2020 Annual Report City of Berkley Department of Public Safety 248 658 3380 www berkleypublicsafety org 2395 W 12 Mile Rd Berkley MI 48072
TABLE OF CONTENT 1 Table of Contents 2 Mission Statement 3 Letter from the Director 4 History 5 Officers a New Hires Promotions Retirement 6 Civilian Personnel 7 Police Operations a Citations Firearms Training b K 9 SWAT c Dispatch Animal Control d Records In the News e Traffic Enforcement 8 Fire Operations a Fire Statistics b Fire Inspections c Medical Operations 9 Investigations a Major Cases Juvenile Report b Crimes Serious Incidents c Accidents d Professional Standards Review e Crime Statistics 10 Community Relations a Golf Outing Lids for Kids Fire Open House b Honor Guard Auctions 11 Awards Citations 12 Budget 13 Pictures from year 14 Closing
Stay up to date with the latest announcements and news from Berkley Public Safety through the following spaces 202 CONNECT WITH US Like and follow us on Facebook BerkleyDPS Sign up for the City eBlast updates at www berkleymich org newsletters Visit www berkleypublicsafety org OUR MISSION The Berkley Public Safety Department is committed to maintaining the safety and quality of life for the community through the delivery of superior police fire and EMS services without prejudice or partiality We strive to offer the best services as a combined Police and Fire Agency known as PUBLIC SAFETY while maintaining community involvement protection and service to residents businesses and visitors alike
A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR I am pleased to present the Berkley Department of Public Safety s BDPS 2020 Annual Report This report is part of our ongoing efforts to increase transparency and keep the public informed on the activities of your Public Safety Department Obviously 2020 was a very challenging year for all of us The Coronavirus Pandemic COVID 19 continues to affect all of us in just about every facet of our lives I am particularly proud of the way our personnel continued to deliver superior police fire and medical services to the public while being exposed to COVID 19 on a daily basis While most of the world stayed home our personnel continued to come to work and serve the public while exposing themselves and their families to the virus Even with all of the challenges 2020 was also a year of great strides for our Department During the year we issued over 170 new Police Fire EMS General Orders policies and procedures to align with best practices for public safety These included new or modified General Orders for our Code of Ethics Pursuits Use of Force Citizen and Internal Complaints Employee Assistance Bias Influenced Policing De escalation Excited Delirium Duty to Intervene and Report Positional Asphyxiation and Personnel Early Warning System We also launched several software platforms including Power DMS a document management system and Guardian Tracking a personnel accountability early warning system The new and modified General Orders along with the software platforms and training have given our personnel increased guidance on how to manage and respond to a vast array of situations In addition our personnel completed hundreds of hours of Police Fire EMS training We also greatly improved our fire response and safety in 2020 We established a Fire Prevention Division purchased our newest fire apparatus Tower 4 and purchased Squad 4 which replaced Ladder 4 These new vehicles have modern safety features making them more versatile and safer fire apparatus Tower 4 also allows us to access the roof of the tallest building in the City and Squad 4 allows us to access narrow streets and parking lots Our software now allows our fire inspectors to conduct all of their inspections digitally and more efficiently This information along with pre plans that are also entered and retained within the software is available online on our mobile phones and tablets to all of our officers in the event of an emergency In July 2020 we also created the new position of Fire Inspector Instructor Officer Jon Roberts who is both a fire inspector and instructor was selected for this position The addition of this position the newly added apparatuses and technology have enhanced our fire safety education training and response In addition BDPS also completed several building projects These projects included the completion of the Dispatch Center and first floor renovations the completion of the Fire Hall expansion project the conversion to LED lights in the station and the repair of the Public Safety roof Yet we are not resting on our laurels and have big plans for 2021 Included in these plans are the continued efforts to address and mitigate building issues with the remodeling of our main entrance and lobby to make it ADA compliant We will also continue to utilize civilian staff for as many support functions as possible freeing sworn personnel for Public Safety Officer duties make use of and implement technology systems to make the Department more efficient and effective and continue the professional development of all BDPS personnel through training and mentorships We will also begin the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police accreditation process as well as welcome the long awaited implementation of our K 9 Program With the support of the City Administration City Council and the public we continue to evolve and plan for the future to keep everyone safe Sincerely Public Safety Director Matt Koehn
