Police Department
Monthly Report
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Police Department |
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James L. Cetran
Chief of Police
Two (2) Probationary Police Officers have completed eighteen weeks of basic training at the Connecticut Police Academy. Graduation from the Academy is expected in March, 2007.
During the month of February, 2007 the WPD Training Unit completed the training of all officers on the Cogent Livescan Fingerprint System. The Cogent Livescan system electronically captures and processes forensic-quality finger and palm prints and demographic data. The system electronically sends this information through the Connecticut Automated Fingerprint Identification System (CT-AFIS) to the Connecticut State Police and to the Federal Bureau of Identification. Both systems will issue an electronic response, usually within minutes, as to the identity of an individual so long as there are fingerprints on file for that person.
On February 5, 2007 Sergeant Michael Fisher began his assignment as a Patrol Bureau supervisor. Also on February 5, 2007 Detective Thomas Regan began his duties as the Department Juvenile Detective and Officer David Gove was assigned as the School Resource Officer at the Wethersfield High School.
On February 9, 2007 two patrol officers saw a vehicle traveling on the Berlin Turnpike with heavy damage. The officers believed that the vehicle may have recently been involved in an accident. The vehicle also had an equipment violation. Immediately upon stopping the vehicle, the female operator ran out of the car. When officers spoke to her she stated that the male who owned the car was supposed to give the three female occupants a ride home, but instead drove around several towns threatening to harm them. The females were eventually able to talk the male into letting the female drive and that was when the Wethersfield police officers stopped them. Officers were able to determine that the male picked up the females in Hartford and drove around several towns threatening them. He eventually crashed his car in another town and they eventually ended up driving in Wethersfield. The male operator was arrested and charged with Reckless Endangerment, Unlawful Restraint, and Threatening. While in police custody the male was found to be under the influence of an unknown narcotic.
On February 24, 2007 a patrol officer saw a vehicle traveling in Wethersfield with an equipment violation. The officer followed the vehicle and saw that it made several turns in what the officer believed was an attempt to lose the officer. The officer stopped the vehicle and spoke to the operator. The officer could smell the odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. The officer asked the operator to exit the vehicle and speak to her. The operator was found to be in possession of a legally registered handgun and a small amount of marijuana. The officer placed the male under arrest for possession of marijuana and seized the operator's pistol permit after finding the marijuana and the fact that the operator had recently been arrested for two separate robberies in another town.
This month members of the Detective Bureau initiated or were assigned follow up to nineteen new cases. The detectives are also investigating six fraud cases, three burglaries, one identity theft, two sexual assaults and three larceny cases. Detectives also completed seven pistol permits applications and two Town of Wethersfield background investigations.
In February, 2007 a WPD sergeant and detective arrested a female on an outstanding arrest warrant. This female was wanted by this Department for Possession of Narcotics, Forgery 2nd Degree and Criminal Impersonation. The arrestee was also wanted by numerous other Capitol Region police departments on outstanding criminal charges. The arrestee was suspected of cashing dozens of stolen checks in the area over the last several months. The WPD detective interviewed the arrestee and obtained a confession of her activities. Further warrants are pending for the suspect based on her confession.
In February, 2007 another female was arrested and charged with Violation of a Protective Order. At the time of her arrest, the female was in possession of a stolen credit card. This female was already a suspect in a stolen check case and fraud/larceny case involving her mother-in-law. WPD detectives later interviewed this same female and obtained a confession. She confessed to the theft of the check and the fraud/theft from her mother-in-law. The fraud involved the theft of thousands of dollars.
The School Resource Officer covered approximately ten incidents, none of which resulted in an arrest or the issuance of an infraction. These incidents involved complaints such as larcenies, breach of peace situations as well as numerous students skipping classes and leaving school grounds. Mediation techniques were used in numerous cases during incidents both on and off school grounds.
As newly assigned school resource officer, the SRO has been very proactive in his contacts with both WHS staff and students. The SRO has been interviewed by students, given speeches and has conducted many question and answer sessions with classes so the students can get acquainted with the new SRO.
There were two juveniles referred to the Juvenile Unit during the month of February, 2007 for various criminal acts and violations. These juveniles were referred to juvenile court. This unit was responsible for the initial investigation or follow up of four new cases. These cases involved two suspicious situations and two other incidents involving juveniles requiring no follow-up police action.
The Juvenile Detective attended the Juvenile Review Board meeting on February 28, 2007.
The WPD Explorers held one training meetings during the month of February, 2007. The Explorers received training and a review of the DWI standardized sobriety field tests as well as DWI processing.
During the month of February, 2007 Wethersfield dispatchers received and handled 671 E-911 emergency phone calls. Wethersfield dispatchers dispatched the Wethersfield Volunteer Ambulance and Aetna Ambulance to a total of 221 medical emergencies.
During February, 2007 fourteen persons were taken into custody and held requiring 211 hours of incarceration. Of the persons held, eleven were arrested by warrant. Support Services personnel transported fourteen prisoners to court. Transported to court were eleven males and three females. The three females incarcerated by the department required 47 hours of matron coverage.
