Police Department
Monthly Report
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Police Department |
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James L. Cetran
Chief of Police
Two probationary police officers have completed three of four Field Training phases and began the final phase of their training. This field training is under the supervision of Department Field Training Officers. During the Field Training Program, these officers are observed and evaluated on a daily basis while they are expected to perform more duties with each phase. Both officers are expected to be assigned to solo patrol on January 19, 2010.
Two other probationary police officers have completed twenty weeks of basic training at the Connecticut Police Academy. Graduation is expected on January 19, 2010.
A recently hired dispatcher continued her Division telecommunicator training during the month of December, 2009. This trainee has been assigned to senior telecommunicators during this training period. She is expected to be assigned to solo telecommunicator duties in January, 2010.
In December, 2009 Wethersfield police officers made thirty-one Driving While Under the Influence (DUI) arrests. Nine of these arrests were made by officers assigned to saturation patrols funded in part by a State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation Comprehensive DUI Enforcement grant. This total number of arrests for the month shows an average of one arrest per day and the importance of self-initiated activity in this area of enforcement. For the 2009 year, Wethersfield police officers made 237 DUI arrests.
In August, 2009 a Wethersfield resident reported that someone had smashed the windows to their vehicle while it was parked in their driveway. The resident reported that this was the third time that someone had vandalized their vehicle in the same manner. There were no were no suspects reported to the officer at the time of this complaint. In October, 2009 this same vehicle had the windshield smashed out while again parked in the driveway. Members of the Patrol Division were able to stop a vehicle and through investigation were able to arrest two males for breaking the windshield in this vehicle. In December, 2009 this investigation culminated in the arrest of one of the same males from the October incident for committing the vandalism which had occurred in August, 2009. The male was a former employee of the vehicle owner and wanted revenge for being fired from employment.
On Wednesday, December 2, 2009, at about 1:50 AM a police patrol officer was dispatched to the Berlin Turnpike to meet with a Newington Police Officer who found what he believed to be a broken down car in need of assistance. When the officer approached the car to speak with the occupant, he detected the strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and observed several long guns in the rear hatchback of the vehicle. The officer notified the Wethersfield Police Department. A search of the vehicle revealed two rifles, a shotgun and a handgun. The Wethersfield officer spoke with the operator who stated that he had gone shooting at a local shooting range with the rifles and shotgun but did not know about the handgun. The male had a hunting license but not a permit to carry a handgun. The male also could not explain why the guns were in the car when he had gone shooting eight hours earlier. The operator was placed under arrest for various weapons related charges.
In December, 2009 members of the Detective Division initiated or were assigned follow-up to thirteen new cases. Major case investigations included two sudden deaths, four larcenies, three frauds and one sexual assault. Detectives also continue to perform employee background investigations and backgrounds for pistol permit applicants.
On Saturday, December 12, 2009 the Detective Division was notified about an unidentified body in Wintergreen Woods. The complainant said that he was walking in the wooded area at the west end of Church Street near the Wethersfield High School football field when they observed the body. Responding officers found the partially decomposed body a short distance into the wood line. The body was fully clothed lying in a snowy area. There was no identification on the body. The State Medical Examiner's Office was notified and responded to the scene. The body was then removed from the wooded area with the assistance of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department and turned over to the Medical Examiner's Office. Subsequent investigation revealed the body to be that of a local resident. At the time the body was found and subsequent autopsy showed no trauma to the body. The case remains open awaiting a toxicology report.
In December, 2009, the Wethersfield Police Department Juvenile Unit handled twenty-six incidents involving thirty-one juveniles. In these incidents, five juveniles were arrested for criminal violations, six were diverted to parental discipline and four were diverted to school discipline.
Also, the Wethersfield Police Explorers assisted police operations with the funeral activities involved in the deaths of State Capitol Police Chief Michael Fallon and retired Wethersfield Police Sergeant John O'Leary. At both events the Police Explorers received complements from officers from other jurisdictions regarding their professionalism and work ethic.
In December, 2009 the School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to the Wethersfield High School covered fourteen incidents and activities at the school. These fourteen incidents and activities resulted in seven case numbers and six incident reports. These reports include one arrest for Assault Third Degree and Breach of Peace Second Degree, one arrest for Larceny Sixth Degree and one arrest for Criminal Mischief Third Degree. The SRO is also investigating a separate vandalism and two larceny complaints. The SRO also handled truancy and defiance issues at the school.
