haupt, March 29PT Patrolman Desho'n Pernell, March 29Patrolman Kaleb Eldridge, April 24Communicator Amy Walley, May 29 (PT to FT) Patrolman Chayse Schuette, June 14Patrolman Paula Seyer, June 14Patrolman Shay Priester, June 14PT Jail Control Operator Allison Henderson, June 28 Promotions Patrolman Roy Rahn began employment with us on June 7, 1999.Patrolman Rahn served as a K9 handler for many years before servinghis last three years as a Court Bailiff. He retired from the departmenton September 30, 2021. Retirements Corporal Jerry Franks, January 9 (Detectives) Corporal Brendon Whitlock, January 9 (Patrol) Corporal Johnny Spencer, May 1 (Patrol) Corporal Anthony Vezeau, October 30 (Patrol) Patrolman Shawn Davis began employment with us on September 6,2005. Patrolman Davis served the department in the Patrol Division,Criminal Investigations Division, Jail Division, and served as a CourtBailiff. After a combined total of over 30 years in law enforcement,Patrolman Davis retired from the department on September 30, 2021. 2021 personnel recognitions Employee of the Year The 2021 Police Department Employee of the Yearrecipient was Cpl. Johnny Spencer. Cpl. Spencer isassigned to the Patrol Division. Beyond excelling at hispatrol duties, he is also one of the department's trainedK9 handlers. Corporal Spencer is heavily involved with local charities,including Special Olympics and Shop with a Cop. He wasvery instrumental in raising funds to support additionalK9's for our Department, and as the senior K9 officer, hasassisted greatly in the training and mentoring of new K9handlers. Cpl. Spencer's co-workers nominated him forthis award as he leads his platoon by example fromvolunteering to handle calls assigned to other officers, toproactively patrolling throughout his entire shift, toassisting his officers with complex calls for service andcomplicated cases. In October 2021, Cpl. Spencer was patrolling an area thathad experienced recent acts of violence and his proactivepatrol led him to locating and arresting a suspect who wasactively fleeing the scene of a shooting. This is only oneexample of his contribution in clearing numerouscriminal cases through the year. Cpl. Spencer is a credit to the department and hisdedicated to his duty is reflected through the quality ofservice he provides as an officer. He is a tremendous assetto the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Lifesaving Award On August 28, 2021, Patrolman Jake Carter responded to areport of a shooting at the Cape Meadows apartmentcomplex and immediately located the victim who hadbeen shot in the thigh. The victim was bleeding profuselyand was in a panicked state. Ptlm. Carter remained calm,quickly removed his tourniquet from his vest andproperly applied it to the victim, effectively stopping therapid blood loss. Ptlm. Carter stayed with the victim,keeping him calm until an ambulance could arrive onscene. Medical personnel later advised that Ptlm. Carterdid an excellent job of applying his tourniquet andrendering emergency medical care. Medical personnelalso advised that the victim of this gunshot would havemost likely died as a result of the blood loss withoutimmediate lifesaving measures taken by Ptlm. Carter. Thanks to the training and quick actions of Ptlm. Carterand his dedication to esrve and protect the citizens ofCape Girardeau, the victim survived his life threateninginjuries. Ptlm. Carter was presented with the LifesavingAward in recognition of his efforts in this incident. communications unit The Cape Girardeau Public Safety Communications Unit is the nerve center and lifeline of thedepartment. The Communications Unit handles both emergency and non-emergency calls for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and plays a pivotal role in the department's effortsto meet increasing demands for police services. As the first point of contact, personnel answeremergency (911) and non-emergency calls and ensures resources are dispatched rapidly andefficiently. In 2021, the Cape Girardeau Police Department, in partnership with first responder agency leaders from around Cape Girardeau County announced the new Text 911 system. Even thoughspeaking directly to a 911 dispatcher is the most effective and fastest way to relay vitalinformation, having the ability to text your 911 call under certain circumstances provides evenmore access and added safety to our communities. These incoming text-to-911 communications are answered from the same dispatchers and consoles currently used fortraditional voice calls. These texts are received and dispatched accordingly by transferring theresponse to appropriate emergency services, whether it be fire rescue, emergency medical, orlaw enforcement. This project was fully supported and sustained by funds secured through the 911 Service Board Grant and the NG 911 Grant. Both grants were obtained and secured by theCape Girardeau County Office of Emergency Management with assistance from the CapeGirardeau Count 9-1-1 Advisory Board. Communications Staffing The Communications Unit is budgeted to staff 15 trained full-time Public SafetyCommunicators and a civilian Communications Manager. Each Communicator