• Notify neighbors that you will be away from your home and encourage them to call 911 if they see anything suspicious! 
• Double-check to make sure all doors and windows are locked, including the door between your home and garage.   
• Make sure outdoor lights near entrances are left on.
• Set timers on lights, radios and TVs to create the illusion someone is in the home.
• Put mail and newspaper delivery on hold.
• Arrange for someone to shovel your driveway and sidewalk if necessary.
• Don’t keep valuables in your bedroom as this is where burglars go first. Instead keep valuables in an unlikely place.
• Trim shrubbery near entrances or windows as they can provide a hiding place for a burglar to quickly smash a window or door.

2011 Plunge - Sgt. Dave Becker and Lt. Greg Weber take the plunge with other EPPD plungers cheering them on

Saturday, March 10 is the date for the 2012 Special Olympics Polar Plunge event in Eden Prairie. During the past four years that Eden Prairie has hosted a Polar Plunge, 1,022 plungers have raised more than $215,000 for the Special Olympics of Minnesota.  To date 140 plungers have registered for this year’s plunge and have raised $9,855 in on-line pledges. More plungers and pledges are needed and welcomed! Click here for more information about how you can register to take the plunge or pledge money for a plunger.

Law enforcement agencies have a close relationship with the Special Olympics. We help out with a number of annual Special Olympics fund raising events, including the Polar Plunge, under the umbrella of the Special Olympics Torch Run. Law enforcement officers are considered to be the “Guardians” of the “Flame of Hope” which is lit during the Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympics games each summer.

Click here to see a commercial on FOX 9 with Eden Prairie police officers and McGruff the Crime Dog representing the law enforcement team for the Polar Bear Plunge.

Parking on the Street during a Snowfall

Question: Do I need to move my car off of the street if it snows?

Answer: It is unlawful for any person to park a vehicle on any street after a continuous or intermittent snowfall during which there has been an accumulation of two (2) inches or more of snow on any street and until the same has been plowed or removed to the full width of the roadway thereon.

Question: I’ve heard that residents need to shovel the sidewalks in front of their own homes. Is this true?

Answer: You are required to remove the snow from the sidewalk in front of your home within eight (8) hours of daytime after cessation of the snowfall. However, the City of Eden Prairie still maintains the trails/sidewalks for those homes with addresses on Anderson Lakes Pkwy, Franlo Road, Braxton Drive, Bryant lake Drive, Candlewood Pkwy, Charlson Road, CSAH 1, Columbine Road, County Road 62, Dell Road, Duck Lake Road, Golden Triangle Drive, Hennepin Town Road, Holly Road, Homeward Hills Road, Mitchell Road/Baker Road, Prairie Center Drive, Preserve Blvd, Riley Lake Road, Rowland Road, Staring Lake Pkwy, Valley View Road and West 78^th Street (click for map). Please see City Code 6.21 for further details.

Question: How long can I leave my car parked on the street?

Answer: It is unlawful for any person to stop, park or leave standing any vehicle upon any street for a continuous period in excess of twenty‑four (24) hours.

Submitted by James Schedin, Zoning Administrator

Detective John Wilson

New Sergeant

Detective John Wilson was promoted to sergeant effective January 28, 2012. Detective Wilson has worked for the EPPD since 2002. During his tenure Detective Wilson has worked as a patrol officer, Emergency Response Unit tactical team sniper, police chaplain liaison, Use of Force instructor and Firearms Instructor. Prior to becoming an officer, Detective Wilson worked for the EPPD as a Reserve Officer, Park Ranger and Records Technician.  Detective Wilson has a Master’s Degree in Police Leadership, Education and Administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Detective Wilson will spend four weeks in a field training program with veteran sergeants before working his first patrol shift as a sergeant.

New Community Service Officer

Jackie Duchschere

There’s a new face helping residents at the Police Department front desk and around town. Jackie Duchschere began working in early January as a part-time Community Service Officer.

Jackie graduated from the College of St. Benedict and the law enforcement program at Rasmussen College.  Her duties as a Community Service Officer include working at the EPPD’s front desk, responding to animal control calls, enforcing parking violations and other city ordinance violations, handling automobile lockout calls and assisting officers with booking procedures.

New Reserve Officer

The EPPD is happy to welcome back Sheana Schlichter to the Reserve Unit. Sheana worked at the EPPD as a part-time Community Service Officer from 2007- 2011. Sheana will begin the Reserve Officer field training program and will attend the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Reserve School this spring.

Reserve Promotions

In December, Reserve Officer Brett McMahon was promoted to Deputy Supervisor of the Reserve Unit. Brett has been a Reserve Officer since 1999.

Jim Burkhardt and Doug Grant were selected to fill two open Squad Leader positions in the Reserve Unit. Jim has been with the Reserves since 1989; Doug has served since 1998.  

Congrats to all!

