Mountrail County facing a boom of a different kind, Page 2.
Ward County looking forward to space problemʼs resolution, Page 4.
Minot Public Schools to get one more school resource officer, Page 14.
Minot Daily News
SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2015
Law Enforcement
Tendar Tsering/MDN
This photograph shows the Minot SWAT team having firearms training at the Ward County Law Enforcement Training Center in March, which is a part of the 100 hours of training that team members are required to through every year.
Preparing for the worst Minot SWAT team stands ready to protect public By TENDAR TSERING Staff Writer ttsering @minotdailynews.com
With crime on the rise in the state, the Minot SWAT team in recent years has not only increased its membership but updated its equipment with the latest armament. Members also go through annual training in preparation for any deadly situation. “Every officer receives at least 100 hours per year for SWAT training for our department. They might also have to receive additional training in specializing in something else,” said Justin Sundheim, commander of the Minot SWAT team. “We normally train twice a month,” Sundheim said. Besides handling firearms and learning new skills, the commander of the SWAT team said training to handle stress is also a must for the team. “We train how to handle stress, lack of sleep and learn to work with the team – to be able to communicate with the team, and decisionmaking skills during critical situations,” he said. “They also learn how to collect information, how to move as a team, and how to move as an individual.” Speaking about the
Tendar Tsering/MDN
This photograph shows the two SWAT vehicles of the Minot SWAT team. The one on the left is known as a barricade vehicle and the one to the right is called a verbal command vehicle.
equipment, Sundheim said his team is fortunate to have some quality equipment that has provided them with a much safer environment in recent years. As a part of updating its equipment with the latest armament, the team in recent years has purchased two SWAT vehicles, including one new barricade vehi-
cle and one new verbal command vehicle. “We are fortunate to have such equipment,” he said, adding that the vests his team wears offer much more protection than the normal vest that the patrol officers wear. The SWAT team has 24 members including seven negotiation members who
negotiate with the suspects to resolve the issue peacefully and two tactical paramedic specialists from the Minot Fire Department. To be prepared for any kind of situation, the SWAT team holds drills at different locations such as hospitals, schools and homes. “We might throw in different types of scenarios
depending on the situation. We use different kinds of locations as part of that and after the flood, we were able to use those abandoned houses for training,” said the commander. To be on the team, the minimum qualification is one has to be an officer for at least 18 months and all of the SWAT members must
be volunteers. In order to be accepted onto the team prospective members go through several interviews and test including physical fitness tests. “All SWAT members are paid just exactly as same as the rest of the police officer. It is strictly voluntarily based and just extra duty,” said Sundheim.
Minot Daily News PROGRESS
Page 2
L aw En f orcem en t
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Sheriff Ken Halvorson stands in the booking area of the Mountrail County Jail last January. The county hopes eventually to relace the jail with a larger, more modern facility.
Jill Schramm/MDN
A boom of another kind Mountrail County jail population rises due to Bakken business slowdown By ANDREA JOHNSON effects of a slowdown in the they don’t have enough Halvorson. “We have to take Staff Writer ajohnson @minotdailynews.com
oil business in Bakken, said Sheriff Ken Halvorson. Halvorson sees anecdotal evidence that some of the STANLEY – The people who have been laid Mountrail County Sheriff’s off from their jobs are stayDepartment is feeling the ing in the area, often because
money to leave. Some of those people get into trouble and wind up in the Mountrail County Jail. “We get them here in jail and they don’t have money for bond anymore,” said
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care of them ... they become almost wards of the county.” Halvorson said he’s also seen an uptick in the number of people who are booked into the jail, at the same time that the sheriff’s office is hurting for manpower. However, Halvorson said that’s the case with law enforcement agencies all over the Bakken region. “It’s hard to find people, hard to keep people once you find them,” said Halvorson. Some law enforcement officers have been hired away by state agencies like the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the State Highway Patrol that can offer better pay, said Halvorson. “When you get somebody good, somebody (else) wants them too,” said Halvorson. He said it is difficult to find good, affordable housing for young deputies in the area, which also makes it harder to recruit law enforcement officers. Mountrail County has a 12-bed jail and, on occasion, has had to use the Pierce County Jail in Rugby for an overflow of prisoners. Halvorson said housing female prisoners can be a challenge as well, since the county must keep female
