Shakopee Snapshot: Spring 2024

PUBLIC SAFETY

Investing in mental wellness Grant award will fund PD mental health programs The Shakopee Police Department plans to expand its Check Up from the Neck Up mental well ness program for officers thanks to a federal grant award of nearly $82,000. This substantial federal grant award comes through the Department of Justice’s Office of Commu nity Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program. “We feel extremely fortunate and happy to receive this grant,” said Shakopee Police Chief Jeff Tate. “This funding will be used to improve access to mental health and wellness resources for our officers, from trainings and family resources to suicide prevention interventions and more.” The Shakopee Police Department’s Check Up from the Neck Up program already provides annual mental health check-ups for officers, but now the program will have the resources to provide opportunities for additional check-ups and mental health and wellness training tai lored to police officers. The program expansion will also include mental health education and support for the families of officers, from stress management to financial literacy and beyond. “With this grant funding, we will be able to take our wellness initiatives to the next level,”Tate said.

CHIEF’S NOTES

Another year of record low crime in Shakopee! The 2023 numbers are in, and we saw another record

Shakopee Police Chief Jeff Tate

low in crime reported in Shakopee. The 2023 community survey results also show that the vast majority of our community members feel safe in their Shakopee neighborhoods, and the facts support that feeling. I realize this is little consolation if you were just the victim of a theft or fraud. The few crimes being committed still have a big impact on the victims they affect. While reported crimes went down, some arrest data went up—most notably, DWI arrests. We had an additional 113 DWI arrests in 2023. This is a significant spike, and one that should concern us. For the last several years the average blood alcohol level of a person arrested by the SPD was over twice the legal limit. That’s unacceptable, and we will continue to aggressively enforce DWI along with our prevention programs like our “Free Sober Ride Home” nights and our designated driver giveaways we started in 2023. In March 2023, we started a Coordinated Response Unit that placed an embedded social worker in our police department. This has been on our radar for years and thankfully, we were able to get it done. The results have been significant, and that social worker has already handled over 100 referrals from officers just since March. We handled more than 800 mental health specific calls in 2023. The average mental health call takes over two hours to handle properly and takes 2.35 officers for each call, on average. Having an embedded social worker has been essential in our service delivery and our ability to get folks the services they need. Crime tends to dominate the headlines and lead the evening news. It’s important to pause and look at our numbers from a holistic perspective. We are a safe community with great crime prevention initiatives . Please take the time to swing by one of our crime prevention community events in 2024!

Rep. Angie Craig, far left, visited Shakopee City Hall to present the federal grant award check personally to the Shakopee Police Department.

Hot tips for cool cookouts Fire safety measures every grill master should know Are you prepared for grilling season? That’s a likely yes. But what about your grill? there is a leak and the grill should not be used until repairs are made. ■ Check the burners to make sure they

Maintaining your grill is an important part of the grilling season. Grills that are not maintained or properly cleaned can often become a fire haz ard that can not only ruin your meal but could also cause personal injury or property damage. Here are some tips to ensure your grill-out doesn’t go up in flames: ■ Remove grease buildup inside your grill. Many grills have grease collection containers beneath them that require cleaning. ■ Remove excess ash and debris from the grill. ■ Inspect the propane tank and hoses for any signs of damage or decay. ■ Turn the propane tank on and use soapy water to spray all the fuel lines and connections. If bubbles appear,

are in good condition and burning properly. The flame should be more blue in color than yellow. ■ Keep your grill out from under trees where the branches are close enough to catch flames, and keep your grill away from your home. If the grill does catch fire, you do not want the fire to spread. ■ If you live in an apartment building or a townhome where three or more units are attached, you cannot have a grill on a deck or balcony above the first floor. When grills are used in these locations, they must be at least 15-feet away from the building as required by City Code.

Spring 2024 13