The blog had visitors from all 50 states and 124 countries including places as far away as Greenland, Argentina, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Ghana, Iceland and New Zealand. Visitors seemed most interested in posts on actual crimes and medical saves as the top three posts with the most visits were: Stopping a Fleeing Suspect (December 9), Eden Prairie Resident Swindles (February 24) and How to Save a Life (July 14).

Compared to numbers from 2010, the number of visits in 2011were up 16% and the number of unique visitors was up 24%. Visitors spent an average of 6 minutes and 43 seconds on the blog page.

We continually strive to provide timely, pertinent information to the citizens of Eden Prairie and our blog readers. If you have suggestions for topics you’d like to see covered in the blog please let us know by clicking on the “Contact the Police Department Bloggers” button on the left side of this screen and sending your suggestions.

Airport Watch volunteers must meet certain requirements and attend monthly meetings to receive updates and training. When a member is on airport property and observes atypical or unusual activities, they call the MSP Emergency Communications Center (ECC) and provide them as much information as possible without approaching the situation. The ECC will summon the appropriate assistance.

This Airport Watch program is now expanding beyond MSP to the Flying Cloud airport in Eden Prairie. It is the first reliever airport in Minnesota to implement Airport Watch. The volunteers in the Airport Watch program at Flying Cloud will be the employees who work there. The EPPD’s Airport Unit has been involved in the implementation of the program but Airport Watch is sponsored by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport – not the EPPD.

If you notice any suspicious activity or crimes occurring at or near the Airport, contact the EPPD by calling 9-1-1.

On that note, the Minnesota Office of Traffic and Safety has released the results of the number of DWIs issued in December when departments throughout the state set up special DWI enforcement events. The state recorded 319 reporting agencies which included state, county, sheriff’s office, local, and tribal police departments. In reviewing all of the stats, Eden Prairie ranked near the top with 42 DWI arrests for the month of December. This is an outstanding demonstration of hard work in traffic enforcement!

So how did we stack up against other departments? Not including the Minnesota State Patrol, we were 3^rd in the state.

1^st – Minneapolis at 62

Tied for 2^nd – Bloomington and St. Paul at 52

3^rd – Eden Prairie at 42

Here are some other department numbers both local and statewide to give some perspective:

•       St. Cloud – 38
•       Rochester – 32
•       Moorhead – 34
•       Carver County – 32
•       Robbinsdale – 30
•       Minnetonka – 18
•       Edina – 24
•       Plymouth – 15
•       Maple Grove – 16
•       Eagan – 19
•       Richfield – 13
•       Hopkins – 8
•       Golden Valley – 10

 Submitted by Sgt. Pete Vosbeek

In Eden Prairie we did not have any traffic-related deaths in 2011. However, we did have 117 reports of car crashes that involved injuries last year. This number is down from 142 in 2010 and 144 in 2009.

As the New Year approaches, so does the renewal of the false security alarm calendar for the City of Eden Prairie.  While many people may not look upon a false alarm as serious business, here at the Eden Prairie Police Department alarm response is taken very seriously. Each year, the Eden Prairie Police Department responds to thousands of false alarms in the city. When an alarm goes off and we’re contacted, two squad cars respond quickly as if a crime is taking place. However, often times it is a false alarm. 

False alarm responses divert valuable resources away from responding to other victims in the city.  Those two officers responding to a false alarm could instead be responding to a domestic incident, flagging down a speeding motorist or pursuing a suspect in another crime. Everyone in the city benefits from fewer false alarm calls.

If it is a real crime has taken place, the alarm holder is not billed for the incident since the alarm did its designated purpose and thwarted or alerted the police department of a criminal incident. If it is a false alarm, the alarm holder has three free false alarms in a calendar year before the city begins charging the property owner. Once fees are incurred, the fourth false alarm is $100, the fifth $200 and the sixth and consecutive alarms are $300.

The ultimate goal is a year with zero false alarms. However lofty, it’s good to have goals. Until such time as that happens, we continue to try to educate people regarding the resources false alarm response consumes. It is up to each alarm holder to train themselves, their family and anyone given access to the building on proper system operation. It is also important to set up a system and response plan that works best for your unique situation. Make sure that your alarm is free of dust and dirt. Also take into account building needs such as pets, loading doors, deliveries and irregular business hours.

For more information on how to prevent false alarms, please contact your alarm company or the public safety alarm reduction team at 952-949-6200. We’re happy to help!

Submitted by Jenna Scadden, EPPD Administrative Assistant

The purchase of the Prius helps the city to meet its 20-40-15 initiative which calls for the City to improve energy efficiency in all of its facilities by 20 percent, increase the fuel efficiency of its vehicle fleet by 40 percent, and accomplish these goals by the year 2015.  

Other efforts the Police Department has undertaken to reduce fuel consumption include utilizing LED lighting in cars which reduces the amount of energy needed and purchasing more fuel efficient vehicles including squad cars, Animal Control vehicles and investigator cars. 

While the Prius is not practical for replacing response squads, city staff will be using it to evaluate other possible uses within the city’s fleet.