*An officer was patrolling on East Main Street on 01/16/12 at about 7:00p.m. when he saw 2 male subjects who appeared to be tampering with a car wash/rinse selector box in one of the car wash bays at Jostes Car Wash.  Further investigation into the incident by the officer revealed that the subjects had damaged the box.  The subjects stated they were trying to retrieve a quarter which they had placed in the box.  The situation was resolved by the subjects paying $104 in restitution for the damages.

*Officers were called to the Rochester High School at 2:15p.m. on 01/18/12 in reference to a reported fight which had taken place between two females.  Investigation into the incident revealed that a 15 year-old female student walked up behind another female student and struck her multiple times while in the school cafeteria.  The two students had been in a verbal altercation prior to the battery taking place.  A police report regarding this incident has been forwarded to the Sangamon County Juvenile Authorities.

*On 01/19/12, at 8:30p.m. an officer was sent to #1 Rocket Drive in reference to a battery that had reportedly taken place on school grounds.  The female victim reported that she had attended her son’s wrestling match at Rochester High School.  While she was attempting to leave, she was allegedly attacked by another female subject.  Reports indicate that the battery may have resulted from an ongoing domestic situation between the victim and the suspect.   Statements were gathered by the officer and due to conflicting information an arrest was not made that evening.  Reports have been forwarded to the Sangamon County States Attorney’s Office.

*A member of the Rochester First Baptist Church notified police on 01/29/12, that unknown suspect(s) had spray painted an exterior brick wall.  It appears this occurred sometime after 4:00p.m., on 01/28/12 and before 9:00a.m., on 01/29/12.  Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the police.

*A vehicle stop which occurred on 01/29/12, at about 6:30p.m. resulted in the arrest of the driver, Jodi Stewart of Tremont.  Stewart had allegedly been driving while her license was suspended.

*The following animal ordinance violations occurred in January:  01/03/12 – warning to resident on Virginia Lane for barking dogs; 01/07/12 – warning to resident on Pleasant Lane for barking dogs; 01/24/12 – warning to resident on Deercreek for barking dogs

*A vehicle was stopped on 02/13/12, at 5:20p.m. due to an expired registration sticker.  The stop eventually resulted in the arrest of the driver, Ashley Richno of Mechanicsburg, as she was wanted on a warrant which had been issued by Montgomery County Authorities.

*An officer observed a vehicle in the Community Park on 02/13/12 at 8:45p.m. parked in the lot near the basketball courts.  He approached the vehicle to notify the occupants that the park was closed. When the driver of the vehicle rolled his window down the officer could smell the odor of burnt cannabis coming from inside of the vehicle.  During the investigation into the incident a female subject admitted that they had been smoking marijuana in the vehicle and the marijuana belonged to her.  A report was forwarded to the States Attorney’s Office.

*On 02/24/12, at about 8:30p.m. an officer was called to the high school as school authorities had a subject in an office who was in possession of marijuana.  The juvenile male subject was eventually arrested and taken from the school.  A report was forwarded to the juvenile authorities alleging several drug law violations.

*Dosean Harvell, of Springfield, was stopped on 02/25/12 at 12:30a.m. and ticketed for allegedly driving on a suspended license.

*An officer was called to the Phillips 66 station on 02/26/12 at 11:20a.m. by an off-duty Illinois State Police Administrator.  The ISP administrator told the officer he witnessed a subject get out of a vehicle which had pulled into the station and then begin to urinate in public.  The officer who had arrived on scene made contact with the subject and the other occupants of the vehicle.  Bennie Lacy, of Springfield, was arrested for multiple violations.  Additionally, occupants of the vehicle in which he was travelling were also cited for alleged violations.

*Jennifer Blair, of Jacksonville, was stopped on 02/26/12, at 5:00p.m. and cited for allegedly driving on a suspended license.

*The following animal ordinance violations occurred in February:  02/10/12 – a warning was given to a resident on Chase Haven for failure to keep animal within premises of owner.

Criminal Incidents in January / February

Aggravated Battery – 1; Battery – 1; Criminal Damage to Property – 2; Criminal Defacement of Property – 1; Deceptive Practices – 1; Forgery – 1; Possession of Cannabis – 2; Possession of Drug Equipment – 3; Manufacture with Intent to Deliver – 1; Telephone Harassment – 1; Warrant Arrests – 1

Traffic Incidents in January / February

Accident Investigations – 9; Illegal Transportation of Alcohol – 2; Miscellaneous Violations – 4; No Drivers License – 4; No Valid Registration – 1; Operating Uninsured Motor Vehicle – 25; Speeding – 31; Suspended / Revoked Drivers; 7; Warnings for Equipment Violations – 181; Warnings for Moving Violations – 149

Calls for Service January / February

Animal Related Calls – 8; Assist Other Police Agency – 32; Assist Other Agency – 25; Burglar Alarm – 10; Business Checks – 119; Citizen Assists – 101; Curfew – 2; Domestic Trouble – 2; Mischievous Conduct – 1; Motorist Assists – 17; Neighborhood Trouble – 1; Suspicious Person – 3; Suspicious Vehicle – 7; Vacation Watch Checks — 704

The complainant told the responding officer that a male caller contacted her and claimed that he worked for Microsoft Windows. The caller told the complainant that a virus was detected on their machine and he began requesting personal information from the complainant. The complainant, suspicious of the caller, refused to disclose any information. After hanging up the phone, the complainant contacted Microsoft and was told that the man did not work for the company. Microsoft also told the complainant that they would never contact their customers and ask for personal information.