DEPARTMENT HISTORY Berkley Public Safety began as a Police and Fire Department in 1924 In 1981 the Departments merged into what is now the Public Safety Department where the officers are trained in both Police and Fire operations Berkley has been recognized as the fifth safest city in Michigan since 2014 and more recently the fourth safest in 2019 by ALARMS ORG Public Safety continues to strive towards the goal of community service as well as providing the quickest response time and quality services to all residents and visitors We must always remember our past so we can move forward in our future
DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL Chief Matt Koehn Director of Public Safety Detective Lieutenant Andrew Hadfield Dave Arney Detective Sergeant Patrol Lieutenant Jordan Kobernick Nathan Papke Dayshift Sergeant Cassie Brokaw Detective Officers Robert Beatty Marc Robinson Jim Suchoski Zachary Tyler Amy Allison FOIA Tech Crossing Guards Dennis Geary Dayshift Sergeant Jeff Onesko Daytime Sergeant Officers Greg Betts Michael Bunting Ronald Gabriel Brian Gothard Robert Kwiecinski Kent Herriman Nightshift Sergeant Officers Brian Anderson K9 Handler K9 Bear Scott Smith Nightshift Sergeant Officers Brianna Berge Justin Childrey Zachary Harmon Brendan McInerney Administrative Lieutenant Corey Miller Steve Mueller Nightshift Sergeant Officers Andrew Boring Dan Schewe Brian Smith Mark Kempski Dispatch Supervisor Kevin Palmer Animal Control PSO Dispatchers Renee Backlund Kourtney Blanchard Mike Moschelli Lisa Foreman Alexia Tyler Donna Cronin Reid Emily Larson Amy Allison John Roberts Fire Inspector PSO Peter Kelly Fire Inspector Mary Staron Records Adminstrative Assistant
NEW OFFICERS PROMOTIONS RETIREMENTS OFFICER UPDATES WELCOME OFFICER BRIANNA BERGE Started at the end of 2019 Berge completed the Oakland Police and Fire Academy and began initial training in 2020 She is a great addition to our staff as a Rookie officer WELCOME OFFICER ANDREW BORING Boring previously worked at Beverly Hills for 3 years and for 7 years with Eastpointe Fire Department and Commerce Fire Department He is also a paramedic and a 2009 graduate of Berkley High School HAPPY RETIREMENT SERGEANT JUSTIN FROST Sergeant Justin Frost retired in 2020 after 21 years of service with the department
CIVILIAN PERSONNEL Our Dispatchers work 12 hour shifts and are ready for every regular business question to the most severe emergencies They typically work as a two person team and handle calls for the Cities of Berkley Huntington Woods and Pleasant Ridge They are more than just Dispatchers they are the calm voice on the other end We cannot thank our Dispatchers enough for the job they do Crossing Guards Mark Kempski Dispatch Supervisor Mary Staron Records Administrative Assistant Renee Backlund Dayshift Dispatcher Lisa Foreman Nightshift Dispatcher Kourtney Blanchard Dayshift Dispatcher Alexia Tyler Nightshift Dispatcher Mike Moschelli Dayshift Dispatcher Donna Cronin Reid Nightshift Dispatcher Amy Allison Part Time Dispatch FOIA Clerk Emily Larson Nightshift Dispatcher
202 POLICE OPERATIONS
PATROL REVIEW The Patrol Division is the uniform presence for the Berkley Department of Public Safety Public Safety Officers PSO respond to calls dispatched through our Dispatch Communications Center located at the public safety building Officers are State of Michigan licensed in three disciplines Police Fire and EMS Officers carry all the necessary equipment to respond to most emergencies throughout the City of Berkley When PSOs are not on a dispatched run they conduct proactive patrols and traffic enforcement 2020 presented many unique challenges for our officers From a global pandemic to civil unrest it took a heavy toll on our officers and their families Out of these challenges your officers affirmed their selfless demeanor by coming into work day after day and providing unparalleled service to the community After witnessing the response to this difficult year and as the expectations of public service change I have no fear that our officers will rise to whatever challenges are put in front of them all while maintaining the level of service we have all come to expect ACCOMPLISHMENTS Officers in 2020 were able to proactively patrol the streets in what some thought might be a busier year to one of our safest years This is directly attributed to our PSOs Officers were able to successfully arrest and prosecute hundreds of cases involving crimes but also conduct silent good deeds There were numerous thank you s to officers who played basketball with kids in the street helping people navigate the ever changing executive orders due to the pandemic and much more Officers not only juggling the concern of taking a virus home to their families after coming into contact with people each day but also managing a different way to respond to emergencies They were able as always to adapt and overcome any obstacle While the number of community relation events were down officers found ways to escort large Birthday Drive By s for kids and sometimes seniors of the community using the patrol cars and fire engines GOALS FOR 2021 In 2021 the Patrol Division is looking forward to the addition of a K 9 Unit originally slated to start this past year The introduction of K 9 Bear is already becoming a welcome name in our family and holds true to the spirit of our High School Mascot Officers will also work through new laws training standards and the ever evolving climate to engage protect and serve the community of Berkley Sincerely Lieutenant Jordan Kobernick
