Current Events
Residential burglaries reported in east Edina
Edina, Minn., Aug. 14, 2008 -- Recently, the east
side of Edina has experienced an increase in residential burglary. These
burglaries are happening in the early morning hours and the burglars are
entering homes through ground-level windows.
Detective Dave Carlson, lead investigator of these
incidents, encourages all residents to “ Call 9-1-1 at any time for anything
suspicious. We need and appreciate help from the public so we can apprehend the
people committing these burglaries. And please lock your windows and doors; make
it harder and more time consuming for someone to break in. Lights around the
exterior of the house are a good idea, too. But I can’t emphasize strongly
enough the importance of calling us if your dog suddenly starts barking at 3
a.m. or you think you see someone in your backyard.”
The Edina Police Department is available to come to your
home and assess its security. There is no charge for this service. Call
952-826-1610 to request a Security Survey.
Edina Police Department encourages
neighborhoods to participate in National Night Out
Edina,
Minn., July 8, 2008 -- Edina neighborhoods will join forces with thousands
of communities nationwide 5-9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, for the 25th-annual National
Night Out crime prevention event. Neighbors are encouraged to lock their doors,
turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors.
Participating is easy and fun! Simply register your party with the Edina Police
Department to request a visit from a police officer. Fill out the City's "block
party application" and write “National Night Out" on the line asking for the
name of your organization.
Join a growing number of your neighbors by participating in this event! The
National Night Out campaign is a great way to build neighborhood unity and
strengthen police-community partnerships. For more information about National
Night Out, call Nicole Pesek at 952-833-9523.
All registrations must be received by Friday, July 25.
Edina Police Department recognized for
going ‘Above and Beyond’ in support of employees in military
Golden
Valley, Minn., May 2008 --
The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) division of the federal
Department of Defense recently recognized the Edina Police Department with an
“Above and Beyond” award for its unfaltering support of their employees who also
serve in the military. Gov. Tim Pawlenty presented the award to Edina Deputy
Police Chief Jeff Long and other members of the Department on May 12.
The Edina Police Department was one of 27 employers in Minnesota honored with
the “Above and Beyond” award at the Minnesota State Committee for ESGR Annual
Awards Banquet held at the Golden Valley Country Club. The Department was
recognized specifically for their support of two Police Officers, Port Security
Specialist Kevin Rofidal and Boatswain’s Mate Brandon Kuske, who both serve in
the Coast Guard Reserve and were called to duty last fall after the I-35W bridge
collapse.
“Within minutes of the bridge collapse, we had most of our personnel deployed at
the scene assisting the City of Minneapolis or on-duty in Edina,” said Rofidal.
“Over the next four days, even though the Police Department was stretched thin,
we were given complete support to fulfill our obligations to the Coast Guard.
Without hesitation, our colleagues and supervisors filled schedules and covered
shifts on a very short-notice.
“The fact that they [Rofidal and Kuske] are in the military serving our country
in addition to their work as police officers shows that they are the ones going
‘Above and Beyond.,’” said Long. “It may sound cliché, but the least we can do
is be flexible and supportive when they are called to duty.”
ESGR was established in 1972 and its members have been working to gain and
maintain employer support for members of the Guard and Reserve by recognizing
outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law and resolving any conflict
between employer and employee through mediation.
According to ESGR Chairman and retired Brigadier General Dennis Schulstad, “It’s
important to remember that the military would not be able to handle homeland
defense and emergency response without the Guard and Reserve. It requires a
great deal of sacrifice not only from the individuals in service and their
families, but also the employers who have to continue working when an employee
is called to duty. The Edina Police Department has always been really
cooperative and makes it very easy for these men and women to do their work for
the military.”
Edina Police Negotiators Finish First in
Regional Competition
Grand Forks, ND, June 2008 --
On May 19-21, the Edina Police Department’s Hostage/Crisis Negotiation Team
(HCNT) participated in a regional competition at the third-annual Upper Red
River Valley Conference in Grand Forks, ND. Minnesota competitors included the
Bloomington, Edina, Minnetonka, and St. Louis Park Police Departments, the
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Department of Corrections, and the St.
