Eden Prairie Police Department Blog

This year Eden Prairie city facilities, including City Center, the Police Department, the Community Center and the Senior Center, will serve as drop sites for Toys for Tots now through Wednesday, December 18. Toys for Tots accepts new, unwrapped toys and games for kids at locations throughout the Twin Cities (they cannot accept clothing, food or liquid products).

At City Center and the Police Department (8080 Mitchell Road), the Community Center (16700 Valley View Road), and the Senior Center (8950 Eden Prairie Road) look for the Toys for Tots logo near the front desks of each building.

In addition, from 1:00- 4:00 on Saturday, December 14, EPPD staff and a squad car will be in the atrium area outside the lower level of JCPenney at Eden Prairie Center to collect toys.

Law enforcement has unique relationship with Toys for Tots. Each year employees from law enforcement agencies all over the Twin Cities collect toys and load them into squad cars for a procession to the KARE11 studios in Golden Valley where the toys are unloaded and eventually distributed to children who would otherwise not receive a holiday gift.

As Thanksgiving approaches this week, we at the EPPD have much to be thankful for. 2013 was a challenging year with a number of heartbreaking tragedies including the disappearance and death of Mandy Matula. In the midst of managing these tough situations, the EPPD has received strength and support from many people and for that we are extremely thankful.

We are thankful to the Eden Prairie Crime Prevention Fund for providing meals to staff working overtime who have to miss mealtimes with their own families, for providing financial support for programs and materials that bring safety messages to the community and for the time the Crime Fund members volunteer to help make Eden Prairie a safer community.

We are thankful to the families of EPPD staff for the sacrifices they make when their loved ones can’t make it to family dinner, their child’s sporting event or bedtime because they are working to heal someone else’s family.

We are thankful to the employees of the other departments in the City of Eden Prairie for the many ways they support us – keeping our vehicles running, managing our budget, providing technical assistance and offering emotional support during the bleakest days.

And finally, we are thankful for the residents of Eden Prairie who have shown time and again how invested they are in this community and how committed they are to making Eden Prairie a safe and caring place to live. We are grateful for the calls, emails, cards, food and other support we have received in the past year. It is a continual reminder of why we chose a profession that we hope makes a difference.

We wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving.

Each year officers in the EPPD vote for their choice for Officer of the Year, an award that is give to an officer who provides quality service to the community and goes beyond expectations, displays a genuine enthusiasm about working as a police officer, has a sense of personal responsibility for moving the organization and its members forward and exhibits actions that are consistent with the department’s mission and vision.

This year’s recipient is Officer Travis Brown. Officer Brown began working for the Eden Prairie Police Department three years ago, in 2010. He has spent his tenure in Eden Prairie as a patrol officer and Use of Force instructor. 

Officer Brown is known as hard worker who has made his mark in traffic enforcement. In his first full year on the department Officer Brown made nearly 800 traffic stops and since that time has continued to make traffic enforcement a priority.

In his work as a Use of Force instructor, Officer Brown has demonstrated his leadership skills through his ability to effectively lead a class. He has a reputation as a knowledgeable and patient instructor who emphasizes the safety of the officers he is instructing. 

Officer Brown is tenacious and focused in his work. He has demonstrated an intelligent aggressiveness towards narcotics violations, traffic enforcement and call response by utilizing his training and experience. Officer Brown is also consistently fair and open-minded.  Time after time, he has demonstrated his positive attitude, excellent work ethic and willingness to help his partners and co-workers throughout the department.

Officer Brown received his award at today’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony. The EPPD congratulates Officer Brown on this accomplishment and thanks him for his service to the community.

Just in time for the first snowfall of the season, November 4 – 8 has been designated as Winter Hazard Awareness Week by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and National Weather Service. The week is a time for Minnesotans to take a few minutes to prepare for the upcoming winter weather.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as the temperature drops and the snow flies:

• Prepare a winter survival kit for your car including: a First Aid kit, plastic flashlight with spare batteries, snack foods for energy, extra mittens or gloves, a blanket, jumper cables, road flares and candles and matches to melt snow for drinking water.
• If you become stranded while driving, never leave your vehicle. Your chances of survival greatly increase if you stay put.
• Stay at least five car lengths behind a snowplow, far from the snow cloud. Last year in Minnesota there were 72 crashes in Minnesota involving vehicles that hit snowplows.
• Follow these thin ice guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: For new, clear ice: if it’s 2 inches or less, stay off; 4 inches is ok for ice fishing or other activities on foot; 5 inches is ok for a snowmobile or ATV; 8 to 12 inches is ok for a car or small pickup; 12 to 15 inches is ok for a medium truck.
• Cold puts an extra strain on your heart. Heavy exertion such as shoveling snow can increase the risk of heart attack. Rest frequently, stay hydrated and warm extremities frequently.  
• If you suspect you may have frostbite (burning, numbness, tingling, itching or cold sensations), go to warm place as soon as possible and then seek medical attention. Gently warm the affected area – never rub it. Soak the area in lukewarm water until it appears red and feels warm. Avoid breaking any blisters.