CITATIONS 2020 was dominated by COVID 19 Our officers contact was limited from a large decrease in vehicular traffic and a lack of businesses being open due to people working from home BDPS saw a total of 5900 violations issued for Misdemeanor and Civil Infractions and a total of 6 661 charges This included Parking 3 040 2 6 am No License Suspended License 138 Speeding 701 No Insurance No Proof 249 Impeding Traffic 1 319 Operating While Intoxicated or Drugs 125 Disobey Stop Sign 240 Texting While Driving 56 Total citations were down 22 from the previous year of 7542 citations issued RANGE OPERATIONS In 2020 the BDPS Range Team was able to get in some much needed required and valuable range training Range training not only consists of firing our service weapons which include handguns rifles and shotguns but also updates our Response to Resistance Use of Force Scenarios Our officers are constantly training for real life situations as well as being prepared for anything This is sometimes done using submunitions in which officers will use soap bullets that leave a colored mark on the body with minimal pain to simulate a real life situation Whether it is Active Shooter Training a traffic stop or any other use of force scenario our BDPS team works tirelessly to keep our officers in top shape when it comes to the range In 2020 Officers were able to complete the MCOLES State mandated yearly qualification along with monthly training including indoor and outdoor shoots The work consisted of the safe handling of firearms target recognition and shoot don t shoot scenarios With each situation officers are reminded of the legalities of weapon discharge as well as the responsibilities Our BDPS team is top notch when it comes to leading the way in Public Safety Range Operations
K 9 OFFICER PROGRAM The K 9 program was set to start in 2020 however was pushed back due to COVID 19 While our department couldn t interact with the community officers continued to prevail by focusing on administrative tasks like securing a K 9 vehicle dog cage and other accessories Officer Brian Anderson who was selected to be the K 9 Handler will start his training in the Spring of 2021 We are also excited to meet the new member of our family K 9 Bear SWAT In 2018 the BDPS and five other southern Oakland County police agencies joined the Oakland County Sheriff s Office SWAT team The Oakland County SWAT team consists of highly trained deputies and officers with specialized training and equipment The SWAT team responds to incidents involving hostage rescue barricaded gunmen highrisk warrant arrests narcotics search warrants civil disturbances and other critical incidents throughout our communities A rigorous selection of team members combined with continuous specialized training and sophisticated equipment provide the team with the necessary capabilities to resolve these dangerous incidents safely In 2019 three additional Oakland County police agencies joined the SWAT team In 2020 the SWAT team responded to five barricaded gunman incidents six high risk search warrants and was also utilized for several high profile events including the Woodward Dream Cruise and assisting the United States Secret Service with Presidential election related details
DISPATCH OPERATIONS The Dispatch Center is responsible for handling both 911 and non emergency calls for the Cities of Berkley Huntington Woods and will soon resume services for the City of Pleasant Ridge Public Safety Dispatchers handle radio communications with Pubic Safety Officers and are responsible for many computerized tasks including Computer Aided Dispatch CAD calls for officers Law Enforcement Information Network LEIN and National Crime Information Center NCIC queries and entries on persons and property assist citizens at the front desk and various clerical tasks In 2020 the Berkley Dispatch Center answered 21 661 non emergency phone calls 12 86 drop from 2019 and 6586 calls to 911 9 98 drop from 2019 The average answer time for a 911 call made to BDPS was answered in 3 8 seconds which is well below the 10 second standard set by the National Emergency Number Association NENA In 2020 the Dispatch Center dispatched 10 488 calls for service for the City of Berkley and 1599 calls for service for the City of Huntington Woods a drop of 34 38 and 18 5 respectively for each department from 2019 In 2020 we dispatched 812 medical runs and 163 fire related runs in the City of Berkley and 278 medical runs and 111 fire related runs for Huntington Woods In 2020 we had two applicants successfully complete the Communications Training Officer CTO Training to bring our staff to six full time Dispatchers and one part time Dispatcher The Dispatch Center is staffed by two