‘We get them here in jail and they don’t have money for bond anymore. We have to take care of them ... they become almost wards of the county.’ — Mountrail County Sheriff Ken Halvorson
and male prisoners separated. For instance, if the jail has only one female prisoner, it can take up four bunks since they can’t put males in with the females. If they must transport a female prisoner to another prison, Halvorson said a female deputy or another female must go along, which also uses up work hours. “We do not transport a female without another female present,” he said. Halvorson said he is seeing more women being arrested and jailed for various charges in recent years. He said there are more people being charged simply because there are more people in the area. The Mountrail County Sheriff’s Office deals with charges resulting from fights, concealed weapons, drugs and
drunk driving offenses, among others. The Mountrail County Commission is considering a proposal to build a new correctional facility. While it is up to the commissioners, Halvorson said he can see a need for a new jail. He also said he can see a need for more training in areas like human trafficking. Ideally, instructors would come to Stanley to offer courses or law enforcement officers, since it is hard to spare personnel to attend training sessions out of towns, said Halvorson. He said it would also help different agencies in the area to work together. Halvorson praised the U.S. Border Patrol, which has a presence in Stanley and is of help in dealing with immigration issues.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Minot Daily News PROGRESS
L aw En f orcem en t
Page 3
Cheaters beware ID scanner traces fake IDs back to China By TENDAR TSERING Staff Writer ttsering @minotdailynews.com
It is so shocking for many that these days almost everything in the United States is made in China, but what is more shocking is that these days many of the fake IDs in North Dakota, especially in eastern part of the state, are being traced back to China, according to the Minot Police Department. “One of the big things that we have seen especially in the eastern part of North Dakota is that there is so called ‘Chinese IDs’ where people send away information to companies in China to make fake IDs. If you send away information to these companies, they will make your ID for your state, but if you put these IDs on this scanning device, it will say you are not from America or from North Dakota, it will say you are from a place in China,” said Sgt. Margie Zietz, crime prevention unit of the Minot Police Department. With the help of these ID scanners, law enforcement agencies have caught many fake IDs across the state, especially in cities like Fargo and Grand Forks. “Especially in college towns, NDSU in Fargo and UND in Grand Forks,” she said. “You can get these fake IDs for $100,” she said. “We have the ability with this (scanner device) to check for false IDs. So this is a pretty neat device ... we go through the bars and check IDs.” Urging the bars in the Magic City to use these devices, too, Zietz said they
cost around $1,000 but could save a lot of money if a bar fails to meet the alcohol compliance standard of the state or local law. “So having this device is a pretty neat way of making sure that you don’t have a fake ID” Zietz said. The Minot Police Department recently purchased several such devices through a federal Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive grant, which was awarded to First District Health Unit to address underage drinking laws and adult binge drinking in the community. Zietz said she wishes to buy and sell these scanners to the bars in the city at a discounted price if they could get some grants next year. “We are not promising but just hoping we could sell these, maybe at half price,” she said. The Minot Police Department conducts surprise alcohol compliance checks in the city from time to time and also holds classes to educate bar owners and servers how to check identity cards, and teach about different alcohol laws in the state or city such as who can drink and how much can one drink at a bar or house party. “If someone comes into your bar intoxicated, don’t keep serving them. We don’t want you to get sued or take civil action,” Zietz said, adding if someone causes a fatal accident after a house party the family of the victim can sue the organizer of the house party. “So, we teach all these during the server training classes,” she said. Zietz said bartenders in Bismarck, Fargo and Grand
Sgt. Margie Zietz of the Minot Police Department shows one of the ID scanners that the department purchased recently. The devices are mainly used to catch fake IDs or misuses of identity cards at bars in the city.
Tendar Tsering/MDN
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Minot Daily News PROGRESS
Page 4
Law Enforcement
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Minot Daily News PROGRESS
Page 5
Law Enforcement
Ready to crack down Sheriff’s department looks forward to space problem’s resolution
A correctional officer with the Ward County Jail processes paperwork at a central station April 7.