In 2012, 17 people were arrested for fleeing from police in Eden Prairie. The number to date in 2013 is seven, including one person who fled from police last week.

On the evening of Oct. 15, EPPD Dispatch received a call that three people who were suspected shoplifters were leaving Eden Prairie Center and were being followed by mall security. When an officer arrived and attempted to halt the suspect’s SUV, it drove out of the mall parking lot and towards the intersection of West 78^th Street and Prairie Center Drive.

The SUV was speeding towards a red light when a large truck drove through the intersection causing the SUV driver to slam on its brakes and spin 180 degrees on the rain-slicked road. The officer drove right next to the SUV in an attempt to pin it to the curb and stop it from moving. However the SUV backed up and starting driving northbound in the southbound lane of Prairie Center Drive.

The officer then used a technique called Pursuit Intervention Technique, or PIT, a trained control technique where a police car contacts a fleeing vehicle in a controlled manner that causes the car to stop abruptly.

In this case, when the officer employed PIT, the SUV spun 180 degrees and rested against a curb. The SUV driver attempted to start driving again, forcing the officer to drive his squad car into the SUV where it finally stopped moving. Officers then ordered the three passengers out of the vehicle at gunpoint.

After searching the vehicle, officers confiscated over $1,200 worth of stolen goods. The driver was charged with fleeing police, theft by shoplifting, 2^nd degree DWI and driving after cancellation. The other two suspects were charged with theft by shoplifting. 

While police do not often need to use PIT, it is a valuable tool to help ensure the safety of our roads. Last week it helped to get an impaired driver off the streets before causing any tragic consequences.

Sgt. Eric LeBlanc of the Crime Tech Unit demonstrates how to dust for fingerprints

The cold and blustery weather last Saturday didn’t keep visitors away from the Police, Fire and Public Works Open House! Those who braved the chilly conditions had a chance to watch a Minnesota State Patrol helicopter land in the parking lot behind Fire Station 1. Kids got a chance to see the helicopter up close by climbing on board. 

The EPPD’s newest K-9, Jace, and his handler, Officer Jenny Schnickel, made their Open House debut, demonstrating the new skills they have been working on since Jace joined the department last spring. They were joined by K-9 Brix and his partner, Officer Jess Irmiter. Visitors were also able to dust for fingerprints with members of the Crime Tech Unit and practice their negotiating skills with the Crisis Negotiations Unit.

In addition, the Police Department had displays on our Emergency Response Unit, Crisis Intervention Team, Car seat Safety, Traffic Unit, Animal Control, Commercial Vehicle Inspections, Chaplains, Reserves, Identity Theft, Crime Prevention and Crime Prevention Fund.

Officer Jenny Schnickel and K-9 Jace

A big thank you to all who came out to visit us this year!

EPPD Officer Erica Coy and Brooklyn Park Officer Andrew Dickman lit candles at the vigil. Photo credit: Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune

On Monday night approximately 100 people gathered at Purgatory Creek Park in Eden Prairie to remember those who have been victimized by domestic violence in 2013. The event was hosted by Cornerstone Advocacy Service and attended by law enforcement officials from around the metro area.

At the vigil Eden Prairie Police Chaplain Sharon Predovich read a poem which she wrote for the program:

We light a candle to remember the lost,

Some who died with such a great cost.

We remember their life and who they were,

The ones we knew of and the ones we hold dear.

We look at their life as a light in the night.

We honor them and chose not to forget their fight,

A fight for freedom, for fairness, truth and kindness to all,

A fight for dignity, honor and breaking down of a wall,

A wall of hurt, pain, confusion, loss and fear,

A wall that separates and keeps things unclear.

Tonight let’s pray that these barriers and walls fall,

And we find a path of peace and justice in the midst of it all.

On Saturday, October 12 you can help bring an end to distracted driving simply by walking around Purgatory Creek Park with hundreds of other concerned citizens at the 2013 Raksha Walk MN to End Distracted Driving. The Walk benefits the Shreya R. Dixit Memorial Foundation whose mission is “to champion the observance of safe and distraction-free driving practices, raise awareness in the community about dangers of districted driving and encourage drivers to be mindful of the safety of other drivers and passengers on the road.” The Foundation was started in memory of Shreya R. Dixit, an Eden Prairie resident who was killed in a distracted driving crash while on her way home from college in 2007.

The Foundation has allocated thirty $200 stipends for need-qualified drivers education students who are registered in a state-approved program. Since its inception the Foundation has: produced a documentary that it provides free to drivers’ education schools, high schools and community organizations; awarded scholarships to college-bound seniors to take the message of safe driving with them to college; and participated in the Minnesota Teen Drive Safety peer-to-peer education program with the Minnesota Safety Council and Toward Zero Deaths program.

This year’s walk will take place on Saturday, October 12 at 9:00 a.m. at the Purgatory Creek Park Pavilion located at 13001 Technology Drive in Eden Prairie. Participants can register for the 5K Run/Walk or the 10K Run.