Dispatchers on dayshift and one Dispatcher on nightshift The second Dispatch position on nightshift is to be filled as soon as interviews are complete The goal of the Berkley Dispatch Center is to provide top level call service to the community and Public Safety Officers ANIMAL CONTROL Berkley Animal Control received 238 animal complaints in 2020 along with 17 animal bite reports Our Berkley Animal Control also provides contracted service for the City of Royal Oak and received 727 animal complaints along with 60 animal bite reports One of the bigger incidents for our Animal Control Officer ACO was a hoarding case in Royal Oak which contained around 100 cats in a singular home The felines were successfully removed by the ACO after several months of work In 2021 Animal Control will be providing service for the Cities of Huntington Woods and Pleasant Ridge Additionally our ACO was able to secure a long needed new vehicle for their service routes
RECORDS The Berkley Public Safety Records Bureau is open Monday Friday from 8 30 am 4 pm In 2020 the Records Bureau processed 112 Discovery Requests from attorneys and 161 Freedom of Information Requests FOIA The Records Bureau DOES NOT release records involving open investigations non public records or records involving protected information e g HIPAA medical reports An integral part of our organization is the Records Bureau who assists with numerous department functions including budgeting finance process orders personnel issues and payroll Our administrative assistant works directly with and for the Director of Public Safety PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE NEWS Berkley DPS was featured in a few major stories over the 2020 calendar year Here are a few of the highlights POLICE INVESTIGATE FORMER EMPLOYEE FOR EMBEZZLING MORE THAN 75 000 www candgnews com news police say former durst lumber employee allegedly embezzledmore than75000 117829 MAN DIES AFTER CRASHING CAR WHILE FLEEING COPS IN BERKLEY www patch com michigan berkley man dies after crashing vehicle while fleeing police BERKLEY PUBLIC SAFETY RESCUE WOMEN FROM HOUSE FIRE www fox2detroit com news berkley woman recovering from surgery pulled from house fire BERKLEY POLICE WORKS WITH AMERICAN LEGION TO PROVIDE COMFORT BEARS TO KIDS www clickondetroit com news local 2020 01 13 berkley police department works to bridgegap betweenits officers and children
DRIVING CITATIONS Operating Intoxicated 2 1 Suspended License 2 Expired Plates 2 Text Drive 0 9 Stop Sign 4 Snow Emergency Violation 0 3 No Insurance 4 2 Speed 11 7 Parking 50 8 Impeding Traffic 22 Top Citations for Berkley DPS No Parking 2 6 am Impeding Traffic 3040 1319 A no point violation issued at the discretion of the officer in lieu of a moving violation Speed All No Proof of Insurance Stop Sign Operating While Intoxicated Drive While License Suspended Expired plates Texting and Driving Snow Emergency Violation 701 249 240 125 117 117 56 23 TOTAL 6 661 Violations Not all violations issued are listed This is a majority sample
CITATIONS BY SEX RACE MALE FEMALE 1 500 800 600 1 000 400 500 200 TOTAL VIOLATIONS 6 661 Parking accounts for approx 3200 of the total MALE Asian 26 Black 706 White 1321 Unknown 106 FEMALE Asian 11 Black 478 White 795 Unknown 80 Either the driver is not present or not immediately apparent to the officer U nk no w n W hi te Bl ac k As ia n U nk no w n W hi te Bl ac k 0 As ia n 0
202 FIRE OPERATIONS
FIRE REVIEW The operation of the Fire Division involves fire suppression fire prevention and fire education The Fire Division saw several changes this year The biggest and newest change was a Fire Inspector position was filled with a full time Fire Inspector Since 2013 the City of Berkley only had a part time Fire Inspector The addition of a full time Fire Inspector is part of the division s succession planning goals The new Fire Inspector is also a Public Safety Officer like the rest of our officers trained in each discipline In addition to conducting fire inspections the Fire Inspector also is a fire investigator HAZMAT team member and one of the agency certified fire instructors The Department has invested in a modern webbased fire inspection software which will increase the efficiency of all inspections done in the City The goal of the Fire Division is to be able to conduct annual fire safety inspections on over 400 commercial occupancies by 2022 This increased fire inspection frequency will ensure our community remains safe Throughout the year BDPS personnel attended numerous training some of which included Fire Command Officer training Rapid Intervention Fire Ground Survival Live Fire CPR FEMA Classes and various other training related to firefighting duties The Department took delivery of a new ladder truck Tower 4 in late August 2020 after 14 months the truck took to build Tower 4 has replaced the City s 1995 apparatus Ladder 4 which had several limitations including the ladder only being able to extend 51 feet horizontally Ladder 4 was incapable of reaching the majority of roofs within Berkley The new Tower 4 has a reach of 104 feet which is over double the reach Along with its increased reach Tower 4 includes several modern safety features making the vehicle a more versatile and safe