Merriam Police Annual Report, 2021

MERRIAM POLICE

ICE

OFFI

CE

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POL

2021 Annual Report

MER RIAM KANSAS PO L I CE

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 1

CONTENTS 3 4

CHIEF'S MESSAGE

5 6 6 6 7 8 9 11 12 14 15

FORFEITURE REPORT

BUDGET REPORT PATROL DIVISION INVESTIGATIONS POLICE TRAINING MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES CRIME STATISTICS OFFICERS AT WORK THANK YOU'S COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS HIGHLIGHTS OFFICER OF THE YEAR

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CITY POPULATION

11,098

CALLS FOR SERVICE

9,692

SELF-INITIATED CALLS

11,659

WRITTEN REPORTS

3,833

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES

450

POLICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES

37

MONEY RAISED FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS

$21,466

TOTAL BUDGET

$4,156,162

2 | MERRIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

MESSAGE FROM

THE CHIEF

I’d like to thank Merriam residents, elected officials, City staff, and, most importantly, our officers for making 2021 a success. This annual report highlights a few of our police department’s achievements.

We hoped we were seeing the end of COVID-19 at the beginning of 2021, but the Delta variant had other ideas. We continued working through issues associated with the coronavirus. I want to thank our officers for their flexibility in adjusting their schedules to cover shortages.

One thing we felt important to do throughout the year was to continue having our community events.

We looked at ways to do scaled-back events but still stay connected with residents. We did Coffee with a Cop events, National Night Out, and were active with our schools.

An increasing trend in law enforcement is the increase of mental health-related calls and the lack of available resources. Beginning in 2017, the Merriam Police Department teamed up with other cities in northern Johnson County and Johnson County Mental Health to provide a mental health co-responder to assist our officers. We offered mental health services to those in immediate crisis and provided follow-up contact. I’m happy to announce that in 2021, we applied for and received a grant to add another coresponder to the northern Johnson County team. We expect to hire the co-responder in early 2022.

One issue our agency faces is hiring and retaining officers. This is happening across the country. There are few people interested in a law enforcement career, and it makes it tough to recruit. I’m happy to say that although we don’t see the same number of people applying, we’re still able to hire quality people to keep our department moving forward. We also focused on our current employees and made sure we did everything possible to continue providing an excellent work experience.

Finally, thank you to our residents for the outstanding support we continue to receive. It’s so nice to hear from you about all the good work our officers are doing every day.

Sincerely,

Darren L. McLaughlin Chief of Police PATROL COMMANDER Capt. Todd Allen INVESTIGATIONS COMMANDER Capt. Troy Duvanel SUPPORT SERVICES COMMANDER Capt. Chris Brokaw

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 3

BUDGET EXPENSE REPORT In 2021, Merriam's total police budget was $4,156,162. This amount included all projected costs of personnel, contractual services, commodities, and capital outlay purchases. Below is a breakdown of expenditures by major categories.

PE R S O N N E L

This budget item includes salaries and benefits.

B U D G E T E D: S PE N T:

$3,869,259 $3,784,619

PE R C E N T O F B U D G E T S PE N T:

98%

A L L OT H E R D I S C R E T I O N A R Y I T E M S

This budget item includes utilities, equipment rental and repair, training expenses, vehicle repair and fuel, uniforms, and office equipment.

B U D G E T E D: S PE N T:

$286,903

$211,279

PE R C E N T O F B U D G E T S PE N T:

74%

Percent of budget spent in 2021: 96% Police department spending was $160,264 under budget in 2021.

4 | MERRIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

FORFEITURE REPORT According to K.S.A. 60-4117, law enforcement agencies are required to report the status of their Special Law Enforcement Trust Fund in an annual report. The report must include the type and approximate value of the forfeited property, the amount of any forfeiture proceeds received, and how any of those proceeds were expended.

This section is included in all annual reports to ensure the Merriam Police Department stays in compliance with K.S.A. 60-4117. Any questions concerning specific details should be directed to the City of Merriam’s Finance Department.

Law Enforcement Special Funds Report On Jan. 1, 2021, there was $46,648 in the Merriam Special Law Enforcement Fund. Through the course of the year, the following receipts and expenses were made to this fund: RECEIPTS Total funds received Total Assets for 2021 EXPENDITURES (purchases made in 2021 from the fund) Training Physical Fitness Equipment Narcan Stop Sticks Total Expenditures in 2021 Fund balance as of Dec. 31, 2021

$0 $0 $12,196 $20,000 $1,324 $5,808 $39,328 $7,320

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 5

PATROL DIVISION The patrol division is responsible for answering calls for service, traffic enforcement, traffic accidents, and other tasks essential to serving Merriam.

