Assistant Chief Matt Clark

Southwest Residents,

I was recently promoted to Assistant Chief of Police and will be leaving the 5th Precinct. Chief Harteau has set an ambitious and progressive agenda for the department, and I'm looking forward to being a part of her executive staff. 

It has been an honor working with you, and I feel we made real progress in connecting the 5th Precinct and the southwest community. Reducing crime and promoting public safety are the principles behind our work at the Minneapolis Police Department. I'm happy to say that the 5th Precinct had the city's greatest reduction for violent crime in 2012 (a reduction of over 18%)!  There will always be work to do as we strive for greater crime reductions. Thank you for your partnership and collaboration.

Inspector Tony Diaz will be taking my place at the 5th Precinct. He has been with the 5th Precinct for three years and has a comprehensive background in law enforcement. I am very pleased and confident in Chief Harteau's appointment of Inspector Diaz. He is the right person to continue the important community and police connections we rely upon at the 5th Precinct. 

Please join me in congratulating Inspector Diaz and supporting the MPD as we move the department forward.

Assistant Chief Matt Clark

Minneapolis Police Department

Inspector Tony Diaz

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chief Janee Harteau Assistant Chief Matt Clark and for the opportunity to take command of the 5th precinct. I am fortunate to be able to lead such a good group of fine officers.

I would also like to thank all the many active neighborhood community groups and block club leaders for their work in keeping our precinct safe. I can assure you that my officers and I will work to make 2013 a safe year for our residents and businesses.  

I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Inspector Tony Diaz

Fifth Precinct Minneapolis Police Department

 Vincent Hayes and Nicholas Bergman aided a senior citizen when her wallet was stolen from her purse in a grocery store. Vincent and Nicholas chased after the suspect, detained him until officers arrived, located the wallet which had been thrown during the chase, and aided in the full recovery of the wallet and contents to the woman, Valery. Valery was present at the awards presentation and stood at the front with Nicholas and Vincent.

 Christopher and Jackie Bailey, who do not live in Minneapolis, were driving through Linden Hills when they noticed a suspicious man walking into an alley from a sidewalk. They circled the block and saw him riding a bicycle at a fast pace away from an open garage. They flagged down officers and stayed in the area until the suspect was recovered with the bicycle. Officers spoke to the homeowner, who was unaware his bicycle had been stolen. In the process of the initial investigation, officers learned that Christopher and Jackie had helped the homeowner recover a $1000 bicycle, and the suspect had just been released from Stillwater Prison for burglary.

 Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) Security Captain Todd Newman responded to a medical emergency at the Mezzanine Restaurant-a woman, Judy, was choking and all attempts to dislodge the food by witnesses had failed. Todd immediately responded while MIA was calling 911, and through the Heimlich maneuver he was successful in clearing her airway. He stayed with her to provide her comfort and support until paramedics arrived. Witnesses felt strongly that he had saved her life, as she had already been turning blue and lost consciousness moments before Todd arrived. Judy was present at the presentation, along with her family. Todd tried to attend but was unable to reach the location due to the terrible road conditions on that day. However, his supervisors accepted the award for him and were able to speak with Judy's family about the incident and Todd's efforts.

  Jim Luker was standing with a group on the corner of 26th St and Nicollet Av as Sgt Downing of the Fifth Precinct was involved in a foot pursuit of a suspect. Sgt Downing yelled, "Stop that man!" and Jim immediately reacted by attempting to detain the suspect. His actions allowed Sgt. Downing to catch up and attempt to handcuff the suspect; however, the suspect fled into the intersection where there was vehicular traffic. Jim ran out and aided Sgt. Downing until the suspect was detained. Jim's selfless actions aided Sgt. Downing in the arrest and apprehension of a felony level suspect who had fled from police in a motor vehicle and on foot.

Thank you and congratulations to all of the above recipients!

At the presentation, more stories were shared of other efforts of individuals that are worthy of praise as well--dedicated neighbors who watched a problem property for a year and aided in the shutting down of businesses of ill repute that had been in the location for years, employees of a money transfer business who stopped a grandparent scam in its tracks by urging an elderly man to contact his grandson to verify whether he was in trouble before transferring $2000 to allegedly help him, a landlord and property owner who has been keeping watch on his block and contacting the neighborhood association, neighbors and police regarding concerns and even recovered stolen property for a neighbor...

The Fifth Precinct and Minneapolis are lucky to have so many residents and visitors who pay attention to their surroundings and selflesly help out their fellow citizens and the Minneapolis Police Department. Whether you have received an award or not for your efforts, please know that we appreciate everything you do!

Being the victim of a crime is especially disturbing when it happens during the holiday season. We've compiled a list of helpful tips that can help you stay safe this holiday season.

Online Shopping

• Know your merchant- be familiar with the company you're dealing with. The Federal Trade Commission has a website (www.consumer.gov) that provides buyer's guides, tips and links to helpful resources.
• Protect your personal information- know what information the seller is collecting, how it will be used and if it will be shared with other merchants. Check the site's privacy policy and look for seals from privacy enforcement organizations like BBBonLine and TRUSTe. Be cautious if a site asks for personal information not generally needed to make a purchase in a retail store, such as your social security number.
• Use a credit card- Under federal law, your liability for an unauthorized charge is $50. To ensure that your credit card information is being transmitted securely, look for an unbroken key or padlock icon or for a policy that indicates use of strong security technology. DO NOT SHARE your password with others!
• Keep good records- make sure to print or save any records related to online transactions.