By TENDAR TSERING
Staff Writer ttsering@minotdailynews.com The Ward County Sheriff’s Department is gearing up to tighten its grip on criminals in the county in the coming years. In recent years the department has been forced to be a bit lenient with some types of crime due to overcrowding at the existing jail. “Here at the Sheriff’s Department, we have several outstanding warrants ... (but) we don’t have space at this time. When we complete the jail expansion, we may assign additional labor to serve those warrants. We will be more aggressive to serve the warrants when we have the space to put them in,” said Capt. Bob Barnard. According to Barnard, the depart-
Jill Schramm/MDN
ment has about 3,000 warrants on file ranging from serious cases to misdemeanors, and the department is forced to prioritize the cases due to lack of space at the jail. “We will be more diligent and more aggressive when we have the space,” he said. The District Court in recent years has also been more lenient to some extent in little less serious cases, such as Class B misdemeanors, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Amidst jail space problems last year, the District Court, in cooperation with the Sheriff’s Department, decided to let people arrested for violations such as driving with suspended drivers licenses or similar violations to simply sign promises to appear in court before being released. Normally, anyone arrested for those types of crimes would be physically taken to jail and have either to post bond, guaranteeing they will appear in court, or wait in jail for the next available court date.
Once the jail expansion is complete, Barnard said the court will also likely get more strict. Barnard said that in his opinion, the court’s decision has helped the jail in terms of reducing the number of inmates but hasn’t solved the problem. Treating Class B misdemeanor cases more leniently with just a promise to appear in court has indirectly increased the number of inmates at the jail. Usually, people who break the law are the kind of people who tend to break the law, said Barnard, adding that signatures for many of those people mean nothing. “Two schools of philosophy,” he said, adding there are people who think that the court’s decision is the solution to end the jail space issue. The sheriff’s office this year has hired four new correctional officers and is planning to hire some more next year as the jail begins preparing for the larger facility. Construction is expected to begin this summer.
Correctional officers monitor jail activity from a control room in the Ward County Jail on April 7. Jill Schramm/MDN
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Page 6
Minot Daily News PROGRESS
Saturday, April 25, 2015
L aw En f orcem en t
Missile security forces New camo, gear goes to airmen By ELOISE OGDEN
Regional Editor eogden @minotdailynews.com MINOT AIR FORCE BASE – Security forces airmen at Minot Air Force Base have new camouflage pattern uniforms. Airmen with security forces at two other Air Force Global Strike Command bases – F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming and Malmstrom AFB in Montana – as well as the 620th Ground Combat Training Squadron at Camp Guernsey, Wyo., also are sporting the new Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern uniform. They also have new personal gear, according to Air Force officials. In addition, the base received three new Dodge Ram 3500s and 12 new Ford F-150s in October 2014 as a part of the Force Improvement Program’s initiative to provide more positive, rapid and substantial changes within the intercontinental ballistic missile and bomber missions. As of information released late this past year, the base was expecting to receive nine additional Ford F-150 pickup trucks and two more Dodge Ram 3500s. The vehicles will be used by 91st Missile Wing airmen who travel out to missile sites for crew changeover. Air Force Global Strike Command also announced in December 2014 that security forces airmen in the command are receiving the M-150 Rifle Combat Optic, a newer version of the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight. The need for the new equipment and camouflage pattern uniforms was identified through Air Force Global Strike Command’s new Force Improvement Program or FIP. The continuing initiative focuses on identifying and resolving issues faced by the Air Force’s nuclear mission. The 91st Security Forces Group commander at Minot AFB at the time when the uniforms and equipment were being reviewed about a year ago felt the current pattern, the Airmen Battle Uniform, or ABU, was not sufficient for the tactics and the mission that the security forces airmen perform in the missile field. The goal of the Operational Camouflage Pattern for the security forces is to properly equip them for various duties in a wide-range of weather conditions and terrain. The items include generation III cold-weather gear, which provides seven levels of protection against the extreme conditions encountered at northern-tier bases, as well as new duty gear and personal protective equipment that has been redesigned with the missile field mission in mind. Nearly a year after instituting the program to make major improvements in how the Air Force supports and empowers airmen with the nuclear mission, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Global Strike Command commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson said, at a news conference held at the Minot base Feb. 20, that they are seeing the fruits of their labor. They pointed out it isn’t a onetime deal, it’s a continuous journey. “My impressions from this trip is we’re moving very much in the right direction and our airmen are telling us that there are many positive changes in the works so I’m very, very encouraged by that,” said James. Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein, commander of 20th Air Force, with headquarters at See GEAR — Page 7
Security forces airmen perform a training patrol at Minot Air Force Base. The airman at the left is wearing a multi-cam uniform and the airman on the right is wearing ABUs (Airmen Battle Uniform), shown in this Air Force courtesy photo. Submitted photo
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Minot Daily News PROGRESS
Page 7
L aw En f orcem en t
Submitted photo
Members of the 91st Security Forces Group receive new Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform at Minot Air Force Base, Feb. 2, shown in this photo by Senior Airman Brittany Y. Bateman. All security forcesʼ members in Air Force Global Strike Command received the new uniform. Feb. 9 was the official date they could start wearing them.
