2009 POP Projects
Concentrated effort to clear out/satisfy outstanding warrants.
New process for the Port Washington Police Department to report street lights out. In the past, the same lights have been reported as out, without them being fixed. A new form will be made up and entered into the squad car CAD system allowing officers access to it so they can enter problem lights as they patrol. At set times, these lists will then be forwarded to the proper company for repair. The hope is to then have the company responsible for the repair contact the Police Department when the light is fixed so it may then be removed from the master list. Unrepaired lights would remain entered on the list. This should prevent duplication of effort as well as providing a uniform method of identifying non-functioning lights.
The Port Washington Police Department routinely responds to parking complaints in private parking lots (i.e. businesses, apartment complexes). Most often, the complaint is that there is a vehicle parked in the lot that does not belong there. There have been occasions when officers have not been able to take enforcement action because the parking lots have not been properly posted with the necessary signs.
A survey will be conducted of the private business and apartment complex parking lots in the city, to inspect the current signs that are posted. In cases where the lot is improperly posted, a letter will be delivered to the property owner/manager, advising them of the fact that the Police Department cannot enforce parking restrictions in their lot with the current signage, and providing them with information regarding the signage requirements necessary to rectify the situation. A follow-up survey would then be conducted on the same private parking lots to determine how many had changed their signage in order to comply with enforcement requirements.
A street/house index map will be created for the squad cars. This will be useful for officers needing to respond to a location when they are not familiar with the address.
Lieutenants and Officers In Charge will become Notary Publics. This will allow the Port Washington Police Department to fill out the Probable Cause/Detention Forms and have their signatures notarized at the department without having to locate a jail officer and to save time by not having to have the jail officers review the Probable Cause forms before signing.
Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase of issues/problems in the downtown patrol district, especially on and around Franklin St. The problems range from open intoxicants on a public way, which leads to littering of intoxicant containers (broken glass bottles and bar glasses) to acts of disorderly conduct, battery complaints and damage to property complaints. These problems increase during the warmer months and specifically on Thursday through Saturday evenings.
Attempts will be made to curb these issues using data from the Police Department records management system, directed patrol using the Bicycle Patrol and/or plainclothes officers, as well as a possible meeting with the Downtown Business District Committee to hear their concerns and ideas.
In order to facilitate communication between citizens and the police concerning property crimes and quality of life violations, an email account will be established to send notifications to citizens of current serial crime or ordinance violations that remain unsolved and serve as potential threat to safety of persons or property. Along with the notifications, police could also offer crime prevention tips to diminish the risk of citizens becoming victims. Members of this program would be on a volunteer basis. They would contact Officer Nye or Officer Hurda or send an email, including their names and addresses, to the police dept. Emails would be forwarded to the appropriate area officer.
Officer Kajtna will be working with various departments of city government for the purpose of installing street address number signs on garages or properties where there is access to a public alley for the property owner. The purpose of this project is to enhance the efficient response of law enforcement, EMS & fire personnel to the community in emergency situations.
The effort will explore the possible amendment of existing ordinance or code, or the establishment of new code for requiring property owners to install uniform number signs on garages or post facing alleys, such that the address number will be easily visible to responding emergency services.
To this end, a presentation will be made before the Common Council. Contingencies will also be considered to assist property owners in the placement or installation of the sign on their property.
No parking zone implementation on N. Holden St., northbound lane, from W. Van Buren St. to W. Landoldt St.. The goal is to get the signs posted as no parking during school days from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This would alleviate several issues in this area of the school. Numerous complaints have been received over the years from residents in the area because of high school students parking in this area. The problems range from leaving litter to illegal parking to not having enough room on the travelled roadway for two way traffic.
It is especially difficult to travel on Holden in this area during the start and end of the school day due to bus traffic causing traffic to pull over so the buses can get through.
A supply of Examination and Quarantine Order Forms were printed and made available to officers. In the event of a dog bite complaint, these forms should be completed and given to owners of the dogs. There is a copy for the dog owner, the victim, and the police department. The form explains the requirements for a dog owner after his/her animal bites somebody.
Citizens reported that it was difficult and unsafe for pedestrians to cross the intersection of N. Wisconsin and Norport. Officer Schmeling took a sandwich board to the Street Department and had a yield sign placed on it. He then gave it to the crossing guard who positioned it in the middle of the intersection in the morning and took it down in the late afternoon. In monitoring this intersection afterwards, Officer Schmeling found that it was much easier for the children to cross the street on their way to summer school.