Thursday, May 16, 2013
Chief Vonhof: “To reduce delays and the number of crashes related to the construction zones, it is advisable to plan ahead and take an alternate route if you can.”
Many motorists driving around Lakeville this summer will think the saying that in Minnesota we have only two seasons: winter and road construction, could not be more accurate. We have just finished (hopefully) with a spring of record breaking snowfalls and now, almost right after the snowplows are finishing clearing the streets of snow, there are a number of State of Minnesota, Dakota County, and City of Lakeville roadway repair and improvement projects going on across the city that will last until the end of this year. The first project is the bridge and roadway work on Interstate 35E in Burnsville started last weekend that has closed southbound I-35E traffic for 30 days. That will be followed by roadway work on I-35E through Burnsville …
Friday, May 3, 2013
The LPD Police Reserve Officer Academy teaches the new Police Reserve Officers the basic skills and knowledge that they need to perform their duties.
The 2013 Police Reserve Officer Academy graduation was held Tuesday night to recognize our eight new Police Reserve Officers’ successful completion of the academy. Mayor Matt Little spoke at the ceremony, thanking the new recruits for their demonstration of service to our community in volunteering to be Police Reserve Officers. The ceremony culminated with the Police Reserve Officers being presented with their badges by Reserve Captain Heidi Krane. Family and friends of the new officers attended the ceremony as well. The LPD Police Reserve Officer Academy teaches the new Police Reserve Officers the basic skills and knowledge that they need to perform their duties. The Academy was coordinated by the Police Reserve Liaison Officer Mike …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Police investigate hit and run crash where offending vehicle left license plate at the scene.
Officer Ron Hvinden responded to a report of a car fire in a parking lot of a local retail store one morning this week. When Officer Hvinden arrived on the scene, he found the engine compartment of a parked 2005 Jeep fully engulfed in flames. The driver told Officer Hvinden that the vehicle’s engine was acting up when he pulled into the parking lot and that then the fire started in the engine compartment. Lakeville Fire Department units arrived on the scene and quickly extinguished the blaze. No one was injured but the vehicle was a total loss. LICENSE PLATE LEFT AT SCENE OF HIT AND RUN Officers are called to investigate crime scenes frequently where there is no physical evidence available to be collected that will be useful in furthering…
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
A warrant check revealed that the subject had an active arrest warrant out for him.
Sgt. Jay Castonguay was on patrol and found a subject living in his car in a parking lot. A warrant check revealed that the subject had an active arrest warrant out for him. The subject, who had apparently evaded the warrant by living in his car, was arrested and placed in Dakota County Jail. Editor's note: the suspect in this case was deliberately living out of his car instead of his home in order to avoid arrest. He was not a homeless man.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Officer Adam Stier, fearing that he was going to be hit, jumped towards the ditch. The vehicle did not reduce its speed and nearly struck the back of his squad, just swerving at the last moment to avoid collision.
Law enforcement can be very dangerous work. Every year thousands of officers are feloniously assaulted and injured in the line of duty or, even more tragically, killed. What many people in the public do not realize is the number of officers that are killed or injured when they are struck by passing vehicles, while out on our roadways enforcing traffic laws. It is estimated that over 150 officers have been killed across our country since 1999 while on the roadway and struck by passing vehicles. Since 2006, Minnesota has had a “move over” law that requires motorists to move one lane over when an emergency vehicle with flashing lights activated (ambulance, law enforcement, fire, towing, and also maintenance or construction vehicles) is on …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The driver’s vehicle was towed and impounded and the driver was issued another citation for the new violation.
Officer Chad Loeffler was on patrol when he stopped a vehicle for speeding one night recently. Upon checking on the driver’s current license status, he found that the driver did not have a valid license. Officer Loeffler also found that the driver had received another citation just five hours earlier for the same offense of Driving After Suspension of driver’s license. The driver’s vehicle was towed and impounded and the driver was issued another citation for the new violation.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
A driver was told by police to get a ride home because he had been smoking marijuana. He thought to ask his grandmother, until he realized she had been smoking, too.
Officer Tom Stewart was on patrol one night recently and he stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. During the course of interviewing the driver on the traffic stop, he became aware that the driver had been smoking marijuana. Officer Stewart told the driver that he should call someone to pick him up from the location of the traffic stop. The driver thought for a second and then almost talking to himself said, “I should call my grandma to pick me, but she smokes marijuana too, so maybe not." Other arrangements were made to have the driver transported from the traffic stop.
Last Saturday, we hosted our annual City of Lakeville rabies clinic at the Lakeville Police Station.
Officer Nic Stevens was training Officer Sarah Brockman on her first day in Field Training as a police officer one morning this week when they responded to a property damage crash. During the course of investigation of the crash, the officers discovered that the passenger in one of the vehicles had active arrest warrants for narcotics. The officers arrested the subject and also found suspected narcotics. The officers transported the subject to Dakota County Jail on the warrants and the pending narcotics possession charges. RABIES CLINIC Last Saturday, we hosted our annual City of Lakeville rabies clinic at the Lakeville Police Station. This annual event is designed to give pet owners (dogs and cats) the opportunity to come in and have …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
This past Monday, February 25, the Minnesota MADD organization held their Minnesota Statewide Recognition Awards ceremony at the Minnesota Science Museum in St. Paul.
The past few weeks of February, it has seemed to snow almost every day. While we have not had any huge snowstorms yet, a couple of inches of snow can make the commute difficult for motorists and a very busy day for the patrol officers working. That was the case last Friday morning when Sergeant John Kornmann’s patrol team was on duty and the strong wind created near blizzard conditions. Sergeant Kornmann’s daily shift notes indicated: “Officers worked nine crashes or assists to the State Patrol on I-35 before noon. I-35 was a mess from 0730 until about 1100 a. m. One person was injured after the driver lost control of her Ford and her vehicle rear ended a semi. The actual number was much higher than nine incidents as we aided State Patrol …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Man who drove into snow bank was extremely intoxicated.
Officer James Stevens was on patrol one night recently when he responded to a report of a vehicle stuck in a snow bank. Officer Stevens located the vehicle and, after talking with the driver, soon discovered why the vehicle was lodged in the snow bank. The driver appeared extremely intoxicated. A portable breath test administered to the driver indicated that he was over three times the legal limit. Officer Stevens arrested the driver who was jailed on DUI charges and the vehicle was towed and impounded.
Erin C.
9:29 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013
I didn't know I-35W went through Lakeville... more ›