fire apparatus The old Ladder 4 was sold to the Essexville Department of Public Safety near Bay City Michigan Essexville needed a ladder truck that would fit into their current fire station and Ladder 4 was a perfect fit for their community They were also selling a 2006 fire engine which fit our needs as a reserve fire engine We agreed to sell our ladder truck to them and in return bought their 2006 fire engine now known as Squad 4 Squad 4 has very low hours and miles on it When it was purchased Squad 4 only had 41 total hours on the pump and less than 7 000 miles making it a very wise investment for our community It also is smaller and more maneuverable around our alleys apartment buildings and other tight locations around the community The Fire Division continues to make improvements to the services it provides through fire prevention training and education These continuous improvements will equate to better insurance ratings for our community and residents Sincerely Lieutenant Corey Miller
FIRE RUN STATISTICS Incident response statistics for the year 2020 1046 Emergency Medical EMS calls for service 325 Fire related incident calls for service The following is a breakdown of the calls for service 32 Fire Incidents 17 Overpressure Rupture Explosion and overheat no fire incidents 1046 Rescue Emergency Medical Service incidents 52 Hazardous Condition no fire incidents 112 Service Call incidents 50 Good Intent incidents Service Calls that were responded to where there was a perceived emergency but found to be a non emergency 62 Fire Alarm incidents Breakdown of Special Incidents are as follows 4 Vehicle Fire Incidents 17 Structure Fire Incidents 9 Incidents in which we received Mutual Aid 18 Incidents in which we provided Mutual Aid This includes mutual aid services in the surrounding communities Fire Alarms 4 6 Good Intent Calls 3 7 Fire 2 3 Service Calls 8 3 Hazardous Condition 3 8 EMS 77 3
FIRE INSPECTION STATISTICS Fire Inspection statistics for the year 2020 315 Total Fire Inspections The following is a breakdown for Fire Inspections 164 Initial Fire Inspections 151 Re Inspections 22 Plan Reviews Fire Cause and Origin Investigations 9 Fire Investigations Fire Prevention Goals for 2021 2022 The fire inspectors have over 400 occupancies to inspect for fire and life safety code compliance With the addition of a full time fire inspector along with acquiring tablet based inspection software the frequency of fire inspections at all the occupancies will increase from once every three to five years to an annual inspection The inspection software also provides a pre incident planning module which allows our fire inspectors to survey all commercial occupancies while conducting their fire inspections and creates a database for fire response The database will include drawings of the buildings hazards utility shut offs emergency contact numbers and any other needed information The pre incident and pre planning information will be available to all responders through tablets mounted in each of the fire apparatus improving safety and efficiency
MEDICAL STATISTICS 2020 COMMON MEDICAL RUNS A function of the Fire Division is emergency medical response services Below is a breakdown of the 2020 statistics TOTAL FOR COMMON MEDICAL RUNS 1046 Emergency 504 Non Emergency 542 Total Transports 645 TYPES OF COMMON MEDICAL RUNS Difficulty Breathing 81 Chest Pain 59 Stroke 28 Falls 62 Accidents 26 Overdose 17 Unknown Reason 38 Unconscious 32 MAJORITY OF MEDICAL RUN DAYS OF WEEK Sunday Monday Wednesday MAJORITY OF MEDICAL RUN TIMES 12 00 am 3 00 am 8 oopm BUSIEST MONTH September Not all incidents are listed This is a majority of run types
202 INVESTIGATIONS
INVESTIGATIVE REVIEW The Investigation Division involves investigating any Felony Crime certain Misdemeanor crimes and a wide range of other community issues Cases are assigned between three investigators with our arrest cases receiving a 100 conviction rate The goal of the Detective Bureau DB is to attempt to identify and correctly report incidents that occur in Berkley We investigate the who what where when and why of the cases and develop a suspect We then work with a Prosecutor to obtain charges in criminal cases We spend a lot of time with the courts victims and suspects attempting to not only charge someone in criminal cases but also how to come up with solutions for future prevention The DB also handles Juvenile Investigations One other important function of the DB is the Professional Standards Reviews of our PSO s and ordinance reviews The DB works to make sure our officers are updated with the most current legal training in State County and local laws and their job functions We review each and every report looking for areas of future training and areas to improve In 2020 the Berkley DB investigated 426 Adult Cases and 22 Juvenile Cases Out of the Adult Cases charges were issued in 150 cases Only one case was dismissed in court due to the Prosecutor s error otherwise giving the DB a 100 conviction rate Having a high conviction rating means our DB conducted due diligence in making sure we had the correct person charged with the correct offenses and the evidence to back up a conviction The DB also investigated cases that were reported at the end