Officers work 10-hour shifts with varying start times to cover all 24 hours of the day, seven days a week. They're assigned to one of six supervisors.

In 2021, our officers answered 9,692 calls for service. These calls ranged from simple city ordinance violations to severe crimes involving personal injury. Merriam police officers also conducted more than 11,659 self-initiated citizen contacts. These included traffic stops, suspicious person checks, business checks, community outreach, and other miscellaneous duties.

Officers wrote a total of 3,833 reports.

INVESTIGATIONS The Merriam Investigations Unit consists of three detectives and a detective sergeant.

In 2021, the unit investigated 572 cases. Of these, 49% of the cases were solved. The Merriam Police Department also contributed regularly to both the Kansas City Metro Squad and the Officer Involved Shooting Investigative Team (OISIT). This year, officers and investigators helped out on three Metro Squad and two OISIT investigations.

TRAINING Each Merriam police officer received an average of 156 training hours in 2021, despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19. Officers were able to participate in various training types. Some of these training types included firearms, serious injury and fatality crashes, defensive tactics, ambush survival, real-world de-escalation, biased-based policing, legislative updates that included law changes and notable case laws, civil disturbance, leadership and wellness, use of force, emergency and pursuit driving, crisis intervention, drugged driving, combat first-aid, leadership, and many other types of training.

6 | MERRIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES One of the fundamental duties of any police department is to investigate motor vehicle crashes.

The City of Merriam has 65 miles of roadway within its borders, including approximately three miles of interstate highway. According to data provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), the portion of I-35 just north of 75th St. is the busiest highway section in Kansas. KDOT estimates more than 112,000 cars drive through Merriam each day.

2021 Crash Facts There were 450 motor vehicle crashes reported to the Merriam Police Department in 2021 compared to 444 in 2020. These included: » Injury crashes: 122 » Fatalities: 1 » Crashes over $1,000 in damage: 287 » Crashes under $1,000 in damage: 40 » Alcohol-related crashes: 33 » Private property crashes: 12 » Non-highway crashes: 326 NOTE: The above statistics don't include crashes reported to and investigated by KHP that occurred on I-35.

Top Crash Locations

95 SHAWNEE MISSION PARK WAY 45 JOHNSON DRIVE

Shawnee Mission Parkway Crashes We believe the reduction in crashes this year on Shawnee Mission Parkway is due to it being identified for officers as a primary focus for traffic enforcement.

It has the highest number of crashes in Merriam, not including I-35. Over the last seven years, Shawnee Mission Parkway has had over two times more crashes than any other street in Merriam.

152 148 146 116 118 84

95

42 75 TH STREET 35 ANTIOCH ROAD

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

17 67 TH STREET 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 7

CRIME STATISTICS

Each year, we report crimes to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations.

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

0

1

0

0

1

MURDER

1

0

1

0

2

RAPE

1

1

2

4

8

ROBBERY

0

9

0

0

9

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

4

15

13

15

47

SIMPLE ASSAULT

6

51

42

34

133

BURGLARY

5

9

13

9

36

46

237

51

66

400

AUTO THEFT

9

57

29

15

110

AUTO BURGLARY

19

35

30

29

113

TOTALS

91

415

181

172

859

THEFT

W 53RD ST

WARD 2 JOHNSON DR

SHAWNEE MISSION PKWY

LOWELL RD

ARSON

ANTIOCH RD

TOTALS

DR

4

W 51ST ST

RIA M

3

W

MER

2

WARD 1 LN

1

CIT

W 49TH ST

FARLE Y

WARD

W 47TH ST

SWITZER RD

The Merriam Police Department tracks criminal activity and trends by the City's four wards. The chart below will give you information on some of the crime reports taken in each ward during 2021.

WARD 4

8 | MERRIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

WARD 3

W 75TH ST

ANTIOCH RD

SWITZER RD

I-35 HW Y

W 67TH ST

OFFICERS AT WORK Merriam police officers respond to many different types of service calls. The following are examples of memorable incidents handled by Merriam officers in 2021. The incidents on this list were submitted by patrol supervisors.

FATALITY CRASH – 2ND DEGREE MURDER/DUI April 3 // Case #2101028: A wrong-way

driver traveling south in the northbound lanes of I-35 struck a vehicle, killing the driver. The wrong-way driver was very intoxicated. Officers received a warrant for a blood sample from the driver The case is pending in court.