Finally, the SRO also spoke in several Civics classes and attended the STARS meetings this month.
In December, 2009 Wethersfield Police dispatchers handled 817 E-911 emergency phone calls. For the quarter ending December 31, 2009 Wethersfield Police dispatchers received and handled 2550 E-911 emergency phone calls.
In December, 2009 Wethersfield Communications Unit personnel dispatched the Wethersfield Volunteer Ambulance to forty-four medical emergencies and Aetna Ambulance to 217 medical emergencies for a total of 261 medical emergencies.
In December, 2009 there were twenty-one calls involving animal control issues. Of those calls, four were handled by an animal control officer and seventeen were handled by police officers.
In December, 2009 twenty-one persons were taken into custody and held requiring 343 hours of incarceration. Of the persons held, sixteen were arrested by warrant. Support Services personnel transported twenty-one prisoners to court to include fifteen males and six females.
In December, 2009 the Wethersfield Police Department submitted their statistics to the Connecticut Police Chief's Association (CPCA) for the Christmas and New Years holiday period. This time period included noon Thursday, December 24, 2009 to midnight, Sunday, January 3, 2010. The CPCA collects the statistics from each local department in four areas. During this time period the Wethersfield Police Department recorded 280 motor vehicle stops, ten Driving Under the Influence arrests, twenty motor vehicle accidents and no motor vehicle accidents involving a fatality. Each officer at the Wethersfield Police Department is working hard to reduce accidents, decrease speed, and deter drunk driving.
On Tuesday, December 1, 2009 a newly promoted sergeant attended a two hour training class entitled "Sexual Harassment Training." This training was held in Tolland, CT. This training class was designed for supervisors and was sponsored by CIRMA.
On Wednesday, December 2, 2009 five members of the Capitol Region Emergency Services Team (CREST) began attending monthly two-day training.
On Thursday, December 3, 2009 a dispatcher attended a one day recertification class entitled "NCIC/ COLLECT Recertification Training." Training was held at the Windsor Public Safety Complex, Windsor, CT. This class is a recertification class for persons presently certified on the NCIC/ COLLECT computer system. Recertification is for a period of two years.
On Tuesday, December 8, 2009 an officer began attending a three day training class entitled "Pharmaceutical Investigative Training." This training was sponsored by the DEA and held at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. The purpose of this training was to coordinate efforts to reduce diversion, distribution and criminal activity associated with illicit pharmaceutical abuse.
On Wednesday, December 16, 2009 an officer attended a three hour training class entitled "Statement Analysis - Written and Oral Detection of Deception." This training was held at the Connecticut Police Academy, Meriden, CT. Objectives included distinguishing between deceptive and truthful statements, identifying missing information and identifying strategies in interview and interrogation techniques.
On Tuesday, December 22, 2009 a canine officer, along with his canine, Hunter, attended a one day training class entitled "Police Canine/ Police Canine Handler Training." The canine officer and Hunter participated in this monthly canine training with several other area law enforcement canine teams. Training included evidence recovery and tracking.
In December, 2009 the Wethersfield Police Department Child Seat Technician inspected/installed seven child seats. The Support Services Division receives requests for this service via the Wethersfield Police Department web site as well as phone requests.
Remedial Firearms training for select department personnel is scheduled for January, 2010.
In December, 2009 police personnel responded to fifty-nine alarms to include fifty-eight burglar alarms and one hold-up/ panic alarm. Locations included forty-one residential locations, seventeen non-residential alarms and one state/ town-owned location. A total of 1,313 alarm permits are currently on file with the Police Department. During the month, fifty locations experienced a false alarm resulting in a 96% compliance rate. This month there were 95 items of correspondence sent in connection with billing, registration and false alarm violations with $ 2,675 in alarm billing.
The following are the burglary and robbery statistics for the month of December, 2009 along with comparative statistics for the same period 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 | December 2008 | December 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Burglaries | 3 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Commercial Burglaries | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Armed Robberies | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Strong-arm Robberies | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
