December 2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Postal Customer ECR-WSS PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid St. Paul, MN Permit #1962 I n s i d e Arden Hills, MN . 55112-5734 City services online Lindey’s Park Recycling basics Helping your community News from the Mayor Live from Arden Hills, it’s Satur- day Night . . . The actual line is of course “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.” Saturday Night Live is so iconic that all one needs to do is abbreviate the name, “SNL” and every- one knows what you are talking about. These opening words reminded me that it was time for me to do a ride along with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Depart- ment (RCSD) and what better time than Saturday night to see if things are lively. I did a 4 p.m. to midnight shift and learned a number of things that I would like to share. The amount of technology in law enforce- ment continues to increase. Dispatch can locate 911 cell phone calls even if the cell phone location feature is turned off. Squads have both on-screen and verbal di- rections to call outs. The verbal directions are much more detailed and specific than standard cell phone applications. Squads can see, via a real time map, where other squads are located for backup. It is amaz- ing how fast a squad can respond to a call and how fast a backup unit can arrive. Ef- ficient dispatch and car-to-car coordination enables a swift and appropriate response level. There are several reasons why I do ride alongs. It gives me a chance to tell the RCSD what is going on in the City from a City perspective. And more importantly, it gives them an opportunity to tell me what is going on from a policing perspec- tive. Over the course of the night I rode with two different officers and I am truly amazed by the level of knowledge the of- ficers have about our neighborhoods and businesses. Officers know when business open and close, what security systems they have, and in many cases, know the names of private security guards on duty. Work- ing together, they keep things secure. In the daylight hours, I was impressed by the amount of people who wave as the squad goes down the street. I learned that this is much more common in cities located in the north and west part of Ramsey County and drops off as you go south. The officers appreciate the waving. It is a nice way to say thank you for being here. Over the course of the night, there was only one call inside Arden Hills and it was for a medical situation. So it was not something illegal but certainly important. Lake Johanna Fire Department and Allina also responded. The Sheriff’s Department was first on the scene. After arriving and making a quick trip to the trunk to grab first responder gear, we made our way to the site. The amount of first responder gear they carry is truly impressive. If the RCSD is first on the scene, it has what is needed. There were numerous calls for other cities in which the Arden Hills car was a backup squad. It was an interesting perspective to go “lights on” and head out of the City, with cars in front of us peeling back to the curb. It is certainly an unnatural feeling to go through red lights. So things were really quiet in Arden Hills, at least that Saturday night. Next time the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department is in your neighborhood, give them a wave. Regards, David Grant Happy Holidays! City Hall will be closed on December 24 and 25 & December 31 and January 1 Learn about City events, recreation opportunities, and more: City of Arden Hills, MN —-Local Government twitter.com/ardenhillscity