Tag Archives: Kent County Sheriff Department

April busy as sheriff office investigates vehicle break ins, arrest five in car chase

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kent County, Our Cities

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

On Tuesday, April 18, between 5 and 6 p.m., three suspects broke into vehicles at Planet Fitness parking lots in Alpine and Byron Townships.  According to witnesses at both fitness centers, the suspects were three younger males with hooded sweatshirts pulled around the face and all three were wearing surgical masks.  The suspects fled in an SUV after breaking into one vehicle along Alpine Avenue and two vehicles along 68th Street.

  

The common theme was the victims left their purses and other property behind in the vehicles while inside Planet Fitness. The suspects smashed out the rear passenger side windows in each vehicle.  Credit cards, cash, and wedding rings were among some of the items stolen and used at area stores in an attempt to make purchases. Some property and a laptop were recovered along US-131 near 44th Street and appeared to have been thrown out of a car window.

 

The KCSO has investigated different rashes of vehicle break-ins that occur throughout the community during the night and daytime hours. As a reminder to the public, remove personal belongings from vehicles or at least lock them in the trunk to hide the items out of sight.

 

Any with information about the break-ins are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 616-632-6125 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 to report information safely and anonymously.

Teens arrested after chase

On April 10 just after 9 p.m., deputies spotted a stolen Kia sedan in the area of 60th Street SE and Kalamazoo Avenue, in the Gaines Township area.

The vehicle fled from officers and due to traffic conditions at the time the pursuit was ended.  Around 1:15 a.m. this morning, another deputy spotted the vehicle traveling along Woodfield Drive SE (Eastern Avenue and 60th Street). The vehicle again fled, however, due to traffic conditions at the time, the pursuit continued west along 60th Street. The vehicle ran over spike strips and turned south on Division Avenue.

  

The vehicle continued to flee along Division and drove behind and around a business. Eventually, the vehicle stopped on Regal Ave, and five teenagers were taken into custody. In the car were two 15-year-old males, two 17-year-old males, and one 16-year-old female all from the Grand Rapids area. The Kia was recently stolen out of Jenison.

This pursuit is an example of what deputies encounter on a regular basis. The Kent County Sheriff has continued to report a significant uptick in stolen cars over the past few years. Dangerous driving, stolen vehicles used in additional crimes, and the young age of the individuals involved are common factors.

This incident remains open and will be reviewed by the prosecutor’s office.  

Kent County Sheriff Dept. warns of phone scams

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , ,

By the Kent County Sheriff Department

 

Residents of Kent County are again being contacted by individuals claiming to be from the IRS. Below is an example of one of the voicemails:

 

“Hello, we have been trying to reach you. This call is officially a final notice from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). The reason of this call is to inform you that the IRS is filing a lawsuit against you. To get more information about this case file, please call immediately on our department number (gives number). Thank you.”

 

If you call the number provided, they will often ask you to obtain a prepaid credit card from a local store and provide them the credit card number.

 

This is another reminder that these are scams. Once the money is taken from the credit card, there is very little law enforcement can do to identify the suspect and recover the money. The suspect(s) are often not from the area and are difficult to identify because they use spoofed phone numbers that change frequently and are problematic to trace.

 

Other common scams include the following:

  • A stranger sends you a check and asks you to cash the check and keep some of the money. A different variation of this is a Craig’s List transaction where the buyer “accidentally” overpays and asks you to cash the check and send them the amount of the overpayment. The banks will most likely cash the check and not realize the check is forged until several days later. You are then financially responsible for the amount of the bad check.
  • We are also getting complaints of residents being contacted by a person saying they have found a virus on the resident’s computer. They ask for remote access to the computer and then hold the computer hostage until a ransom is paid.
  • A person contacts you over the phone and claims to be your relative who has been arrested. They ask you to provide them with the number off a prepaid credit card for bond money.

If a stranger asks you to provide them with a prepaid credit number or iTunes card, it is a scam.

 

The best way to avoid these scams is to avoid talking to them on the phone. We are aware of all of these scams and the many variations in our area, and there is no reason to report them to law enforcement unless you are a victim who suffers a loss as a result of one of these calls.

Kent County storm damage UPDATES

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Hard News,

By Kent County Sheriff Department, City of Wyoming, City of Kentwood

For real-time updates from the City of Wyoming, go here.

