M a r c h 1 , 2 0 1 7 V o l u m e 3 , I s s u e 3

Sheriff Kevin E. Torgerson

Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office Newsletter

A d m i n i s t r a t i o n

S h e r i f f

K e v i n T o r g e r s o n

C h i e f D e p u t y — L E C

T e r r y W a l e t z k i

C a p t a i n s

S c o t t B e h r n s

M i k e B r o m b e r g

D a v i d S a t z k e

V i n c e S c h e c k e l

E x e c u t i v e A s s i s t a n t

L a u r a C o l l i n s

C h i e f D e p u t y — A D C

B r i a n H o w a r d

C a p t a i n s

D a v i d A d a m s

M a c e y T e s m e r

Note from Sheriff Torgerson

This past month has again allowed many of our staff to participate in the Law Enforce-ment Torch Run Polar Plunge for Special Olympics either by being a plunger, a vol-unteer or a supporter in some way. Law Enforcement is by nature Community Service so our people are mostly wired to look for ways to support our communities and those within the community in need of help. I firmly believe the strength of our office is in the character of its mem-bers. My thank you to our staff, communi-ty members and businesses is heartfelt and true. Thank you to our communities for supporting our athletes of Special Olympics and the officers of the Law Enforcement Torch Run.

This past month brought the new era of the Body Worn Camera to the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office. Our staff has been through the required training and our policy meets the standards set by the 2016 State Legislature and the required local reviews. The Body Worn Camera is set to record within its capabilities the video and audio beyond where our current squad cameras are limited. We must all be re-minded there are still limitations. During training our deputies worked to determine the limits their camera had based on posi-tioning it on their uniform and their own personal height challenges. So with that, the most important note to make for our communities: there will always be limits where not all the conversation or interac-tion is heard/seen. The body cameras will not capture the emotional state and stabil-ity of subjects in the video including that of our deputies. With this technology, we expect to have a more detailed picture of the challenges and situations our deputies and communities encounter.

E m a i l s h e r i ff @ c o . o l m s t e d . m n . u s W e b s i t e w w w . c o . o l m s t e d . m n . u s / s h e r i ff

Polar Plunge 2017 Investigator Mark Chambers Another successful Polar Plunge is in the books! The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) team participated in this record setting year for the Rochester Polar Plunge. The Rochester Polar Plunge raised over $262,000, with a total of 1,100 plungers (both Rochester Polar Plunge Records). For most of the returning plungers from last year’s OCSO plunge team, we all enjoyed the rather mild temperatures compared to last year. The 2017 OCSO Polar Plunge Team consisted of 11 members of the office and 1 significant other. We also had the 2 Super Plungers with Macey Tesmer, Casey McFarland, and also Sheriff Torgerson and Sheriff Thiele from Steele County joined

the team for the plunge on Friday night. The OCSO Polar Plunge team raised $2,974, and the Super Plungers raised a huge total of $7,207! We sure hope to beat these numbers for the 2018 Polar Plunge, and we would definitely like to have more plungers join our OCSO Team!

Support Staff Support Healthy Heart Awareness

On Friday, February 3, the Civil/Warrants clerical staff participated in the National Wear Red Day to promote awareness for heart disease and stroke in women. Our clerical staff proudly sported red attire and displayed signs showing ways we engage in maintaining healthy hearts.

P a g e 2 Dates of Interest

March 1 Salem Township Meeting

March 2

Dover City Council Meeting

March 6 Oronoco Township Meeting

Pleasant Grove Township Meeting Quincy Township Meeting

Rochester City Council Meeting

March 7 Elmira Township Meeting

High Forest Township Meeting Olmsted County Board Meeting

March 9

Eyota City Council Meeting Rochester Township Meeting

March 13

Cascade Township Meeting Chatfield City Council Meeting

Orion Township Meeting Rock Dell Township Meeting

March 14

Byron City Council Meeting Marion Township Meeting

New Haven Township Meeting Stewartville City Council Meeting

March 15 Haverhill Township Meeting

March 20

Eyota Township Meeting Kalmar Township Meeting

Oronoco City Council Meeting Rochester City Council Meeting

March 21

Farmington Township Meeting Olmsted County Board Meeting Pine Island City Council Meeting

March 23

Eyota City Council Meeting Olmsted County Fire Meeting

March 27

Chatfield City Council Meeting Viola Township Meeting Dover Township Meeting

March 28

Byron City Council Meeting Stewartville City Council Meeting

E m a i l s h e r i ff @ c o . o l m s t e d . m n . u s W e b s i t e w w w . c o . o l m s t e d . m n . u s / s h e r i ff