Retail Shopping

• Cash- take only the amount you will spend when shopping. Avoid flashing cash in public.
• Credit cards- take only the cards you will use while shopping. Report any lost card immediately.
• Park- in well-lit areas. Keep your doors locked and always put items in the trunk before arriving at your next destination.

Home Security

• Close the blinds or curtains at night or while you're away- presents that can be seen through windows are tempting to thieves
• Keep your doors and windows locked
• Keep outdoor lights on from dusk til dawn
• Make arrangements for neighbors to pick up deliveries if you aren't home

 The Fifth Precinct hopes everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!

Each council member we feature in this new section will be asked the same 5 questions to get a snapshot of what's happening in their ward.

Don't know what ward you're in? It's easy to find out! Check the city's interactive map at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/council/ or use the city's WardFinder at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/about/maps/ward-finder.asp

to search by your address.  

 

CM Lisa Goodman, Ward 7

 

1. What are the current initiatives in your ward?

We have over a dozen major residential and commercial developments occurring in our ward at the moment.  New development requires a great deal of balance between promoting and supporting business and construction while maintaining livability issues that affect residents.

Although downtown is outside the jurisdiction of the 5th precinct, we also represent that area and we partner with the MPD whenever issues arise regarding safety and general livability.  With any chronic problem, we look at the bigger picture and attempt to address root problems.  We know that we will never arrest away crime.  We support the Downtown 100 initiative and adhere to the belief that working directly with chronic offenders to help address their core issues is the best way to reduce crime and create safety in the city.

Ward 7 is very supportive of the city's bike initiatives.  We monitor new and existing bike lanes and work very closely with constituents that are concerned with maintaining the bike trails that may be affected by the new SWLRT. 

We feel it is very important for our residents to know they have many resources available to them just by picking up the phone and calling 911 or 311.  We encourage people to report anything that appears suspicious to 911 and any and all non-emergency issues to 311.  We ask that people don't assume someone else has placed the call.  It's always better to receive multiple reports on an item than for something to fall through the cracks. 

3. What is your best advice for personal and property safety?

Speaking from personal experience, do not leave anything of value in your vehicle - especially if it can be seen from outside the car.  I agree with the Downtown Improvement District as they encourage residents and visitors, "Put Your Junk in Your Trunk."  I also recommend that people be aware of their surroundings.  I am also a firm believer in trusting your instinct.  Not to sound repetitive but again I encourage people to report anything suspicious or out of the ordinary to 311 or 911.

Cagney & Lacey

The best way to contact me is by e-mail,

lisa.goodman@minneapolismn.gov.  You can also call my office at 612-673-2207 or join me for our monthly constituent gathering, Lunch with Lisa.  To be placed on our mailing list please e-mail my associate Ruth at ruth.hamann@minneapolismn.gov

.

Earlier, we discussed awards presented to citizens who aided in the apprehension of suspects. So, what ever happened to them or other criminals in Fifth Precinct? We don't have time to go into every single crime we have ever mentioned, but see below for follow up of selected cases:

Donald Lewis Crawford, date of birth 2/22/1971

Mr. Crawford was arrested when Christopher and Jackie Bailey saw him appear to steal a $1000 bicycle from an open garage. The incident occurred on December 17, 2011. On January 2, 2012, he was convicted of a Felony, burglary in the 3rd degree. He was sentenced to 29 months in St Cloud MN Correctional Facility. His anticipated release date is 7/29/2013. 

Lekeith Ali Rayford, date of birth 1/8/1992

Mr. Rayford was arrested on December 16, 2011 for stealing Valery's wallet while she was in the grocery store. He was convicted of a Misdemeanor on January 26, 2012, and was sentenced to 90 days, stayed for 1 year. The sentence was later amended to include 15 days in the Workhouse with credit for 4 days served.

Abdullahi Ali Warsame, date of birth 1/15/1988

Mr. Warsame was arrested on September 29, 2012 when he fled Sgt. Downing and was aided in apprehension by Jim Luker. On November 5, 2012, he was convicted of a Gross Misdemeanor (fleeing a peace officer) and Misdemeanor (false information to police). He was sentenced to 365 days with credit for 38 days served.

Stuart Eugene Pesheck, date of birth 11/7/1968

Mr. Pesheck has been arrested multiple times in Minneapolis and other cities across the Minnesota Metro area for burglary and other related crimes. He was notably involved in previous burglaries in which the security camera and security alarm system lines were cut in residential homes during the course of burglaries. In February 2012, news articles spread about the burglar arrested for a metro wide spree. He was sentenced to multiple felony 2nd degree burglaries and had to report on 7/11/2012 for 60 months to St Cloud Correctional Facility, with credit for time served of 157 days. He is currently still in custody, now at Lino Lakes Correctional Facility. His anticipated release date is 11/6/2017.

Consejos de seguridad para todos durante navidad y para siempre

Cuando está afuera:

Siempre ser consciente de los alrededores.

Evite cualquier persona actuando sospechosamente. Cruce la calle, tome otra ruta.

Actué siempre con confianza. Siempre lleve sus llaves en la mano cuando fuera. Llevar una luz o un silbato con sus llaves.

Nunca llevar mucho efectivo. Si tienes que llevar dinero en efectivo, ocultar la mayoría de ellos en un lugar seguro, inusual en su cuerpo. Deje una pequeña cantidad de dinero en efectivo en su bolsillo o bolso sólo.

Sea conscientes de las estafas

Nunca pagar en efectivo para nada sin obtener un recibo. Si compra algo como un coche de otra persona, asegúrese de escribir un recibo con la fecha de venta, cantidad, descripción del artículo, calendario de pagos, si es necesario y que el vendedor, el comprador y el testigo firman.