The City of Wyoming’s yard waste drop-off site will be open 24/7 through the weekend to allow for storm damage clean up.

The drop-off site, located at 2660 Burlingame Ave. SW, will return to normal hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, July 10. The site is free to Wyoming residents. Go here for more info.

The City is currently working to repair storm damage as quickly as possible. Trees blocking a roadway or a power line can be reported to non-emergency dispatch at 616.530.7300, ext. 1. For information on power outages, go here.

For more information, follow the City on Twitter @WyomingCityHall and on Facebook here.

As of 11:30 am, the City of Wyoming has issued a PARK CLOSURE & STORM DAMAGE UPDATE: Please exercise caution when visiting any park or trail during this weekend.

  • BUCK CREEK TRAIL. Closed.
  • PINERY PARK: Closed.
  • HILLCROFT PARK: Playground & shelter closed. Trail and general park area open.
  • LAMAR PARK: One section area closed. Disc golf open. All other areas of park, including splash pad are open.
  • ORIOLE PARK: No power – splash pad not working as a result. All other areas are open.
  • DOG PARK: Overhanging tree limb over access road requires caution – avoid. Dog park is open.
  • FROG HOLLOW: No power. Playground open.
  • LEMERY PARK: No power. Playground, tennis courts, active play areas open. Buck Creek trail closed.

From the City of Wyoming: “We cannot anticipate and identify all concerns immediately. Again, look up & down when visiting any park or trail following storm events. Exercise caution and report (message) any concerns.”

For real-time updates from the City of Kentwood, go here.

City of Kentwood crews are cleaning up debris and fallen trees on city streets and sidewalks. Remember, it is the property owner’s responsibility to clean any debris from your yard. At this time, Kentwood does not have debris drop-off, but they are currently assessing the situation.

 

The City of Grand Rapids accepts yard waste from non-residents for a fee at 2001 Butterworth SW.

 

The City of Kentwood reminds residents to contact Consumers Energy if you see a downed line. Downed Line phone number is 800.477.5050 — and stay at least 25 ft away from the line. More information about what to do with a downed line can be found here.

 

Consumer’s Energy is working to restore power. Please check their outage map for more about your location.

As of 10 a.m. today, Friday, July 7, Kent County Emergency Management has been working since the early morning hours to determine the severity of storm damage throughout the County. Thus far, no injuries have been reported due to storm damage in Kent County.

 

Public works crews throughout the County are working to remove debris in roadways and utility crews are working to repair downed power lines.

 

More than 50,000 people lost power in Kent County this morning.

 

“Because of the busy activity of our responders, we are not going to run the monthly siren tests throughout Kent County at noon today,” said Jack Stewart, Emergency Management Coordinator for Kent County. “Monthly testing will resume August 4. We want to focus today’s efforts on the more immediate needs of our communities.”

 

Kent County Road Commission has additional crews working to remove large trees from roads.

 

“Much of the work is from Five Mile Road through southern Kent County at this time,” said Jerry Byrne, Director of Operations of the Kent County Road Commission. “Right now, the Alto area has significant damage, with trees in the road on Whitneyville Avenue and on Buttrick Aveune SE. If you see our crews, please either turn around or proceed with caution.”

 

Central dispatch in Kent County has been

Storm damage (from photo archives)

busy responding to calls all morning. Kent Count Emergency Management staff reminds residents:

  • If you see a downed power line, do not approach it!!! Call 911.
  • If you have lost power, report it to your energy provider either by phone or online.
  • If you plan to use a power generator, follow manufacturer instructions. DO NOT use a generator in the garage or basement of a home and make sure there is good clearance for exhaust to move away from your home. Carbon monoxide, the gas that is produced by a generator, can be odorless, tasteless and deadly.
  • Now is a good time to make sure you have a plan for storm-related damage. Make sure you have a week’s supply of water, several days of non-perishable food, flashlights/batteries, a first aid kit, and a weather radio. Several apps are available for smartphones, including weather warning apps and incident preparation apps.