The Wethersfield Police Department has received numerous complaints of parking violations on Wolcott Hill Road by the main entrance to the Wethersfield High School. In response to these complaints, officers conducted selective enforcement on several days and issued many warnings and parking tags. The three "No Parking during School Hours 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m." signs were subsequently modified and are now "No Stopping or Standing Any Time" signs. It is hoped that this will reduce or eliminate the parking violations at this location.
During February, 2007 the Patrol Commander received complaints of speeding on Hartford Avenue. To address these complaints, a speed monitoring device (SMART Machine) was placed on Hartford Avenue for several days.
The Support Services Bureau Commander continues to receive requests for added street signs or street sign replacement. Several work orders were completed for new signs and/or replacement signs throughout Wethersfield. Work orders completed during February, 2007 include modifying the three "No Parking during School Hours 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m." signs on Wolcott Hill Rd. located near the Wethersfield High now reading "No Stopping or Standing Any Time," replacing the 30-MPH speed limit sign in front of 179 Collier Road with a 35-MPH sign. The correct speed limit for Collier Road is 35 MPH and finally adding a small green "No Outlet" sign on top of the existing street sign for Sherburne Road at the intersection of Wells Road.
On Monday, February 5, 2007 a WPD officer attended the five day "Police Officer Recertification Training." This training was held in Middletown, CT. This forty hour class is mandatory every three years to keep officers certified in the State of Connecticut. The training encompasses a wide variety of topics including ICS training, PRAWN training, legal updates, bias crimes, patrol procedures, juvenile law and domestic violence laws.
On Tuesday, February 6, 2007 a WPD sergeant and a WPD officer began attending a two day training class entitled "Critical Incidents and the Use of Force from A to Z: Preparing to Win, Coping with the Aftermath and Investigations." This training was held at the Connecticut Police Academy, Meriden, CT. Instruction topics included an analysis of the psychology of high threat and combat situations and the implications for physical, legal and psychological survival.
On Tuesday, February 6, 2007 a Canine Unit officer and Canine Hunter attended a one day training class entitled "Police Canine/ Police Canine Handler Training." The officer and Hunter participated in this monthly canine training with several other area law enforcement canine teams. Training included evidence recovery and tracking.
On Tuesday, February 13, 2007 a Canine Unit officer and Narcotic Canine Elaine began attending a three day training class entitled "Narcotics Detection Canine In-Service Training." The canine officer and Canine Elaine attended training at the Connecticut State Police Training Unit, Meriden, CT. This in-service training is conducted quarterly in order to maintain certification through the Connecticut State Police.
During the week of February 19, 2007 the WPD Training Unit conducted ASP Baton Certification / Active Shooter Response / Wethersfield High School Overview Training. Thirty nine (39) Officers participated in this training. During the ASP Baton training, officers were instructed on and demonstrated various baton strikes, stances and modes. Officers were also required to take a written test on the ASP Baton and the WPD Use of Force Policy. All officers successfully completed this training. During the Active Shooter Response training, officers were instructed on the appropriate response for an active shooter / aggressive subject in a public building. A portion of this training was conducted at Police Department Headquarters with a practical portion of this training conducted at the Wethersfield High School. It should be noted that the school was on February break at the time.
On Monday, February 19, 2007 a WPD officer began attending a two week training class entitled "Traffic Crash Reconstruction." This training class was held at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida by the Institute of Police Technology and Management. Training areas included determining the speed of vehicles at impact using conservation of linear momentum, behavior of vehicles in a collision using Newton's three laws of motion and the derivation and origin of the commonly used speed formulas.
On Tuesday, February 20, 2007 Chief James Cetran and a WPD lieutenant attended the "Capital Region Chief's of Police Recertification" training held in Rocky Hill, CT. This recertification program, which is required every three years, is open to Chiefs of Police and Second-in-Command Officers only. Topics include Leading and Influencing, Executive Liability, Legal Updates, Policy Development, Police Suicide, Sexual Harassment, Juvenile Law, Gang Update and Ethical Decision Making. This course is held one day per month, concluding May, 2007.
The Wethersfield Police Department, Training Unit, will be hosting one day of the Capital Region Police Recertification - Supervisor Program. This course will be held in the WPD Community Room on March 15, 2007.
The Wethersfield Police Department is scheduled to receive the Firearms Training Simulator (FATS) Machine from the Connecticut Police Academy beginning on or around March 7, 2007 to March 16, 2007.
Annual CPR/ AED, Airborne/ Bloodborne Pathogen and First Aid training is scheduled for March and April, 2007.
Emergency personnel were dispatched to a total of seventy-three alarms during the month of February, of which sixty-three were deemed to be chargeable alarms. Four locations were billed this month for violating the false alarm ordinance. Twenty-seven new alarm registrations were received from residents/ businesses in the month of February. To date, 576 residential and 176 non-residential alarms (752 total), have been registered with the Police Department.
The following are the burglary and robbery statistics for the month of February, 2007 along with comparative statistics for the same period of last year. The figures in the parenthesis represent the number of cases cleared by arrest, or in which the perpetrators have been identified.
| Criminal Activity | February 2006 | February 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Burglaries | 5 (0) | 2 (0) |
| Commercial Burglaries | 2 (0) | 1 (0) |
| Armed Robberies | 1 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Strong-arm Robberies | 1 (0) | 0 (0) |
