Agenda - Council - 03/14/1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I RAMSEY'S COMMUNITY POLICE The city of Ramsey, lying on the northern edge of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area has a population of 12,400 as of the 1950 census but the estimated 1994 population if 15,800 with a predi~tion of 17000 in 1996. Geographically it is comprised of 28 squarelmiles. Ramsey is largely a bedroom community but has a growing co~mercial/industrial base that is served by two major highways and~ail lines. There are 150 miles of streets within the city, over 4~O acres of municipal parks and approximately three miles of developed trail system. Housing is comprised of rural and urban lots w~th the urban lots having city sewer and water. The police department currently has twelve sworn officers. There are twd full-t/me clerical persons handling records support. Of the swornl officers nine are in the patrol unit. There is one investigator% a sergeant and the chief. The department is staffed twenty-four pours, 365 days a year and has personnel in the reception/reCords office from 8:30 am until 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Dis~atching services are handled through the Anoka County Central CommUnications unit, an Anoka County joint powers effort, and utilizes~ 9-1-1 services. The Ramsey department has a base radio unit fgr base and car-to-car communication. The patTol has four marked squads all with speed control radar, cellular phones, mobil data terminals and emergency medical equipment. ~here is also an investigator's vehicle with radio and basic lights~siren. Four o~er twenty years the department has had a form of citizen crim~watch program; initially an in-house plan and then, when it became available, Minnesota Crimewatch and Operation ID. There is a D!.A.R.E. program in the fifth grade of the elementary school located within the city. The police department, working with the LIONS Club as co-sponsors, organizes an annual bicycle safety event: for community children. The department participates in the Minnesota Crime Prevention Officers' Vikings football card program and has started its own officer card{ giveaway in order to increase positive contact with city youth. ~ A guiding principle of the Ramsey Police, since the beginning of the depa~.tment in 1974, has been to have officers serve as generalists ~n their capacity as police officers. That is, they are not only encouraged but are required to do follow-up investigatio~ on incidents they respond to or initiate. This is done to the_ extent to which it is possible considering the officer's sh~ft hours, range of expertise and available time. The full-time ihvestigator takes cases which, because of these recedingli~itations, patrol, of. fic. ers can not realistically work. _v re~uirin_ g.:!patrol officers .... ~o me investigators they become better rounded through their experiences w~th a wide variety of lnczdents.