Kent County gets ‘Smart911’ with the goal of improving emergency response

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , , , , , , ,

Kent County Sheriff Larry Stelma, Grand Rapids Central Dispatch Communications Manager Karen Chadwick, Kent County Dispatch Authority Chair and Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt, Kent County Sheriff Department Emergency Communications Center Manager Matt Groesser, and RAVE Customer Success Manager Kevin Hatline.

 

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

“Where is the emergency?” has become the first question area 911 operators ask as more and more emergency calls come from cellphone users.

 

This is because within a minute the call is answered the cellphone will relay a location back which can be anywhere from where you are actually standing to a mile or more away, said Kent County Sheriff Department Emergency Communications Center Manager Matt Groesser.

 

“Often the case is the person calling is in a very intense, stressful, panicky situation and being able to relay details such as location can be difficult,” said Karen Chadwick, communications manager for Grand Rapids Central Dispatch.

 

Various local law enforcement at today’s press conference for Smart911.

Today, at the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, the Kent County Dispatch Authority — chaired by Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt — announced that it would be adapting the Smart911 program where individuals can create an online safety profile for their household. When a citizen makes a call that profile will automatically display the citizen’s Safety Profile to the 911 call taker.

 

“This profile provides key details about you and your family to those taking our 911 calls during an emergency,” said Kent County Sheriff Larry Stelma during the press conference that representatives from various law enforcement agencies throughout Kent County including the Kentwood Police Department and the Wyoming Department of Public Safety attended. “These things might include physical descriptions of your house, your family members. It might include the type of vehicles you drive. It also might include special medical conditions that you or your family might have.”

 

Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen (far left) at the Smart911 press conference.

Other details residents may provide are the pets in the home, the layout of the home and shut off for gas and electricity. It is the type of information that various emergency responders might need, Stelma said.

 

Area residents should go to Smart911.com, click the “Sign Up Today” button and proceed to fill out the information. Sign up is free, private and secure with 911 call takers and responders only able to see the information when a call is made. Once the call is complete, the information disappears from the call taker’s and/or responder’s screen.

 

Powered by RAVE Mobile Safety, Smart911 is currently available in 40 states and more than 1,500 municipalities. Last November, Lt. Governor Brian Calley and other Michigan government officials announced a statewide initiative to make Smart911 available to all residents. While free to residents to sign up, the cost to Kent County for the service is around $40,000 which is being paid for by a grant for the first year.

 

Holt said he sees the City of Wyoming doing similar promotions as the state on its Facebook page, website and through other media. Officers throughout the county will have materials available to distribute with the goal of encouraging residents to sign up. Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll said he already is planning to include Smart911 information that he provides to residents, especially older citizens.

 

“It’s a good idea,” said Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen. “Having that type of information such as a pinpoint of location is quite a big help in responding to an emergency.”

 

“The additional information provided in a Smart911 safety profile can save critical minutes in an emergency and help responders offer better services,” Holt said. “All information is optional and each citizen has the ability to choose what they would like to include.”

 

Multiple phones can be connected to one address as well as a single phone line can have both home and work addresses assigned to it. Also, the program works with all types of phones from traditional land lines, VOIP, cable and mobile.

 

For more information about the program or to enroll, visit Smart911.com.

Kids ‘Shop with a Sheriff’ as Meijer partners with local heroes to brighten holidays for those in need

Citizen Journalism, Kids Activities, Upcoming Events, ,

meijer-toy-truck-santa-1By Victoria Mullen

WKTV

 

 

The Kent County Sheriff Department is partnering with local Meijer Stores to host the 15th annual ‘Shop With A Sheriff’ event, scheduled for 10 am on Sunday, Dec. 4 at the Gaines Twp Meijer at 1801 Marketplace Dr. SE.

 

The fun begins with a ride in a patrol car for a “lights and siren parade” around the Meijer parking lot and the kids are then dropped off in front of the store to partner with a Deputy for the shopping event.

 

Deputies volunteer their time to shop with a child and assist them with choosing necessities (coats, boots, hats, etc.) as well as a special gift that each child can choose for themselves or a family member. The Kent County Sheriff Department hopes to make this a special time of the year for approximately 120 underprivileged children.

 

More than 100 participating Meijer stores have paired underprivileged children with local area heroes to shop for holiday gifts for themselves and family as Meijer continues its annual holiday tradition with the ‘Shop with a Hero’ program.