This was the second reported phone scam this week that Rochester Officers responded to. Building awareness by sharing this information with friends and family could prevent them from becoming the victim of similar scams. If you believe that you have been the victim of a scam, please contact your local law enforcement agency. To report a similar incident within the Village of Rochester, the officer on duty can be reached at 381-8351. Please dial 911 in case of an emergency.

Call takers will staff phones in the EOC and notify emergency responders, police, fire, and public works of situations that require their attention. Volunteers will receive training for this position and will serve as the critical link between citizens in distress and emergency responders.

Individuals interested in volunteering are asked to submit an online application to the Rochester Police Department by Friday February 10, 2012. There will be a (3) hour training, Thursday February 16, 2012 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

Many drivers clear off only a small area of their windshields to provide just enough visibility to see. However, when bright sunlight hits the remaining frost left on the windshield, it creates a light-amplifying effect that may lead to the driver being blinded.

Please allow a few extra minutes during your morning commute so that you can completely clear the windshield of your vehicle. This simple task could make the difference in you arriving safely at your destination.

Before traveling over the holidays, stop mail and newspaper delivery so these items do not accumulate. Consider installing motion-activated lighting on exterior lights and utilizing timers on lights within your home. Complete a vacation watch form online and Rochester Officers will check your residence daily to ensure your home is secure; officers will contact you if there are any problems.

If traveling over the holidays, expect congested roadways. According to the Illinois State Police, high volumes of traffic are expected on interstates and roads beginning Wednesday, November 23rd through Sunday, November 27th. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24th is expected to be the busiest. When traveling, adhere to the rules of the road and obey posted speed limits.

When shopping, park in well lit areas and place valuables in your trunk or store them out of sight. Remain aware of your surroundings and keep track of your shopping cart.

If you have any questions, please contact the Rochester Police Department at 498-8443. Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!

This chart depicts the number of burglaries the Rochester Police Department has experienced since the summer of 2001. The data measures the number of burglaries by year from June 1st through August 31st.

During the summer of 2010 the Rochester Police Department worked along side detectives with the Springfield Police Department to identify suspects living outside of Rochester responsible for committing these crimes. Realizing that other small towns were falling victim to this tactic as well, the Springfield Police Department formed a multi-agency task force to identify and apprehend this ring of burglars; Rochester’s investigator, Corporal Jon Schwartz, was a member of this task force. With the assistance of the Springfield detectives, Rochester officers were able to solve many of their crimes.

The department turned to the community in the spring of 2010 for help with preventing these burglaries. Officers began a new program called the “Community-Police Partnership Program,” which aimed to inform community members on what types of suspicious behavior to be looking out for, as well as offering advice on how to prevent residents from becoming victims. Alongside this initiative, the department began employing new resources to educate the community. New tools such as the department’s facebook page, twitter and nixle accounts, and a new website enabled officers to push up-to-date information out to the public in a timely manner. The Rochester Times and The State Journal Register were very crucial with helping the department to build the awareness of the public and gain a following on these sites, making them much more effective.

To further deter these crimes, officers began ramping up patrols and contact with the public in an effort to forge partnerships, harden the community, and enhance visible police presence within the Village. This was accomplished primarily through directed patrols and increased traffic enforcement. In addition to this, officers began notifying residents who left their garage doors up at night in an effort to prevent crimes of opportunity within the community. The proactive efforts of the officers proved highly effective and were well received by community members. These efforts have prompted the community to become more cognizant of securing their homes and reporting suspicious behavior to law enforcement.

With these new partnerships, resources and a little luck, the summer of 2011 proved very rewarding for the department’s prevention efforts. The number of burglaries dropped from twenty-three (23) during the summer of 2010 down to zero (0) this past summer. The department would like to thank the Rochester Times, the State Journal Register, and the Springfield Police Department for their continuing support and assistance; these crucial partnerships greatly enhance the department’s outreach and effectiveness. Rochester officers plan to continue prevention efforts this spring by introducing a short informational series of videos with tips on how residents can make their homes more secure and less attractive to burglars.

Shortly after requesting the community’s help in locating the suspect vehicle, several tips came in which enabled us to locate a vehicle which may be involved. The vehicle and debris will be compared by analysts to determine if it is indeed the suspect vehicle.

Again, thank you for your support and partnership in keeping Rochester safe, we will keep the community updated as the case develops.

School Parking should fill up quickly and we are expecting the adjoining neighborhoods to experience a dramatic increase in on street parking. We are asking fans to arrive early, car pool when possible, and ensure that they are legally parked.

RHS Student Council’s RocketPalooza will be going on from 4:00 – 6:30 PM on the tennis courts next to Rocket Stadium. Game kick off is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

West Main street is again open to normal traffic.