This is the 3rd East District Newsletter for 2004.
On Sunday, Feb. 8 at approx.
battered at the Buckeye Inn. The suspect had fled on foot. The
Buckeye Inn has been known to be a place frequented by
motorcycle club
members. The victim was identified
as a 55 yr old man who is a member
of the CC Riders Motorcycle
Club. The suspect, who was arrested a
short distance away is believed to
be a member of the Hell's Angels
Motorcycle Club. It is possible
that the suspect targeted the victim because his attire
indicated he was associated with
the CC Riders.
Attempted Child
Enticement
On Feb. 4, at approx.
stopped by them on
ride. The girls declined and walked back towards
the school until the
van left. The incident was reported 2 days later. The
van is
described as an old, beat up,
bluish gray with one headlight missing.
The occupants were described as Hispanic males, late teens
or early
20's. The passenger had dark, short
spiky hair.
Vehicle fire
investigation
On Feb 7 at
the 600 blk
N. Fair Oaks Av. The caller reported hearing a loud
explosion and finding the vehicle
on fire. We were unable to locate
the owner. Madison Fire is investigating.
Strong Arm Robbery
A 21 yr old man was walking near the Mobil Mart at
asked if he wanted to buy some
drugs. The man stated he wasn't
interested. The man was chased by the 3 teenagers who
punched him
several times and took his
wallet. The suspects are black males,
17-19 yrs old, 5'6", 5'8" and
5'10", between 135-155 lbs.
Burglaries, Thefts and Damaged Property Reported after Feb.
6.
Criminal Damage to
Property
residence was broken.
were
damaged by paint balls shot at them. The pinballs
were blue/green
or red in
color.
Thefts
taken from
the metal rack in front.
o Stolen
Snow Blower from
o On
Feb 8 two pictures in frames were taken from the community room of
the Scheel House,
o Theft
from auto, Feb.6- 7, 200 blk Thompson Dr. Driver's side window
smashed
and a Pioneer CD changer console taken.
o
wheels
were taken off of a 99 BMW parked in the lot of Brube
Car
Sales
East District Inservice
We are currently providing one day of training for our East
District
officers. One of the topics is presented by Fire Dept.
personnel. It
involves a discussion on rescues
from burning buildings.
It is not unusual for officers to arrive at a burning
building before
the Fire Dept. Imagine an officer on the scene of a burning
building
with several persons telling
him/her that there is a person inside the
building. The officers feel an overwhelming personal
duty and a public
expectation to try to rescue the person.
During the presentation by the Fire Dept. we learned that
any attempt
to make a rescue endangers not only
the officer, but also the person in
the building. Any time a door or window to a burning
building is
opened, it will likely result in
the flames spreading much more quickly
or an explosion. Smoke generated by the materials inside of a
building
are extremely toxic even in small
amounts.
Just as police have tactical training to approach an armed
suspect in
the safest possible manner, fire
fighters use tactical training to
approach a burning building. Their actions, based on their training and
use of specialized equipment,
increases the likelihood of a successful
rescue.
Unfortunately, knowing this doesn't make it any easier for
an officer
to stand by and wait for
firefighters to arrive when family members or
friends are frantically screaming
that someone is in the building. It
is another demonstration of the
difficult and sometimes heart wrenching
decisions officers must make when
balancing their duty to save a life
against endangering their own.
Situational Awareness
- Do you have it?
Situational awareness is the ability to notice what is going
on around
you even while you are engaged in another activity. At the very least,
lack of situational awareness can cause you to annoy others. Ever
notice when two people stop to talk in the middle of a busy hallway or
sidewalk, totally unaware that
others are struggling to get past them?
At the very worst, lack of situational awareness can
contribute to you
becoming a victim of a crime. Think about the last time you left a
grocery store or the mall to walk
to your car. Was your attention
focused on trying to juggle your
bags while getting your car key out
and thinking about where you had to
go next? Or were you looking
around the parking lot for any
suspicious persons that may be waiting
to prey on you?
I remember walking with several of my girlfriends through a
mall
parking lot in
following us. None of my friends noticed. I turned and began to
watch the boys as we walked. The boys saw me watching and turned
around and wandered off in a
different direction. We'll never know
what their intentions might have
been, and that's okay with me.
I remember my mother telling me that when she was a young
woman
working in
after dark. She would walk down the middle of the
deserted streets.
She figured that if someone was lurking in an alley or
doorway, she
would have a chance to see them
approaching and take action.
While you practice situational awareness, you can teach your
children
to be more aware of their
surroundings without making them afraid.
Point out people you see and make a comment about them or
what they
are doing. Something as simple as: "That man
doesn't have any bags.
He must not have found what he was shopping for." or " I wonder
why that
boy is standing across the street." Very innocent comments like these
can teach your child to notice the
people around them and to think
about what the person might be
doing.
Your situational awareness may also protect others from
being
victimized. You may witness a suspicious person watching
or
approaching someone else. By simply making sure the suspicious person
knows you are watching, you can
prevent a crime.
That's all for now. Be careful.
Be safe.