 

All told, more than 3,500 children in the Midwest will shop 220 stores with local police officers, firefighters and veterans. Participants are also treated to pizza parties, visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus or food baskets.

 

This event is possible due to the contributions from local business and individuals as well as Meijer, which donated over $200,000 in gift cards to the program to make the holiday season a little brighter for kids and families across the region.

With passage of 911 surcharge, county gets ready to build new dispatch system

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Politics, , , , , , ,

Undersheriff Michele LaJoy-Young as he discusses the 9-1-1 dispatch surcharge. Photo now.wktv.org.
Undersheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young as she discusses the 9-1-1 dispatch surcharge. Photo now.wktv.org.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.now.org

 

Now that voters have overwhelmingly approved the surcharge increase for the 9-1-1 Public Safety Dispatch, supporters and the Kent County Sheriff Department really have their work cut out for them.

 

“It’s a big project with a lot of work,” said Undersheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young.

 

Last night, Kent County voters approved the 70-cent increase to the current Kent County surcharge of 45 cents in a three-to-one margin with 205,112 in favor to 74,726 opposed. The 70-cent increase is on top of the existing 45-cent surcharge and is for 20 years. Starting in July 2017, a phone user will pay $1.15 surcharge to Kent County or about $13.80 per year with $8.40 per year going toward the 9-1-1 dispatch.

 

About half the money raised will go toward the public safety dispatch and a portion will be used to cover costs associated with countywide fire dispatch services.

 

In preparation of the surcharge possibly passing, LaJoye-Young said the county has been working on a contract with plans to join the Michigan Public Safety Communications System.

 

Kent County Sheriff Larry Stelma
Kent County Sheriff Larry Stelma

“This is more than a quick fix. This is an investment in our future, in the safety of our first responders, and the ability to respond quickly and efficiently to residents who call 9-1-1,” Kent County Sheriff Larry Stelma said. “We can now provide communications towers and new radio equipment that will place all Kent County dispatchers and first responders on the Michigan Public Safety Communications System. This will improve our ability to communicate with most of the state’s 9-1-1 call-taking centers, including Michigan State Police, and Ottawa, Allegan, Ionia and Newaygo counties.”

 

The goal is to have the contract in place by the end of year, LaJoye-Young said, adding the next phase is the project management, which has a two-year window. This is where the real work begins as the county will need to change its frequency, requiring the purchase of communications towers and 800 MHz equipment. There will be some build-out for the power which will include reconstruction and construction of towers depending on whether those towers can hold the new equipment, LaJoye-Young said, adding that it is estimated the entire dispatch project should be completed in three years.

 

Besides the increase in the surcharge, residents probably will not feel much of an impact on police/fire services or even phone service.

 

“If they happen to live near a tower, they might see the outward signs of construction but that will be pretty low impact,” LaJoye-Young said. “Ideally, this will be seamless with residents experiencing no drop in service. They won’t realize a change but just the continuity of communication and improved communication for public safety that should increase our efficiency.”

 

Currently Kent County 9-1-1 dispatch operates on eight different radio systems, which hampers public safety efforts in some situations because emergency responders cannot communicate directly – even if they are working on the same incident. With the new technology, LaJoye-Young said officers involved in a specific situation, such as a traffic accident, or an event like Metro Cruise, will have direct communication abilities while regular calls are maintained on dedicated channels.

 

“I am delighted to see voters approve the dispatch,” said 12th District Kent County Commissioner Harold Mast, who represents the western portion Kentwood and the eastern portion of Wyoming. “This will definitely help in improving the way law enforcement communicates.”

 

“Voters in Wyoming and throughout Kent County overwhelmingly demonstrated their supported of the 911 dispatch public safety surcharge,” said Curtis Holt, director of the Kent County Dispatch Authority and Wyoming City Manager. “The increased surcharge will enhance public safety with an upgrade in technology, provide a sustainable countywide fire dispatch funding source and improve communication efficiency to make Wyoming and all of Kent County safer.”

 

The surcharge is a “user-based” fee directly charging devices that use 9-1-1 service. For every phone device a Kent County resident has — cell phone, air card, home internet with voice IP — the surcharge will be applied. LaJoye-Young recommends that residents look at their phone bill for the current Kent County surcharge of 45 cents to determine what their individual cost will be.