Gear
Continued from Page 6
F.E. Warren AFB, said at a news conference at Minot AFB in June 2014, the multicam uniform is better for the environment. “It also comes in several layers so whether it’s a beautiful 90 degrees in the summer in Minot or minus 42 in the winter, the uniform will be able to protect our airmen,” he said. Weinstein said airmen made the recommendations for the improvements that are being done through the Force Improvement Program. The official wear date for the new uniform was Feb. 9.
The Air Force also hopes to replace the UH-1N helicopters like those at Minot AFB with Black Hawk helicopters in the future. Minot AFB has eight UH1N helicopters. The 54th Helicopter Squadron at Minot AFB supports 91st Missile Wing by providing security for convoy movements and in the missile field. The squadron also can transport equipment and personnel, and support medical evacuations and rescue searches. Wilson said the Air Force also is making plans for other new equipment or technology for systems as well as improvements for the airmen.
New Dodge Ram 3500s sit in a parking lot at Minot Air Force Base Oct. 29, shown in this photo by Airman 1st Class Sahara L. Fales. The trucks were bought as a part of the Force Improvement Programʼs initiative to provide more positive, rapid and substantial changes within the intercontinental ballistic missile and bomber missions. Submitted photo
Minot Daily News PROGRESS
Page 8
Saturday, April 25, 2015
L aw En f orcem en t
Help wanted MSU’s Criminal Justice department faced with waning numbers By TENDAR TSERING
Staff Writer ttsering@minotdailynews.com In recent years, it hasn’t been just law enforcement having a hard time recruiting officers in the Magic City, even Minot State University is experiencing a decrease in the number of applications for enrollment. “Demand for qualified graduates has increased. The police department, they have five openings but can’t find five people for the job. Because there are other opportunities – work in the oil field and make $50 per hour – they’re not going to make $50 per hour as a cop,” said Gary Rabe, a professor and spokesperson for the Department of Criminal Justice at MSU. “Twenty-five years ago, there was one opening in the Highway
‘Twenty-five years ago, there was one opening in the Highway Patrol for the state of North Dakota and there were 250 applicants for the job. Right now, they can’t find enough people to fill the job openings. That’s exactly what is going on. So students have those options to get employment without the four-year degree.’ — Gary Rabe, Department of Criminal Justice, MSU Patrol for the state of North Dakota and there were 250 applicants for the job. Right now, they can’t find enough people to fill the job openings. That’s exactly what is going on. So students have those options to get employment without the four-year degree,” Rabe said. According to Rabe, almost all of the departments at the university have seen a drop in student numbers but his department still has the maximum majors on the campus. Rabe said there are several other factors that led to low demand for
college degrees. “Due to flood issues,” he said, adding the university was also a victim of the 2011 flood. Then, the cost of living, he said, noting it has risen drastically with the increase of population in recent years. In an effort to tackle that obstacle, the university has introduced “enhanced recruiting efforts,” hoping to see more students enrolled at the university. Teresa Loftesnes, marketing director of the university said her office uses social media such as
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook as well as more traditional media, to reach students. They focus on student success stories and each week, a new student is highlighted through their social network platforms. They also reach students through the automated email system and some messages are targeted directly at college-age students in a particular geographic area, while others are geared toward those students’ parents. The admission team also attends local high school football and basketball games to talk about admissions at the university. Beefing up its recruitment process, the Department of Criminal Justice had also started partnering with other colleges in the state as well. “We offer our complete degree in Bismarck. Students can do two
years of course at Bismarck State College, and then do two years with us, but they don’t have to physically come here,” said Rabe, adding one of their professors is in Bismarck who teaches the students. The department has also temporarily terminated its master’s program at the university. “We have the master’s program but suspended the master’s program as of now,” he said. “In order to reactivate where we want to do, we put it on inactivation status two years ago. We wanted to find out what the new students’ interests were and where we need to specialize in offering the program where it really is going to benefit the students.” “It’s just a test to reflect where we going to go with that,” he added.
