This past week the Rolla Police Department handled 768 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 34 arrests, 20 accidents, 66 traffic complaints, 87 traffic stops, 8 suspicious nature calls, 7 recovered property reports, 12 loud noise complaints, 26 assists of other agencies, 9 fingerprint requests, 4 mental health calls, 4 prowler calls, 36 animal calls, 11 alarms and 3 trespassing calls. This call total is up 36 calls from last week. Another busy week!
On October 2, 2010 at approximately 10:20 PM, the Rolla Police Department received a 911 call regarding an armed robbery that had just occurred at the Country Mart grocery store located in the 1000 block of Forum Drive in Rolla, Missouri. A single suspect, dressed in a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, dark-colored jacket, and blue jeans, entered the business armed with an edged-weapon. The suspect threatened several employees and demanded money. The suspect was able to obtain cash from the business and then fled on foot running north through the parking lot towards Forum Drive. A search of the area by law enforcement officers was conducted but the suspect was not located, however evidence from the crime scene, along with the weapon used and the clothing of the suspect, was found nearby the scene of the robbery. The amount of money stolen and further details are not being disclosed at this time. None of the victims involved sustained any injuries.
On October 4, 2010 the Rolla Police Department's Division of Criminal Investigations Unit received a tip on the identity of a possible suspect in this crime. After receiving the tip, Detectives and Uniformed Officers began following up on the tip. The suspect was later located and questioned regarding this robbery. A search warrant was later obtained for the suspect's residence located in the 1900 block of Farrar Drive. Seized during the execution of the search warrant was marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a substantial amount of money believed to have been stolen during the robbery. Arrested was Marquis D. Robinson age 34 of Rolla, Missouri. Robinson was arrested for 1st Degree Robbery, Armed Criminal Action, Felonious Restraint, Possession of Marijuana & Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Robinson was later incarcerated in the Phelps County Jail, pending warrant application. "The apprehension of this suspect is yet another example of the teamwork in our community. Had it not been for that one tip, we may have never identified the suspect or solved this crime. I am extremely proud of the efforts of the officers who investigated this serious crime." In appreciation for his service to the Rolla Police Department and the Rolla community, I presented the citizen (who wishes to remain anonymous) who contacted us with the confidential tip, the Rolla Police Department Certificate of Appreciation for his contribution.
On October 05, 2010 at approximately 11:45 a.m., The Rolla Police Department was notified of two suspicious acting individuals who were attempting to pawn several weapons at a local pawn shop. Upon arrival of the initial responding units, officers encountered two white male individuals outside the establishment near a vehicle with out of state registration. Upon investigation by the responding officers it was determined that the vehicle had been reported as stolen in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on October 03, 2010. Officers quickly detained the two individuals. As a result of the ensuing investigation, officers discovered 6 firearms and camping gear which had been reported as stolen during the burglary of an Outdoor Store in Watertown, New York on October 01, 2010. Further investigation revealed that the two had robbed a hunter at gunpoint in Pennsylvania and had stolen his vehicle and crossbow after assaulting him. Arrested was Philip E. Hemminger, age 18 of Black River, New York, and Andrew M. O’Connor, age 19 of Carthae, New York. Hemminger & O'Connor were arrested and charged with Receiving Stolen Property. Both were incarcerated in the Phelps County Jail in lieu of a $400,000.00 bond, and pending extradition back to Pennsylvania and New York where they will face additional charges in those jurisdictions."The arrests of these two armed criminals were a direct result of our citizens cooperating and notifying law enforcement of suspicious activity, for that I would like to thank them for their initiative." In appreciation of his service to the Rolla Police Department and to the citizens of our community, I presented Chad Warren, owner of Warren Pawn and Gun of Rolla, the Rolla Police Department Certificate of Appreciation for his actions.
This next entry is a letter sent to me by a citizen in our community that was experiencing a bad reaction to prescribed medication. The citizen writes: I wanted to thank the officers who assisted me on September 9th, 2010. I believe they were, Sgt. Frey, Cpl. Dillon and SPO Davis. I was having a very bad reaction to some medication that was prescribed by Pathways, and I did not catch the reaction before I had totally destabilized. Not only were they very helpful, they helped keep my little dog, Annie, a standard cairn terrier who was in a puppy mill for 9 and a half years before I got her. My social worker was going to keep her, and they were instrumental in getting her to a safe place in the apartment and contacting her to come get her because I knew I was going to have to go into the hospital for a few days at least. She is very important to me, as a companion and therapeutic aid for my depression and anxiety. These men went above and beyond the call of duty, treating me so gently and so well until an ambulance could arrive and assess my situation. I was very upset about the situation and they were calm and reassuring to me about Annie and that I needed help, which I knew. I am active on the facebook page, and I got the names from there. My great appreciation needs to be passed along to these fine men, and I think they need a special thanks and recognition for their aid in my time of confusion and darkness. Please pass this note along to them, and let them know that they represent the best of our men in blue! Great job to Sgt. John Frey, Cpl. Derrick Dillon and Spo. Tommy Davis!
From the staff at Animal Control: On Saturday October 23rd, 2010, a one day free clinic will be held at the Phelps County Fairgrounds Community Building. Dogs and cats will be vaccinated free of charge. Owners will be responsible for securing pets during the procedure. All dogs must be leashed and cats must be in a secure crate or pet carrier. If any animals show signs of aggression the Phelps County Health Department reserves the right to refuse service in the interest of safety. Participating veterinarians are Dr. Brian Janke, Dr. Justin Berger and Dr. Mark Ranney. The clinic will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
This past week, we took delivery on a new 2011 Harley-Davidson Police Electra-Glide motorcycle to replace the two 2010 Electra-Glides from our motorcycle division. Each year we lease 2 new motorcycles from Ozark Harley-Davidson in Lebanon, Missouri. The lease price is a fraction of the cost of the motorcycles and entitles us to use them for a year in our motorcycle program. The program was re-instituted in 2001 with the lease of a 2002 Harley-Davidson Road King. We continued leasing 1 motorcycle per year until 2005 when we realized the popularity and service offered by motorcycle patrol was on the rise and began to lease 2 bikes per year. This trend continued until this year where budget constraints restricted our lease options to 1 motorcycle. This year’s edition includes a black and white paint scheme to match the theme used on our patrol cars.
In closing, I would like to remind you that our 10th Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run “Trivia Night” will be held next Saturday, October 16, 2010 at the Rolla Elk’s Lodge. The event has been declared the best trivia in the area and offers loads of fun, good healthy competition, free dinner and a cash bar. Teams of up to 10 members will answer 10 questions in 10 different categories with the winner being the team that correctly answers the most questions. Winners receive the coveted traveling trophy and will gain free berth to next year’s event. Our guest emcee this year is former Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney and Circuit Judge John Wiggins. Cost to enter a team is $100.00 donation to Special Olympics. To enter a team contact S/Sgt. Rick Williams at 308-1213.
Have a great week!
Chief Mark Kearse
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