Starting today, my blog will undergo some changes. While I will still provide occasional commentary on issues that I feel inclined to address, there will be a daily "snapshot" of some significant calls which have occurred from the previous day (starting at 5am) through 5am on the day of the blog's publication. Some days are clearly more chaotic than others, but our hope is that the blog will be refreshed by noon each day.
The impetus for this change dates back to late last spring (April). I decided to provide our policy makers (Mayor and Alders) an overnight synthesis of calls which I deemed "significant." These calls were "significant" by my metrics only insofar as they were incidents which involve crime(s) that were noteworthy or labor/time intensive and/or serve as a barometer of trends that our officers are dealing with. For example: a serious traffic crash involving personal injuries, a substantial battery, heroin overdoses, mental illness subjects who are being helped with an episodic break of some sort, etc. are among the "typical" items that I shared. I felt it was important for our elected officials to have a deeper understanding and insight relative to the challenges our officers are dealing with on a daily basis. Additionally, I thought it was important to point out how often MPD is forced to go to "priority calls only;" those instances when the seriousness/volume of calls for service exceed our capacity issues (This is particularly worrisome to me as I continue to field complaints from constituents who are unhappy that we cannot always send officers to "their" calls for service).
The overnight "snapshot" is by no means indicative of ALL the calls for service that MPD responds to. I will summarize the total calls-for-service (CFS) in each daily snapshot to serve as a reminder that the reader is only viewing the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Also, as I want to scrupulously maintain privacy interests of victims as well as not compromise an ongoing investigation, the names/addresses/unique modus operandi of the various calls will be "sanitized." For example: "At 6pm, MPD officers responded to the 4800 block of Mineral Point Road to take a report of a crash. Upon arrival, officers found a 28-yr-old WM who acknowledged driving the vehicle and had a pronounced odor of alcohol emanating from his person and his vehicle. The subject was placed through field sobriety tests and failed. Subject was subsequently placed under arrest and conveyed to jail."
While the Department does a good job in putting information out to the media through press releases, phone call inquiries, interview requests and incident summaries through our Public Information Officer and web site, I want to be able to provide a one-stop, easily accessed method for giving people a quick overview of what the MPD is encountering. Since the blog is easily accessible under my picture on our web site, my hope is that this will be helpful to people who don't want to hunt for their news of police incidents occurring during the past 24 hours.
I will deem this initiative a "pilot" project. . .because, as we all know, a "pilot" by definition can never fail. It's a "pilot!"
MPD Daily Significant Calls for 07/30/2017 to 07/31/2017:
From 5:30am on 7/30/17 through 5:30am on 7/31/17, MPD received 377 calls for service. This number does not include parking complaints or 911 misdials.
1) WEST: Death Investigation - 12:26 pm. Officers were sent to the 2900 block of McKinley after neighbors called due to concerns for an ill resident. Officers arrived at the residence in question and found the subject (WM, 67yo) dead. It appears to have been death by natural causes. Medical Examiner on scene.
2) EAST: Domestic Disturbance – 1:34pm. Officers responded to the 100 block of Corry Street reference a domestic disturbance between the suspect (WF, 35yo) and the victim (WM, 34yo). Today's incident was a fight over money. The suspect wanted cash to purchase alcohol and the victim refused. The victim attempted to leave the residence and the suspect blocked the door and refused to let him go. To avoid a physical altercation, the victim locked himself in bathroom and called 911. The suspect left the scene, was spotted by responding officers, and a brief foot pursuit resulted. The suspect was arrested and had a BAC level of 0.369. She was charged with domestic disorderly conduct, domestic false imprisonment, and resisting arrest.
3) NORTH: Death Investigation – 2:22pm. Officers were dispatched to the 2800 block of Myrtle Street reference the resident (WM, 65yo) not being observed in three weeks. Officers made entry on the scene and found the resident deceased. It appeared to be death by natural causes. Medical Examiner notified
4) EAST: Attempt to Locate – 3:18pm. Officers traveled to the 5300 block of Park Meadow Dr in an attempt to locate a wanted suspect (AAM, 35yo). The suspect was wanted on a Probation & Parole (P&P) sex offender warrant. Upon arriving on scene, officers observed the suspect departing in a vehicle and attempted to make contact. While approaching the suspect vehicle, the suspect ignored uniformed officers and backed from the driveway. At that time the suspect almost hit an officer and sped away from the scene. Officers conducted a short pursuit before it was terminated by a scene supervisor. While officers are still on scene, the suspect returned to the area driving at a high rate speed and almost hit three marked police units. Due to the reckless behavior, officers did not pursue a second time and the suspect was last observed driving in the Eagle Crest and Commercial Drive area. Probable cause (PC) now exists for recklessly endangering safety and eluding. Investigation continuing.