Louis County Sheriff’s Department. North Dakota and Canadian law enforcement
agencies rounded out the field.
Edina officers formed cooperative teams with both the Minnetonka and St. Louis
Park Police Negotiators. The team of four St. Louis Park and two Edina Hostage
Negotiators finished in first place, followed by Bloomington and Winnipeg Police
Department in second and third places respectively.
The Edina HCNT was formed in 1997 and is lead by Sgt. Phil Larsen. Members are
chosen based on field experience and demonstrated ability. The group currently
includes four officers, with a combined total of approximately 80 years of law
enforcement experience. The team is called out to critical situations in Edina
and neighboring communities.
For more information about the conference or the Edina HCNT, contact Larsen at
952-826-1610.
Edina Officers to Participate in Special
Olympics Torch Run
Edina,
Minn., June 2008 --
On Thursday, June 19, at approximately 11 a.m., 18 Edina Police Department
personnel will gather in the lot at the Braemar Arena to receive the Special
Olympics Torch from the Eden Prairie Police Department. Edina personnel will
then run and bike through south Edina carrying the Torch in support of the
Minnesota Special Olympics. The five-mile run ends behind Fire Station No. 2 on
York Avenue, when the Torch is turned over to the Richfield Police Department.
Chief Mike Siitari will again be one of the runners, and he encourages all
residents to come out and cheer on the Police Department. “We’d love to see the
residents along the route, or if they can show their support by buying a
T-shirt, that’d be great, too. The Special Olympics is such a worthy cause, and
we’re happy to have strong Department support for the fourth year in a row.”
T-shirts are available for a $10 donation at the Police Department, but whatever
you can give will enhance this very positive experience for the Special Olympics
athletes.
For more information on Edina's participation in the event, contact Detective
Erik Amundson at 952-826-0471. For more information on the Special Olympics,
visit
www.specialolympicsminnesota.org.
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Route |
Open a map showing the Police Department's route for
the Torch Run. |
Safe & Sober
Spring Fever Arrives
Edina,
Minn., April 2008 -- During the month of April, the Edina Police Department will emphasize speed
enforcement in the Safe & Sober “Spring Fever” campaign. Between 2004 and 2006,
there were 464 deaths in Minnesota in which speed was a contributing factor and
each year there are about 7,000 injuries related to speeding.
Sgt. Tom Draper heads the Edina Traffic Unit and encourages drivers not to
exceed the posted limit. “Speeding traffic is a common complaint from our
residents. We’ll be conducting enhanced speed enforcement to address that issue
and also because the most common factor in fatal crashes is excessive speed," he
said. “We want to reduce the number of deaths as well as injuries.”
Safe & Sober is an educational and enforcement program administered by the
Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. For
more information, contact Draper at 952-826-1610 or see the OTS website at
www.dps.state.mn.us/ots/.
Third Graders become 'Junior' Police
For
more than 30 years, Edina elementary school children have participated in the
Junior Police program, sponsored by the Edina Morningside Rotary Club. This
program introduces children to some basic safety ideas and is an opportunity to
meet and talk with an officer from the Edina Police Department.
This year, six Edina police officers, including Officer
Brian Hubbard, volunteered to teach the short program (two one-hour visits to
third-grade classrooms). Hubbard enjoyed the interaction with the kids and
noted, “They had quite a bit of interest in the typical daily duties of an
officer, and it was fun to field their questions and provide a realistic view of
law enforcement, in contrast to what they see on TV.” Kids are given an activity
workbook on the first visit, complete it and bring it back the next week when
they receive their “badges” and have their fingerprints taken.
For more information about the Junior Police program,
contact Officer Mike Seeger at 952-826-1610.