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Minot Daily News PROGRESS
Page 9
L aw En f orcem en t
Smooth talkers
Bomb scare
Negotiators used in crisis situations By TENDAR TSERING Staff Writer ttsering @minotdailynews.com
As a part of the SWAT team, there is a smaller, highly skilled and wellequipped unit trained to negotiate with suspects during high-risk situations. “We are a small group of seven members which is part of the SWAT team. The SWAT team is the bigger team. They have the snipers, the entry team and the negotiation team. I am the leader of the negotiation team,” said Lt. Larry Hubbard. When the SWAT team is called in for incidents involving hostages, armed suicidal subjects, clandestine drug labs or barricaded wanted subjects, it is the negotiation team that tries to resolve the situation through negotiation. “Basically we try to establish contact, first of all, just
‘(I)f the negotiation team is talking to them, they were somewhere either barricaded inside somewhere or they have hostage, they are the one that we are trying to talk to come to a safe resolution for everybody.’ — Lt. Larry Hubbard, Ward County Sheriffʼs Department to explain, this is who I am and how can we resolve this today,” Hubbard said. “Obviously, if the negotiation team is talking to them, they were somewhere either barricaded inside somewhere or they have hostage, they are the one that we are trying to talk to come to a safe resolution for everybody,” he said. If the suspect doesn’t have a phone, the negotiators get one to him so they can communicate. “We use our throw phone if the other side doesn’t have a phone and if the other side doesn’t like women, and is in trouble because of
The Minot Bomb Squad searched the entire Vegas Motel April 17 after a suspicious bomblike item was discovered under a toilet seat in a public bathroom at the motel. The device, which was not a bomb, was disposed of safely.
women, I would not let a female negotiator to negotiate, I would send a male negotiator,” Hubbard said. As soon as the team reaches the scene, they go to work digging up information on the suspect to find out what he or she likes or dislikes, who they might confide in and who they won’t talk to or about. It can take hours to defuse a situation depending on those involved. And if the negotiation team cannot get a suspect to surrender, the final solution is breaking in and taking the suspect by force, according to the police officers.
Tendar Tsering/MDN
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Minot Daily News PROGRESS
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Visions for the new jail
These photos show renderings of the new $40 million jail expansion approved recently by Ward County voters. Above is the entrance perspective, while at right is the view from Fourth Street Southeast. Submitted photos
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Minot Daily News PROGRESS
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Fred Coleman, president of the Minot Rural Fire Department, poses with a statue of a firefighter outside the departmentʼs station.