Monthly Snapshot: ADC February Bookings, Releases & Daily Populations Captain Macey Tesmer

Towards Zero Death (TZD) – More Than Just An Overtime Detail Sgt. Jens Dammen TZD is a statewide program that was launched in 2003 when it was decided that what was being done wasn’t enough. The program was created by the MN Departments of Public Safety, Transportation and Health as a deliberate, interdisciplinary approach to traffic safety. The members of the TZD program team realized that moving toward a goal of zero deaths would require cooperation among state agen-cies as a way to build connections between state agencies and local organizations. TZD Mission – To move Minnesota toward zero deaths on our roads using the 5 E’s - Education, Enforcement Engineering and Emergency medical & trauma services, Everyone else. Working together, these efforts will and have made a difference on Minnesota roadways. When TZD began in 2003 there was an uptick in traffic related fatalities…655 fatalities on Minnesota Roadways. In 2016 the number of traffic related fatalities was 411 statewide and Southeast Minnesota had 46 fatalities. So what we are doing is working, but each of those 411 fatalities left behind family and friends that have to cope with the loss of a loved one. It took a lot of effort and collaboration to reduce the number of fatalities over the years and there was several legislative initiatives that helped reduce the number of fatalities. 2005 – Reduced BAC from .10 to .08 2006 – Cell phone ban for permit holders and under 18 provisional drivers 2008 – Electronic Communications Prohibited While Driving & Expanded Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) Laws 2009 – Primary Seatbelt Law, Booster Seat Law, Expanded GDL Laws 2010 – Driver’s License Sanctions – Ignition Interlock 2014 – Additional fines for work zone speed limits convictions, Increased hours of adult supervised practice for teen provisional drivers and require driver educators to offer parent awareness training 2015 – Increased fines for texting and driving second offense A lot of great work has been done in the last 13 years to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes, but there has been a plateau in recent years. We need to continue to educate and change the way people view traffic safety and instill that cultural change which will save lives, because the ultimate goal is zero deaths. What is being done in Olmsted County? We have established a fatal review committee that goes over all serious injury and fatal crashes in Olmsted County, we provide traffic safety education in schools, we conduct extra traffic enforcement, we work with roadway engineering to improve roadways, we have a dedicated DWI Deputy and have a Public Health Safe Roads Coordinator. What can you do? Strong traffic enforcement greatly impacts driving behavior. When you make a stop you get the chance to educate the driver and make an impact, whether it results in a ticket or a warning. Take the time to work seatbelt enforcement and issue the ticket for violations. We have all seen seatbelts save lives in crashes and seen crashes where the use of a seatbelt would have saved a life. Distract-ed driving was identified as a severe threat / issue during the 2016 Olmsted County Community Health Needs Assessment sent out to county residents in a survey. Cell phone use while driving is the leading cause of distracted driving crashes. TZD is focusing on this topic with education and public service announcements, but it is up to law enforcement to enforce cell phone laws. Make it a priority to stop drivers who are texting and driving. Recently, the DSA and Rochester Police Benevolent Association partnered to purchase 1,000 Cellslips to distribute in the community. The Cellslips are a pouch that you put your cell phone in that prevents incoming calls/text messages/media use to be used while driving. The next TZD Enforcement Wave is the Distracted Driving Campaign, which starts April 10. However, you don’t have to wait to make a difference in changing driving behavior and making our roadways safer. The work you do makes a huge difference and will save lives!

Congratulations

to our two newest

DARE Deputies,

Deputies Casey

McFarlen and

Aviana Torkelson.

DWI Hat Trick Award Sgt. Jens Dammen

On Wednesday 02/22/17 Deputy Michelle Ness was presented a Hat Trick pin and hat for getting 3 DWI arrests in one shift on 02/17/17. A “Hat Trick” is recognition that was estab-lished by TZD Law Enforcement Liaisons to be presented on behalf of the MN Office of Traffic Safety to officers that have located, arrested & processed at least 3 DWIs within one shift. Subsequent Hat Tricks, made after October 1, 2013, are recognized with a unique “Hat Trick Hockey Stick” It is important to note that this is not a contest, rather a Hat Trick is recognition of a task that is not easy to accomplish. Arresting one impaired driver is a lot of work, two in one shift is commendable, three requires a special level of dedication that says, ‘Never Give Up’. Ness with TZD Southern MN Law Enforcement

Liaison Scott McConkey.

Bookings - Male 260

Bookings - Female 66

Bookings - Total 327

Release - Male 253

Release - Female 57

Release - Total 311

Avg. Daily Population - Male 125.64

Avg. Daily Population - Female 18.07

Total ADP (including booking) 143.71