Det. Jasinski, MPO Soucie, PO Bilyeu

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT June 5 // Case #2101661: Officers responded

to the Quality Inn on reports that a woman was walking around the outdoor pool area with a machete and making threats about killing people. The woman eventually went back to her hotel room. Officers used a shield and safely arrested the woman in her room.

Sgt. Waller, Sgt. Larison, MPO Soucie, PO Bilyeu, PO Vincent

AGGRAVATED BATTERY/BARRICADE Aug. 21 // Case #2102511 & #0812202:

Officers responded to an aggravated battery where an adult son attacked his father and then left their house. The son ran his car off the road near Highways I-35 and I-635 and refused to exit his car. After a standoff, officers – with the help of several outside agencies – safely arrested the man. Sgt. Waters, MPO Meyers, MPO Eickhoff, PO Bates, PO Latka

AGGRAVATED ROBBERY/ATTEMPTED AGGRAVATED ROBBERY Sept. 16 // Case #2102709, #2102791 & #2102792: A man tried to take a car from

someone at the Merriam QuikTrip. He was unsuccessful, so he walked to Walgreens and pointed a gun at a woman demanding her car.

She refused, so he walked north on Antioch

Road. The woman followed him and called 911.

The man ended up at IHOP where he pointed his gun at an employee and demanded the employee’s car, which he took. Area agencies found the car in Kansas City, Missouri.

Det. Jasinski

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, FELONY INTERFERENCE LEO, AGGRAVATED CHILD ENDANGERMENT Sept. 24 // Case #2102868: A man pointed a

gun at a driver during a road rage incident. The driver was able to get his license plate number.

Officers found the truck at a house in the 5000 block of Knox St. At the house, the man was uncooperative and made a movement toward his waistband. Officers arrested the man without using weapons. One of his kids said her dad picked her up and that he took his gun out when he confronted the other driver. The case is currently in district court. Sgt. Waller, Det. Hirsch, PO Latka, PO Bates

AGGRAVATED ROBBERY Oct. 4 // Case #2102974: A masked man

robbed Gamestop. He ran north, but officers couldn’t find him. Surveillance video from Home Depot showed the vehicle with temporary tags. Area agencies from Leawood and Kansas City, Kansas, had similar robberies and were able to identify a suspect. Officers arrived at the suspect’s house, and a roommate identified the man from the Gamestop robbery. The roommate called police when the suspect came home. Officers arrived and noticed he was wearing the same clothes from the Gamestop robbery and arrested the man.

Sgt. Weiler, Det. Hirsch, Det. Jasinski CONTINUED 2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 9

2ND DEGREE MURDER Oct. 22 // Case #2103152: A man and his

FORCE

USE OF

girlfriend committed a burglary in Kansas City, Kansas. The homeowner followed the two burglars to Merriam. When the man noticed he was being followed, he sped up, lost control of his vehicle, and hit a stop sign and a tree. His girlfriend died at the scene.

The case is at the district attorney’s office.

Sgt. Weiler, Det. Ruby, Det. Hirsch, Det. Jasinski

MENTAL HEALTH Nov. 30 // Case #2103521: A Merriam

resident was in a vehicle in his driveway with a handgun. He made suicidal statements.

Officers got the man to leave his vehicle but wouldn’t comply with officers’ commands. He began walking toward them with his hand in his jacket. He removed his hand and pointed a cell phone at the officers. When the man turned to walk back toward his vehicle, officers subdued him and transported him to AdventHealth for a mental health evaluation.

Sgt. Walton, MPO Castaneda, PO Hoff, PO Bilyeu

Law enforcement officers face many challenges and occasionally need to use force to subdue a violent offender or take a person into custody for their protection. Merriam officers arrested 1,295 individuals in 2021 and only used force in 83 of those incidents. This is a testament to our officers’ ability to de-escalate tense situations and gain compliance without force.

The Merriam Police Department makes it a top priority to conduct comprehensive examinations of any incident when force is involved in making an arrest. It's critical to be absolutely sure each use of force was necessary and within policy. Therefore, each incident is reviewed by the officer’s supervisor and a three-member Use of Force Panel for a thorough analysis. The panel and supervisor examine the reports, videos, witness statements, and other evidence to get a complete understanding of the incident. Recommendations then are made to the training committee to consider whether lessons learned from the incident could benefit all officers in future work and improve best-practice standards.

We believe our comprehensive oversight makes the community safer and our officers more accountable.

