Agenda - Council - 08/10/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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believed to be involved in metro -area burglaries and other criminal activity. Through proactive intelligence gathering, staff identified a planned gathering involving a known gang, allowing businesses to decline hosting the event and helping prevent potential public safety concerns. The department also increased patrols in response to neighborhood complaints involving disorderly gatherings and continued monitoring youth sporting events because of occasional conflicts occurring before and after games. Police Chief Bluml reported positive traffic enforcement trends, noting traffic crashes declined approximately eight percent while proactive traffic stops increased about twenty-seven percent compared with the previous year. He highlighted several significant investigations, including the department's first operational drone deployment in support of the Anoka County Sheriffs Office SWAT Team during the apprehension of an out-of-state murder suspect and the successful resolution of a vehicle theft investigation through cooperation between crime analysts and the use of facial recognition technology by a neighboring agency. He also introduced a new performance measure tracking mutual aid, reporting Ramsey officers assisted outside law enforcement agencies 100 times, assisted non -law enforcement agencies 13 times, and responded once in support of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, for a total of 114 mutual aid responses during the first half of 2026. Chief Bluml concluded by inviting Council feedback on additional information members would like included in future quarterly reports. Councilmember Peters asked for additional detail regarding the increase in animal complaints, noting that the statistic could encompass a wide variety of issues. Police Chief Bluml responded that the category likely included dogs running at large, leash violations, dog bites, and nuisance complaints such as barking dogs, but indicated he would provide a more detailed breakdown for the Council. Mayor Heineman also confirmed that theft by swindle included cryptocurrency-related scams that had been discussed previously. Police Chief Bluml confirmed that those incidents were included within that category. The Council thanked the Police Department for the informative report. Fire Chief Winkel presented his first quarterly report as Fire Chief, highlighting the department's strong performance and professionalism during his first months in the role. He described a recent residential fire in northern Ramsey where firefighters quickly established a water supply despite the lack of nearby hydrants, coordinated with six mutual aid departments, and successfully limited the fire, allowing much of the homeowners' belongings to be saved. He also recognized the Fire Marshal for assisting the family following the incident and noted that working smoke alarms contributed significantly to the positive outcome. During the first half of 2026, the department responded to approximately 1,200 calls, about six percent fewer than the previous year, with roughly 80 percent involving emergency medical services. Fire incidents and property losses also declined, although the department experienced an increase in lift -assist calls and heat - related breathing emergencies. City Council Work Session / July 28, 2026 Page 2 of 12