of 2019 totaling just over 500 cases in the City It s a tough job with three people 500 cases 24 hours per day Additionally the DB also spends time on crime prevention We work with businesses on the implementation of proper security features spend time in the schools educating teens about social media crimes and status offenses with a big focus on how we can all learn from our mistakes The DB is looking forward to more enhanced training and the ability to serve the needs of the community throughout 2021 We know through the COVID 19 pandemic the challenges will continue for some people We want those victims to know we are here to help suspects to be held accountable and families to trust in the effort and promise to keep Berkley one of the safest cities in Michigan Sincerely Detective Lieutenant Andrew Hadfield
INVESTIGATION STATISTICS Berkley continues to be one of the safest communities in Metro Detroit Yet we still deal with serious felony cases Berkley Detectives investigate all felony cases within the community In 2020 we had two new reports of Criminal Sexual Conduct We received one Home Invasion and there were four Felonious Assaults Additionally Berkley DPS investigated 14 stalking cases 50 larcenies 52 ID theft cases 15 Weapons cases 15 Narcotics cases and a few other felony crimes We had a total of 198 Type A Crimes as listed by the FBI A total of 243 Type B Crimes ranging from Drinking Driving 125 Obstruction 51 and other miscellaneous offenses The total between all Type A B C Crimes was 5196 incidents Out of these 70 were Warrants Entered 1500 Miscellaneous Complaints 635 Non Criminal Complaints 352 Traffic Complaints 227 Crashes 55 Juvenile and 199 Traffic related Incidents More info can be found here on the FBI Website at www crime data explorer app cloud gov explorer agency MI6325100 crime JUVENILE INVESTIGATION STATISTICS In 2020 Berkley DPS handled 22 Juvenile cases The 22 cases are down from the usual 75 100 cases in a typical year The reduction of Juvenile cases can be contributed to the COVID 19 pandemic which had required schools to close Juvenile cases of 2020 include curfew violations family trouble domestic violence indecent exposure assault and battery and to resist obstruct and assault of a Public Safety Officer Many of the Juvenile cases were mitigated within the Public Safety Department Others were sent to the Berkley Huntington Woods Youth Assistance Program and two were sent to the Oakland County Juvenile Prosecutor Berkley Juvenile officers are Lt Andrew Hadfield and Sgt David Arney They work tirelessly to focus on correcting behavior among children rather than punishment They regularly attend student events including football games dances prom and sometimes graduation parties if invited Berkley DPS loves our community and knows kids are the future leaders
TRAFFIC CRASH STATISTICS Traffic crashes are unfortunately one of the worst days for some people An unexpected turn stop or weather can change a good day to a bad day In Berkley we investigate all types of crashes From minor parking lot bumps to multi car accidents as well as the tragic Fatal Accidents and Serious Injury Accidents Below are the Traffic crash statistics for 2020 which had a total of 228 accidents reported Berkley averages over 350 per year This was slightly down in 2020 with fewer cars driving on the streets due to businesses shutdown Regular Crashes 170 Injuries 14 Hit Run 21 Private Property 19 Fatal 1 Pedestrians 3 SERIOUS INCIDENTS One of the Detective Bureau highlights from 2020 was the solving of serious cases In February the DB was able to investigate an employee from Durst Lumber who embezzled over 75 000 from the business He was charged and pleaded guilty to the incident Embezzlement cases are some of the most time consuming and the toughest challenge is chasing the paper trail which involves analyzing the purchases and activity on credit cards cash and charges Berkley Detectives were also able to investigate and charge a Detroit subject for an unarmed robbery of a citizen in April Through the investigation eyewitness accounts and other evidentiary techniques we were able to obtain enough for charges and receive a prompt guilty plea In September 2020 a subject committed a Breaking Entering B E of a commercial office Detectives were able to lift and examine fingerprints from the office and safe From there we were able to make a connection to a long time criminal Charges were issued and a conviction and sentencing are forthcoming in 2021 One of the tougher issues is a recent upswing in Flee Elude drivers running from a police officer in Metro Detroit Out of the 26 Flee Elude incidents Berkley DPS was able to secure charges on several of these cases which otherwise may have continued