David Rupkalvis/MDN
Protecting rural Minot Minot Rural Fire Department depends on volunteers By DAVID RUPKALVIS Editor drupkalvis @minotdailynews.com
When a fire broke out in a corn field north of Minot last week, the first person to notice the smoke did not call 9-1-1. Instead, the chief of the Minot Rural Fire Department drove out toward the area, saw flames and called emergency dispatch and asked that they tone out the volunteer firefighters who protect much of the area around Minot. Within five minutes the first truck was en route to the fire. Before long other trucks followed. The men and women in those trucks left their homes, jobs and families behind to fight the blaze and protect the area. Just another day as a volunteer firefighter in North Dakota. At the Minot Rural Fire Department, there are 34 firefighters and four dispatchers. They respond to between 200 and 300 calls a year, and none of them get paid for the work they do. The firefighters are all certified by the state; the dispatchers have decades of experience. They take their job very seriously. And again, none of them get paid. For 60 years, volunteers have protected hundreds of miles around Minot, protecting homes, businesses,
‘From the time we get a page until the time we get on the road, we usually have five people here. If they’re not here in five minutes, we’ll leave with four.’ — Minot Rural Fire Department President Fred Coleman grassland, farms and everything in between. They train regularly, pay to get their own certification and are ready to respond in a minute’s notice. With a volunteer department, firefighters are not usually at the department, so when an emergency is called in, they drop what they are doing and head to the station. “From the time we get a page until the time we get on the road, we usually have five people here,” Rural Fire President Fred Coleman said. “If they’re not here in five minutes, we’ll leave with four.” Once the first engine leaves the station, the volunteers continue to arrive. The first officer on the scene will call in with needed equipment, and more trucks and supplies will get on the road. Before the day is done, sometimes dozens of firefighters and up to 10 pieces
of equipment are at the scene. And when they’re done, every engine is washed and dried, every piece of equipment cleaned and checked and everything left ready for the next call. Such is the life of a volunteer firefighter. At the Minot Rural Fire Department, everything is top notch and state-of-theart. The main station, station 1, was built in the 1980s, but it looks and feels like a new building. The engine bay holds three engines, two tankers and an extrication vehicle. The primary engine, the first to respond in a structure fire, holds 2,000 gallons of water. The next two engines to respond are tanker trucks that can hold a combined 6,000 gallons of water. A back-up engine and two dual-purpose engines make up the main fleet. The dual-purpose vehicles are used primarily in auto accidents because both carry
equipment to extricate people from badly damaged vehicles. Next door, the department’s newest station, station 2, holds the equipment used to fight grass fires. Three identical grassland units sit at the front of the bay, ready to respond when a grass fire erupts. There are also two off-road vehicles that carry foam, water and fire hoses. One is always hooked up to a grassland unit for a quick response. There is also a trailer carrying firefighting equipment, including 60 gallons of foam that can be mixed with water to make 6,000 gallons of foam. Coleman said if an oil tank caught on fire the trailer and its equipment could stop the blaze in five min-
utes. In grass fires, foam is always the first avenue of defense because it works the best, Coleman said. “With wildland fires, our biggest problem is not the grass, it’s the trees,” Coleman said. “With foam, the water will actually penetrate the wood and put out the fire.” The rural fire department is funded through a mill levy by Ward County. It covers a large territory including the townships of Afton, Eureka, Freedom, Harrison, McKinley, Nedrose and Sundre. Coleman said with such a large area to cover, one problem firefighters encounter often is a struggle to find specific locations. With that in mind, he asked anyone
who calls in an emergency to give specific directions or to arrange to meet the firefighters and lead them to the area. Coleman also wanted to remind drivers, the volunteers are given blue lights in their personal vehicles. If the blue lights are flashing, the driver is almost always on the way to the station to respond to an emergency call. Coleman asks that drivers pull over to allow the firefighters quicker access to the station. Because the department is funded through the taxpayers, Coleman said the department works diligently to make the money stretch as far as possible. “We do most of our maintenance ourselves to keep the cost down to the taxpayers,” he said. In addition, the department is always looking for grants to ease the financial burden. The department’s largest engine was fully paid for with a grant. “We always try to write grants to lower the burden on the taxpayer,” Coleman said. “Do we always get the money? No. But when we do, we try to get something that helps the entire community.” Coleman joined the fire See FIRE — Page 15
Minot Daily News PROGRESS
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Law Enforcement
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Minot Daily News PROGRESS
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Saturday, April 25, 2015
Senior Officer Chad Faken is one of the current Minot school resource officers for the Minot Police Department.
