Lakeville Police Happy for Minnesota's Warm Winter Weather

It is really very hard not to look out at the unbelievably warm weather that we have been enjoying this entire winter and not think about how cold and/or snowy it could be at this time of the year. It must be something about living in Minnesota, that we all have a special appreciation that everyday we have that is over 60 degrees is one less day of winter.

It is the same with the men and women working in law enforcement. A good portion of police work occurs out in the elements and officers have a special appreciation of how difficult winter weather can make ccomplishing even the simplest tasks. There is a general rule of thumb among officers that the worse the weather is, the longer you will probably have to stand outside directing traffic or investigating a crime scene.

Usually, at this point in March during a normal winter, we are preparing our four wheel drive vehicles for the final big snow storm that seems to come each year right around the middle of the month during the High School sports tournaments.

This year, that is unlikely to occur as we are in the middle of a record breaking string of 60 and 70 degree days with no snow cover at all on the ground. As a result of this warm weather the nature of the calls that have come in to our patrol division has changed as well. Rather than fighting their way through snow covered and icy roadways that are common during March, our officers are spending more time dealing with issues that we see more commonly in April and May.

Officer Wubben was on patrol this past week and stopped one motorist for going 91 in a 55 zone, another for going 80 and, a short while later, a third motorist for going 30 miles over the speed limit in a 70 MPH zone. Traffic violations like those just don’t occur when there is two feet of snow on the ground and the roadways are ice covered. All in all, I am sure the officers, like most of us, would prefer the warm weather to the alternative. I am
sure next winter will be back to a normal Minnesota winter.

Weekly Snapshot

Sampling of LPD activity for the week of March 7 to March 14, 2012

Traffic crashes 5, Alarms 24, Animal Calls 20, Medical Emergency Calls 19, Thefts 8, Traffic Stops 275

Fraudulant "Sweepstakes" Scheme 

Officer Troy Hokanson took a fraud report recently in which a person was contacted and told that they had won a large sum of money, but that they would have to pay an amount of money in order to collect their winnings. These types of fraud schemes come up from time to time and, unfortunately, are often successful in stealing substantial sums of money
from trusting individuals.

The greatest challenge with investigating these cases for our investigators is that the suspects, who perpetrate these crimes of theft, are often based in foreign countries all around the world. The best protection against being a victim of this type of fraud is to first remember that if an offer seems to be too good to be true, then it probably is not true. Another good way to avoid being victimized is to check with a relative or trusted person about any offers that sound suspicious. We really hate to see people victimized
by these types of fraud crimes.

Annual Spring Rabies Vaccination Clinic Saturday

Each year, Animal Control Officer Barb Maxwell organizes a Rabies Vaccination Clinic in coordination with Southfork Animal Hospital here at the PD. This provides a convenient way for our citizens who are animal owners to have their pets vaccinated against rabies.

The Rabies Vaccination Clinic this year will be held this Saturday, March 17 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The cost for the rabies vaccination is $12.

Lakeville citizens will be required to purchase a dog license at the clinic, if their dog is not currently licensed. The cost for the dog license is $18 for a spayed/neutered dog or $28 for a dog that is not altered.

The Rabies Vaccination Clinic is available for any dog owner to attend, and the clinic has been publicized throughout Lakeville as well as the surrounding cities of Farmington, Apple Valley, and Burnsville. Animal Control Officer Maxwell reminds animal owners coming to the clinic to make sure that they bring their dogs on leash and that cats be kenneled. The weather this year for the clinic is supposed to be beautiful, so we do
anticipate that it will be a busy morning.

Dumb Criminal of the Week

Officers Doyle Cockrell and Bob Doerfler responded to a disturbing the peace call in a residential neighborhood recently. When they arrived on the scene, they learned that a young person had been banging on a door so loudly that they woke up several neighbors down the street. The officers went to the residence where the noise was coming from and made contact with the 20-year-old person who had been banging on the door. The
officers found, perhaps not surprisingly, that the person causing the disturbance had been consuming alcoholic beverages. The officers cited the young person for Minor Consumption of Alcohol. The time of the call: 6:24 a.m.

Have a great week!