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS Part of the Public Safety Department s effort to be transparent is releasing information in regards to our Professional Standards Reviews These could be from citizen complaints or from our internal review of pursuits cases and arrests We also review Use of Force Incidents EVERY TIME an officer has to respond to an individual who is either resisting arrest or legal compliance Below is a summary of the statistical investigations towards these NOTE We do not release the topics investigate details or facts of the case in all internal reviews NUMBER OF INCIDENTS REVIEWS CITIZEN COMPLAINTS 2 Several allegations within 1 complaint regarding Use of Force Patrol Tactics PURSUIT REVIEWS 26 RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE 2 INTERNAL REVIEWS 5 3 Pursuits 1 Crash 1 Off Duty Complaint All formal reviews have several outcomes One complaint or one review of an incident could find several offenses or violations within each For example there could be one pursuit that involves five or more policies One citizen complaint could make several allegations or one incident could involve several officers The outcomes could be the following Sustained A Department order policy procedure was in place and was not followed properly Exonerated The actions were reviewed and did occur but were legal and within policy Undetermined There is not enough evidence to prove or disprove an allegation or violation of policy Unfounded The complaint action did not occur as reported Sustained Exonerated Undetermined Unfounded CITIZEN COMPLAINTS 0 2 2 2 PURSUIT REVIEWS 3 16 3 4 RESPONSE TO RESISTANCE 0 2 0 0 INTERNAL REVIEWS other 1 1 0 0 BDPS will continue to work on improving our officers through training meeting the standards set within the agency and our goal of becoming accredited through the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police MACP Program We strive to hold ourselves to the values of competency integrity and work ethic to be able to provide the City of Berkley with superior service
2020 CRIME STATISTICS INCIDENT STATISTICS 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Murder Homicide 0 0 0 0 0 Criminal Sexual Acts 5 1 1 3 3 Robbery 0 2 0 1 1 Assaults 37 29 29 20 20 Burglary 11 12 8 5 1 Larceny 66 78 65 37 42 3 6 4 0 8 Fraud 25 28 32 28 17 Fraud Bad Checks 13 12 10 8 2 ID Theft 33 23 32 35 52 Damage Property 33 23 23 43 19 Concealed Weapons 14 9 13 11 15 TOTAL GROUP A 318 294 281 228 198 Liquor Violations Obstructing Police OWI All Types 55 17 185 51 17 170 27 25 236 19 21 201 15 21 125 TOTAL GROUP B 512 513 491 422 243 88 586 118 837 2442 651 942 51 559 155 836 2123 1022 624 59 558 70 920 1873 1563 505 55 199 147 819 1552 634 352 6815 6874 4755 Auto Theft Juvenile Complaints Traffic Offenses Warrants Sick Injury Misc Complaints 90 679 153 865 2405 Non Criminal Complaints 593 Misc Traffic Complaints 590 TOTAL GROUP C 6924 7101 Not all offenses listed These are only the major categories Green indicates Reduction in 2020 Some ID thefts are reported for info only and not investigated numbers combined from local reports and actual ID theft Investigations
2020 CRIME STATISTICS CRASH STATISTICS 2016 Property Damage Crash 263 32 19 Injury Crash 7 Pedestrian Crash 1 Bicycle Crash 0 Injury Crash Hit Run Private Property Crash 47 Priv Property Hit Run 11 0 Fatal Crash Hit Run TOTAL 399 2017 2018 2019 283 27 13 1 1 1 37 7 0 297 34 16 1 2 2 24 8 0 266 40 18 1 1 1 29 8 0 374 386 366 Not all categories are listed Green indicates Reduction in 2020 2020 170 19 14 3 0 0 19 2 1 228
202 COMMUNITY RELATIONS
GOLF OUTING Berkley Public Safety runs their Golf Outing to helps sponsor Lids for Kids Fire Open House Berkley Hotrod Honor Guard Unit and the newly formed K 9 Division However due to COVID 19 causing major shutdowns of events all around the world Berkley DPS decided it was also best to postpone the event In the past we have been able to raise over 20 000 to help support our other community events For 2021 we have set the date for July 26 2021 at the Red Run Golf Club in Royal Oak Be sure to sign up early and bring your best game as you take on some of the Department s finest Visit www berkleypublicsafety org golf outing LIDS 4 KIDS FIRE OPEN HOUSE As all events in 2020 were being cancelled the Lids 4 Kids bicycle helmet safety event and Fire Open House were no different Ultimately this in particular was a perfect time for BDPS to build and complete an addition to the Fire Hall in order to house the New Ladder Truck BDPS plans to bring back the Lids 4 Kids and Fire Open House events in 2021 Both are scheduled to be held on September 25 2021 as a combined event Kids will be provided bicycle safety tips fire safety tips live demonstrations and so much more
HONOR GUARD The BDPS Honor Guard serves the sole purpose to honor and pay tribute to the dedicated men and women who selflessly serve the public safety profession and the City of Berkley When called upon it shall be the duty of the Honor Guard to care for families and lay to rest our brothers and sisters with the highest level of respect and honors Additional responsibilities include presenting the Nation and State Colors during times of ceremony and sporting events in and around the area The Honor Guard was created in 2014 and is funded by generous donations made during our fundraising activities At the very end of 2019 the Berkley Public Safety Honor Guard had the privilege of presenting the colors at Little Caesars Arena during the Home Town Hero s game played between the Detroit Red Wings and the Winnipeg Jets 2020 has been trying for everyone including the Honor Guard Unit Our normal activities of presenting the colors at the State of the City Banquet as well as