Tendar Tsering/MDN
Minot Public Schools to get one more officer By TENDAR TSERING Staff Writer ttsering @minotdailynews.com
The Minot Police Department is planning to add one more school resource officer for the public schools in the city by next year. “We have to have a lot of discussion, a lot of communication, but ultimately, we have to add one more resource officer by next year,” said Captain John Klug, press officer for the police department. As of now, Klug said there are two resource offi-
cers for the public schools in Minot and funded jointly by the department and the school board. “We are working with the schools right now and they want one more officer,” Klug said. “Right now, the school funds 75 percent and the police department picks up the rest,” he said. For the additional resource officer, Klug said he hopes the funding formula will be the same. “To me, that number makes sense but I wouldn’t crash it if the number differs,” he said. “It is a difficult process because our budget
‘I don’t know if it is society in general (but) oftentimes, when people see a law enforcement officer they think there is trouble, there is something bad going on. We have that opportunity to build those relationships and we love the opportunity get to know a lot of the kids. Because then they start to see you in a different way.’ — Senior Officer Caisee Sandusky process and school’s budget process don’t line up in time.” According to Klug, the school board funds 75 percent for the school resource officers because technically the officers spend 75 percent of their time at the school and 25 percent of time at the department.
The two school officers are Sr. Officer Chad Faken and Sr. Officer Caisee Sandusky. Faken looks after Central Campus, Ramstad Middle School and Sandusky looks after Magic City Campus, Jim Hill Middle School and Souris River Campus. According to the police
department, the school officers are meant to bridge the gap between the police and students, and between the police and the public. “I don’t know if it is society in general (but) oftentimes, when people see a law enforcement officer they think there is trouble, there is something bad going on,” Sandusky said. “We have that opportunity to build those relationships and we love the opportunity get to know a lot of the kids. Because then they start to see you in a different way,” she said. “Even if we are outside the job, they would call us by our
names and that gives kind of job satisfaction as well,” Sandusky said. Faken nodded his head in agreement. The responsibilities of the school officers are said to be as “resource officers” for the school about law enforcement issues and to safeguard the schools, especially during events and functions at the schools. The presence of school officers has been kind of an increase in recent years following a wave of gun accidents at the schools around the country and about 20 school districts in the state have school resource officers.
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Saturday, April 25, 2015
Minot Daily News PROGRESS
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Scott Wilson, a volunteer firefighter with the Minot Rural Fire Department, gets ready to move a fire engine. AT RIGHT, the shield of the department. Photos by David Rupkalvis/MDN
Fire
Continued from Page 11
department in the 1980s, at the time becoming the first black firefighter in North Dakota. During that time he got to know a teen girl who was there because her dad was the chief. That girl is now a volunteer dispatcher and her husband and son are volunteer firefighters. “I grew up in the fire service with my dad being the fire chief,” Kris Weber said. “Once you get in the fire service, it gets in your blood.” As a dispatcher, Weber responds to the station when an emergency is called in. As soon as she arrives, she will take over communication from the 9-1-1 dispatchers. “I know I’m that calm voice on the phone,” she said. “I love the excitement. It’s very exciting.” Coleman said the dispatchers may be miles away from a scene, but they have a very important job. “The most important part of the dispatch is the dispatcher looks out for our safety,” he said. Weber said in that vein she is responsible for making sure every firefighter is accounted for. At least once every 30 minutes, she makes everyone stop to ensure every firefighter is where they are supposed to be. But that is just the beginning. Dispatchers call for backup, ask for assistance if needed, communicate with utility companies and more. “Anything they need, we do,” she said. “If they need the Red Cross, we do it.” While there are four dispatchers volunteering with the department, every firefighter is also cross-trained to handle dispatch duties. Firefighters are also trained to do every aspect of the job, whether it’s driving an engine or being in charge at a fire. “The reason we have to cross train is we have to meet our district board requirements,” Coleman said. “Our district board requires we have a certain level of certification with the state.”
Not an easy job The state requirements ensure that volunteering is not all fun and games. In fact the rules in place for volunteers are very strict and require a lot of dedication. When someone is interested in volunteering, they must first fill out an application. And for most, they then wait. “We will be bringing on six more,” Coleman said. “When I joined in 2009, there was a three-year waiting list.” When a firefighter is chosen, they are given six months to master all the equipment. By the time that six months ends, every firefighter is expected to be able to respond and drive any of the vehicles to a scene. Within 18 months, every firefighter is expected to be certified by the state. That includes 20 nights of training with other officers, passing a written test and
Kris Weber, a volunteer dispatcher for the Minot Rural Fire Department, shows the equipment she uses when handling an emergency. David Rupkalvis/MDN
‘The thing about the Minot Rural Fire Department is we have strict rules. We have no alcohol in the building. If you’ve had any alcohol, even one beer, you’re not allowed on a truck. I’m proud to say we’ve never had to kick anyone off the truck for drinking.’