plays a vital part in the overall mission of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. jail unit The municipal jail houses a 20 bed, direct-supervision jail. The jail facility has three pods tohouse inmates, with a fourth pod available for future growth. The jail facility underwent inspection and was ultimately approved to begin housing federalinmates on February 2020. Federal inmates were housed in the facility throughout 2020 andinto 2021. Due to staffing shortages in 2021, these inmates were transferred to othercorrectional facilities in November 2021 to ensure compliance as set forth by Federal government and for the safety of our staff. Our jail facility is designed to properly separate court offices, prisoners, the public andemployees. With a co-located court and jail, transporting municipal prisoners to and from City Hall throughout the week for court appearances is no longer necessary. Even with extreme staffing shortages in the jail facility during the year, the expertise andprofessionalism of the correctional staff assigned to this Unit are critical to maintaining a safe jail facility for our inmates and our employees. City (2021)Male: 396Female: 244 12-Hour Holds (2021)Male: 23Female: 9 Federal (2021)Male: 29 Female: 2 State (2021) Male: 672Female: 279 Total Admitted (2021): 1,654 training & community affairs Active ShooterDefensive Tactics Reality-Based ScenariosCultural DiversityUse of ForceDomestic Violence The Training and Community Services Unit is responsible for the department's training unit,media relations, and crime prevention. Training UnitThe Training Unit is the first spot new officers will experience as they embark on their career.It's also a place that offers continued employee development throughout the year. The Training Unit is committed to providing the most updated training curriculum foremployees and other law enforcement agencies who may attend courses at our facility. TheTraining Unit ensures that all commissioned officers complete their state-mandated POSTprogram training hours during each year's reporting period. Officer training includes, but is not limited to: Media Relations The Cape Girardeau Police Department fosters cooperation and mutual respect between the department and news media. Sergeant Joey Hann and Patrolman Rich McCall are assigned as media liaisons and are highly-trained individuals who understand the importance of using the media as a valuable resource to keep the public informed of the department's activities. In this regard, they realize theirrole is to assist members of the media in completing the task of gathering information andreporting on news events impacting residents and visitors to the City of Cape Girardeau. Thepublic's perception and image of the department is largely dependent on the hard work of these officers. Safe Communities Program The goal of the Cape Girardeau Safe Communities Program is to provide injury preventionstrategies, primarily in the areas of traffic safety to the citizens of Cape Girardeau County. The Safe Communities initiative is working to expand partnerships in the community to access local injury data. Through this information, areas of concern are determined and neweffective strategies for injury prevention are developed. The program has two full-timecoordinators and a 19 member Advisory Committee. Grants through the Missouri Departmentof Transportation-Division of Highway Safety provide funding for this program. Safe Communities coordinates multi-jurisdictional law enforcement efforts throughout CapeGirardeau County. statistics / crime analysis In 2020, the FBI changed the way police departments were required to track and submit crime data from the UCR (Uniform Crime Report) to NIBRS (National Incident-Based ReportingSystem) beginning January 1, 2021. To meet this requirement, the Cape Girardeau PoliceDepartment had to switch to CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) systems from Global Softwareto Central Square (Zuerchers) due to Global Software being incapable of tracking NIBRS data. NIBRS is a more robust system and has capabilities of tracking crime data that the UCR lacked.NIBRS tracks 52 specific crimes including date, time of day, location, multiple criminal actscommitted within the same incident, and much more, plus 10 offenses with little detail and 20additional crimes where arrests only were reported. roll call Ptlm. Albert Demortiers EOW: 10.27.1917 Ptlm. Willis A. MartinEOW: 02.27.1921 Chief Nathaniel J. HutsonEOW: 10.07.1922 Auxiliary OfficerHerbert L. GossEOW: 03.10.1961 Ptlm. Donald CrittendonEOW: 03.21.1961 Heroes Live Forever The 2021 Annual Report is produced by the Office of the Chief of PoliceCape Girardeau MissouriPolice Department Compiled By Sara Stensland, Administrative Coordinator StatisticsPtlm. Bobby Bollinger Council-Manager Government Mayor Mr. Bob FoxCity Manager Dr. Kenneth Haskin Council Members Ward 1 Mr. Dan PressonWard 2 Ms. Shelly MooreWard 3 Mr. Nate ThomasWard 4 Mr. Robbie GuardWard 5 Ms. Shannon TruxelWard 6 Ms. Stacy Kinder Cape Girardeau Police Department 2530 Maria Louise Lane, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701