10 | MERRIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

THANK YOU'S

FROM THE COMMUNITY

Thank you to everyone who brought us food and treats throughout the year.

We appreciate your continued support!

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 11

BUILDING COMMUNITY

CONNECTIONS

We’re committed to our residents! Merriam police officers stay involved in our community throughout the year. They enjoy participating in a variety of programs, including Coffee with a Cop, National Night Out, block parties, birthday parades, and attending all community events put on by the City of Merriam. We appreciate being able to continue building community connections across Merriam.

How We Built Community in 2021

▶ Merriam officers attended more than 55 community events in 2021, including many Merriam

elementary school activities.

▶ Officers helped 8 kids celebrate their birthdays with drive-by parades. ▶ Attended 5 neighborhood block parties ▶ Hosted National Night Out Against Crime in August. ▶ Participated in Prescription Drug Take Back events in April and October. ▶ Raised $21,466 for Special Olympics with a silent auction, Torch Run, and Heroes Pull. ▶ Officers met with community members at two Coffee with a Cop events in June and October. ▶ Four officers in December helped kids celebrate the holidays with “Operation Rudolph.” Our

department raised money to purchase gifts and gave them to four Merriam elementary students selected for the program.

▶ Partnered with Dick's Sporting Goods to keep sports equipment in patrol vehicles for interacting

with kids and residents while on patrol.

Thank you for supporting the Merriam Police Department in 2021!

12 | MERRIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 13

HIGHLIGHTS Life Saving Award

PO Nick Moeller

When a construction worker was electrocuted after hitting a powerline with his ladder, Officer Nick Moeller came to his rescue. Moeller arrived at the home within two minutes. He shocked the man with an AED and began chest compressions for several minutes. The worker started breathing again on his own and was transported to a local hospital.

“When I arrived, my training kicked in, and I just went step by step, setting up the AED and getting to work,” Moeller said. “It feels really good to have finally been able to have given back in this type of way.”

Merriam Police Chief Darren McLaughlin and the City Council honored Moeller with a Life Saving Award in September. The Johnson County Med-Act team also presented Moeller with a First Responders Award for his life-saving actions.

Capt. Chris Brokaw (second from right)

Recognition Capt. Chris Brokaw graduated from an intense 10-week leadership course at the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command.

MPO Rashad Castaneda (right) with Merriam Police Chief Darren McLaughlin

On Jan. 4, MPO Rashad Castaneda went well above and beyond his duty to help victims of a car fire. Castaneda gathered their belongings and paid for a hotel room for the couple using his own money. Chief McLaughlin recognized Castaneda for his kind actions.

Promotion MPO Beau Soucie was promoted from officer to master police officer in May.

Retirement

CSO Charlie Yocum

14 | MERRIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

CSO Charlie Yocum retired after 44 years of service with the Merriam Police Department. He was an officer before he became the department’s community service officer.

MPO Soucie

Sgt. Larison

Capt. Allen

Det. Hirsch

Capt. Brokaw

Officer Daniels

Service Awards In January, Sgt. Laura Larison was recognized with 10 years of service on the Merriam Police Department. In April, Capt. Todd Allen received a service award for 25 years, and Det. Matthew Hirsch was honored for five years of service. In July, Capt. Chris Brokaw was honored for 20 years of service, and Officer Trey Daniels was honored for five years of service.

New Staff We welcomed three new members to our team. Officer Rod Patton started in February. He came from Birmingham, Alabama, where he served as a police officer. Officer Chad Latka started in August. Before working in Merriam, he served at the Johnson County Park Police for three years. We also welcomed CSO Jose Miramontes in August as the City’s new community service officer. He worked for TSA at the Kansas City International Airport before joining our department.

Officer Patton

Officer Latka

CSO Miramontes

OFFICER OF THE YEAR Master Police Officer Gerry Eickhoff is the 2021 Merriam Police Department Officer of the Year. Eickhoff is a team-driven officer. He’s someone his peers, supervisors, and administrators will go to due to his vast knowledge.

Not only does Eickhoff fulfill his duties as a police officer, but he’s taken on the role of IT for the department. He's the go-to guy for fixing computer programs or repairing equipment - most that can't be resolved until Eickhoff comes to work to save the day. He has filled in to supervise shifts for a few hours until a police sergeant becomes available. He does all these things without complaint. Eickhoff is the glue that keeps us together, and we’re lucky to have him on the Merriam Police Department.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | 15

9010 W. 62ND St., Merriam, Kansas 66202 · 913-322-5560 · merriam.org/police @MerriamPolice 16 | MERRIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

@MerriamPolice