at the Steven Siller Tunnel to Towers Race have been cancelled due to the COVID 19 Pandemic We hope in 2021 we will be able to get back out and honor our fallen heroes and the City that supports us AUCTIONS BDPS frequently holds vehicle auctions with our partner A M Towing in Royal Oak These vehicles are usually unclaimed after an accident failed to be registered or where someone is under arrest and does not send a representative to retrieve the vehicle Berkley PSO Greg Betts has been running our Auction program for over 10 years In 2020 we only held one public auction which included 20 vehicles None of the proceeds went to Berkley DPS as they were used to pay towing storage fees From time to time BDPS does receive funds from sales but not this year We also turned over found stolen property for auction In 2020 we were able to receive several thousand in auction funds from the sale of old Department vehicles jewelry bicycles and other property when no owner can be found These funds are returned to the City within the General Budget Berkley DPS has been using Mid Thumb Auctions for the processing of these items
202 AWARDS CITATIONS
AWARDS CITATIONS Below is a list of Public Safety Employees who received awards for actions taken in 2020 as well as actions that occurred prior to and awarded in 2020 LIFE SAVING AWARD Officers directly responsible for the saving of human life Sgt Scott Smith PSO Robert Kwiecinski PSO Michael Bunting Dispatcher Mark Kempski PSO Marc Robinson PSO Justin Childrey Lt Jordan Kobernick PSO Jon Roberts PSO Greg Betts PSO Brian Smith PSO Brian Anderson PSO Andrew Boring DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD The performance of a public safety service requiring exceptional thoroughness determination and initiative in the performance of a difficult task The service need not involve exposure to physical danger but because of the exemplary nature of the act a life is saved a serious crime is prevented or a person who has committed a serious crime is apprehended Lt Andrew Hadfield Lt Jordan Kobernick Sgt Nathan Papke PSO Marc Robinson UNIT CITATION AWARD Awarded in recognition of outstanding Public Safety services by any departmental unit Lt Andrew Hadfield x2 PSO Brian Gothard PSO Brian Smith PSO Dan Schewe Sgt David Arney Sgt Jeff Onesko ACO Kevin Palmer Sgt Nathan Papke CIVILIAN CITATION AWARD Awarded to a civilian member of the Department for the prevention or solution of a serious crime the apprehension of a dangerous criminal or other meritorious action such as lifesaving or assistance to an officer with disregard for the recipient s personal safety Dispatcher Lisa Foreman
202 BUDGET
2020 BUDGET The City of Berkley s Fiscal Budget runs from July 1 to June 30 During 2020 Berkley DPS worked on several capital improvement projects including the purchase of a new Fire Ladder known as Ladder 4 which was delivered in the Spring reconstruction of the Dispatch Center and renovations to the Fire Hall The Public Safety budget includes Salary Benefits for over 40 employees Dispatch Renovations began in fall of 2019 150 000 Purchase of a new Animal Control Vehicle 53 000 with equipment Two new marked patrol units and one unmarked unit 138 000 in 2019 and two units for 83 000 in 2020 The total budget for 2019 20 was 3 8 million and 3 6 million for the 2020 21 budget The latest budgets are less than the previous 2016 2017 2018 budgets which all totaled over 4 1 million in expenses each year The Director and his executive staff work tirelessly to find ways and make do with current facility and equipment while also strategizing for fiscally smarter upgrades repairs and replacements as needed Several months are spent working on a twoyear budget along with the Department s CERP and CIP five year plans to make sure the City is ready for the future Berkley DPS is looking forward to 2021 where we will implement the new K 9 Officer program make lobby entrance repairs to be ADA compliant and fully staffing our Dispatcher Center with two new hires in the coming months This information and more on the budget can be found at www berkleymich org finance
202 PHOTOS
TO SERVE AND PROTECT The Thin Blue Line represents Law Enforcement professionals for their courage and sacrifice in protecting the American people The Thin Red Line represents Fire Service professionals for their courage and sacrifice in protecting the American people The Thin Gold Line honors the Dispatch and Public Safety Telecommunicator professionals for their service to the American people
CLOSING The Berkley Public Safety Department would like to thank the numerous officers and staff who have helped create and assemble the 2020 Annual Report We thank the staff and administration at City Hall Public Works the Library and Parks and Recreation for working together with us for the Berkley community We would also like to thank the City Council for their continued support of Public Safety Most importantly we would like to thank the businesses and residents of Berkley for their appreciation and partnership as their Public Safety Department It is our honor to be here when you need us Sincerely Director Matt Koehn Executive Staff Lt Hadfield Lt Miller Lt Kobernick All Berkley Public Safety Officers and Civilians