Freezin' For a Reason
On Saturday, March 15, three stalwart members of the Edina Police Department
jumped into the icy waters of Round Lake in Eden Prairie to raise money for the
Minnesota Special Olympics.
Sgt. Brian Tholen, Det. Tom McKenzie and Communications Specialist Tony
Martin participated in the first-ever Eden Prairie Plunge, one of 11 Polar Bear
Plunges held by law enforcement around Minnesota January through March. The Eden
Prairie Plunge raised more than $39,000 through the efforts of more than 180
hardy plungers.
The Polar Bear Plunge is part of the larger Law Enforcement Torch Run for
Special Olympics. See the
Special Olympics website for more information.
Regional K9 Narcotics Trials Held in Edina
On
Sunday, March 16, the United States Police Canine Association held its annual
Regional Narcotics Trials. Hosted by the Edina Police Department, the Trials
involved 61 dogs and handlers from the Minnesota State Patrol and police
departments and sheriffs’ offices from North Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
This eight-hour event was held in two locations -- the room searches were
conducted at FilmTec in Edina and the vehicle searches at Kustom Karriers in
Minnetonka. The event involved a timed search for each dog and handler team to
locate narcotics hidden in an office and a second search among several vehicles.
The dogs were looking for marijuana, cocaine, crack and/or methamphetamines.
Both Edina K9s, Kodiak with Officer Kevin Rofidal and Diesel with Officer
Mike Seeger, placed in the top 5 percent - Kodiak and Officer Rofidal will go on
to the National Certification in May in Tennessee. Top honors went to Obie and
Officer Judson Broen of the Bloomington Police Department, and second place to
Vosco and Deputy Dan Rockensock with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office.
The Police Department thanks Laurie and Bob at Kustom Karriers and Kurt
Buchanan at FilmTec for their generosity and assistance with this event. For
more information about Edina K9s Diesel and Kodiak, please contact Sgt. Tom
Draper at 952-826-1610.
Reward Offered
The Edina Crime Prevention Fund is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for
information leading to the apprehension, arrest and conviction of the person
responsible for Jan. 15, 2008 robbery at Lund's Foods, 3945 W. 50th
St, Edina.
The suspect is a white male, 18 to 23 years of age, 5-foot-nine to
6-foot-one, 140 pounds, and was wearing a hooded brown sweatshirt/jacket with
words on the front and a circular logo or patch on the right sleeve. He might
have had a red hooded sweatshirt underneath the brown one.
This individual is also a suspect in recent Minneapolis robberies.
The Fund is the sole judge of any point of contention regarding the reward,
and its decision on any issue connected with the reward is final.
If you have any information regarding this person or incident, contact Deputy
Chief of Police Jeff Long at 952-826-1600, 24 hours a day. Your identity may
remain confidential.
Missing Person Found At approximately 11 a.m. Nov. 2, the Edina Police Department received
confirmation that Scott Michael Tridgell had been found near Menomonie, Wis., at
a rest stop along Interstate Highway 94.
Tridgell’s Toyota Tacoma truck was noticed by a Minnesota resident who had seen
the Wednesday, Oct. 31, media coverage on his disappearance and phoned the
Menomonie Police Department. Responding Menomonie officers found Tridgell asleep
in the vehicle. Tridgell appears to be physically good but very confused.
DWI Enforcement
During the month of December, the Edina Police Department will be emphasizing
DWI enforcement as part of the Minnesota Safe and Sober program. “Especially
during the holiday party season, we encourage people who drink to do so
responsibly and to designate a non-drinking driver. In 2006, a record-high
41,832 motorists were arrested for DWI in our state,” said Sgt. Tom Draper, who
heads the Edina Traffic Unit. “We want safe roads and sober drivers, and that’s
what December’s effort is designed to encourage,” added Draper.
Safe and Sober is an educational and enforcement program administered by the
Office of Traffic Safety of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. For more
information, contact Sgt. Draper at 952-826-1610 or see the Office of Traffic
Safety website at
http://www.dps.state.mn.us/ots/.
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