— Minot Rural Fire Department President Fred Coleman
demonstrating hands-on abilities to testers from the North Dakota Firefighters Association. By that time, all firefighters are also expected to be certified in CPR, first aid, automobile extrication and Courage to be Safe. Once all the certification is finished, the department still requires training on a regular basis. As a group, the volunteer firefighters log close to 2,400 hours of training every year. The end result is a volunteer team that is well trained and prepared to handle almost any emergency. “I have to say this, we’re pretty damn good at what we do,” Coleman said. “We are all professional volunteers” And to maintain that professional atmosphere, the department has rules no one can break. “The thing about the Minot Rural Fire Department is we have strict rules,” Coleman said. “We have no alcohol in the building. If you’ve had any alcohol, even one beer, you’re not allowed on a truck. I’m proud to say we’ve never had to kick anyone off the truck for drinking.” And it can be a big commitment. In 2013, the volunteers responded to 306 calls. “It was almost one a day,” Coleman said. “Sometimes we were fortunate to have a two-day break. I think the most we’ve had is seven in a 24hour period.” And in real crisis, the firefighters are always there
to help. When Minot flooded in 2011, the volunteers worked for weeks to help out. Many worked all day, slept a few hours at the station at night and returned to offer more assistance. And while helping the community is always a primary goal, the No. 1 goal in every call is to ensure every firefighter makes it safely back. “We want everybody to go home,” Coleman said. “We have a two in, two out rule. If you go in, you have two go in with two people and come out with the same two people.” And despite the work, despite the challenges, most of the firefighters love it. Their fellow firefighters become their second family. They work, sweat and laugh together, which
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County refuses request to keep E-scanners alive By TENDAR TSERING Staff Writer ttsering @minotdailynews.com
Despite repetitive requests from several agencies, the Ward County Sheriff’s Department has decided to follow the footsteps of the Minot Police Department and encrypt its emergency radio frequencies for safety and security of the officers. There are two law enforcement radio frequencies in Ward County where until recently the public could listen to the conversations of law enforcement officers during burglaries and drug investigations but Minot Police the Department has already closed down that facility, and the Sheriff’s office is indirectly spending around $500,000 to encrypt the radio frequencies, and several months from now, the public won’t be able listen to the emergency channels. “There are two law enforcement radio frequencies used in the Ward County. One belongs to the City of Minot. They made the decision to scramble the channel or to create a channel modification that no longer allow people to hear that radio traffic on their scanners or cell phones,” said Capt. Bob Barnard of the Ward County Sheriff’s Department. “Ward County has not yet done that but we will, once we are done with our new radio system,” he said. According to the Sheriff’s office, on several occasions, officers failed to catch the bad guys because the bad guys were listening to the conversations of the
Saturday, April 25, 2015
officers. And Barnard said that is the reason they are spending so much money to update the radio system. “I and many, many officers had the situation, where you stop the car and when you get to the driver’s door, the driver is listening to you talking on the phone and when a dispatcher calls you on your radio, you actually can hear it on the cell phone before than on the radio,” said Barnard. “Obviously that’s a security risk for the officers,” Barnard said. “During pursuits, during drug investigations, during burglaries, during house entries, daylight burglaries, it’s all become a consideration for safety, security and hinders our ability to catch the bad guys.” When asked if they can allow the media in the county to listen to the radio system, Barnard said that would be a risk. “I know there are several trustworthy people in the media but it would be really risky for us to do that,” he said. Barnard acknowledged that the public who have been listening to their conversations in the past have been great help in capturing wanted people but he said because of the technology development, they have to scramble the frequencies. “Weighing pros and cons, it’s a decision that we have made,” he said. Several agencies including the highway department have requested the Tendar Tsering/MDN privilege to listen to the The radio scanner at The Minot Daily News, which had been a great help in covering local news radio system but the and getting out safety messages to the public in the past, now has no use since law enforcement Sheriff’s Office has turned offices have decided to encrypt all of their radio frequencies, blocking public access to the system. down all requests.
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