5) SOUTH: Mental Health Evaluation - 6:46pm. Officers were sent to a local hospital reference a patient who was in a mental health crisis and becoming violent (including punching a doctor and grabbing a nurse). The suspect (WM, 36yo) was evaluated by police and Journey, who decided on an emergency detention. He was transported to Winnebago Hospital with charges pending for his actions toward hospital staff.
6) WEST: Missing Juvenile/Runaway – 6:56pm. Frequent runaway juvenile (AAF, 13yo) departed from her father's residence in Verona at 3:30 PM. The mother, who resides on the west side of Madison, reported her as a runaway. She was last observed in the Atticus Way area and suffers from cognitive disabilities; however, mom stated that she functions well enough to avoid trouble. Officers checked the area and were unable to locate her. She was listed as a runaway and Verona was notified of the current investigation.
7) CENTRAL: Check Person - 8:24pm. Officers were sent to check on a victim (WF, 52yo) who thought she might have been sexually assaulted. During their investigation, officers took her report and noted she also had a facial injury, but she refused to disclose to officers how she received it. After a medical clearance, she was taken to Detox.
8) NORTH: Weapons Offense - 9:40pm. Officers were sent to a hotel in the 4800 block of Hayes Rd reference an accidental gun discharge. Officers contacted a suspect (WM, 43yo) who was staying at the hotel. He was getting ready for bed when he unloaded his gun. He then had an accidental discharge, with the bullet going through the wall into an adjacent room. No one was injured. The suspect was cooperative with police and hotel staff. He was cited and released.
9) CENTRAL: Substantial Battery - 10:11pm. The victim (WM, 34yo) and his girlfriend were at a park in the 800 block of E Gorham St when a red Ford Explorer pulls in behind them. A suspect (WM, 20 to 30yo) from this vehicle begins to make disparaging comments about the female. This leads to a confrontation between the suspect and the victim. The victim gets punched once, causing an injury which needs stitches. The suspect was described as having short brown hair and a white tank top. The suspect fled the scene and the investigation is ongoing.
10) EAST: Check Person - 12:12am. Dispatch received a call from a son who was following his father (AAM, 36yo) in the 200 block of Swanton Rd. The son said the dad was walking in traffic, stopping cars, and trying to start fights with passersby. Officers contacted the father, who was highly intoxicated but initially cooperative. Officers decided to take the father to Detox for the night, but the father refused and slammed his head into a squad car, breaking a window. Officers were able to stabilize the suspect, but he continued to fight and had to be placed into restraints. He was arrested for resisting and criminal damage to property. He was medically cleared at the hospital and transported to jail.
11) EAST: Weapons Violation - 1:36pm. Three victims (AAM, 42yo; AAF, 23yo; AAM, 17yo) were at a gas station near the 3000 block of E Washington Ave. There was some type of altercation between them and the suspects. The victims then left in their vehicle but are followed by the suspects. The suspects then followed the victims off and on for approximately 40 minutes. At one point, both vehicles are on N Thompson Dr near the roundabout when the suspects shot at the victim vehicle. No one was hit and it is believed the vehicle was not hit either. The victims were followed a little bit longer until they evaded the suspect vehicle and drove home. It was only then that one of the victim's mothers convinced them to call police. The victims could only describe the suspects as AAMs, one who was light skinned with dreadlocks. The victims didn't have a motive for the shooting. The suspect vehicle was described as a late 1990s tan four-door that was possibly a Toyota Camry.
12) EAST: Weapons Violation - 1:51am. The victim (HM, 27yo) was involved in a fight at a bowling alley in the 2100 block of East Springs Dr. After the fight, the victim drove away. When he stopped at the intersection of East Springs Dr and Zeier Rd, a vehicle pulled up next to him. He believed the people in the suspect vehicle were also involved in the fight. The driver of the suspect vehicle then displayed a handgun to the victim. The suspect then drove away. The suspect was described as a HM, overweight, bald and approximately 30yo. The victim then drove home, but believed a second car that was also involved in the fight followed him to his residence. This car was described as a silver VW Jetta. There was no interaction between the victim and the people in this car. Investigation continuing.