ATHENS CITY
POLICE DEPARTMENT
2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Tom Pyle, Chief of Police
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
INTRODUCTION
In short, the Athens Police Department exists as a Law Enforcement Agency, as all Law
Enforcement Agencies exist, to safeguard the “Public Trust.”
What is the “Public Trust?” one may ask. John Locke, writing in his
“Second Treatises on Government” (1691) postulated a theoretical
situation called “Social Contract Theory.” Locke hypothesized that a
bargain between the free citizens of a particular society and their
government exists and through this bargain a society would grant
certain rights to their government in order to protect the society’s
natural and inalienable rights and to ensure the collective safety of all
(Social Contract Theory). Perhaps the central right that is granted to
the government is to correct or punish those that would violate or
take advantage of the rules of society. It is this set of rights
conferred upon a government by the governed that is often referred
to as the “Public Trust.” The “Public Trust,” in summary, is the
specific list of rights granted by the governed to their government, to
ensure that the individuals in a society will retain their inalienable
rights while providing for community safety and prosperity.
As Police Officers, the front line representatives of organized government, we are charged with
the responsibility to safeguard the rights that our citizens have granted to our government. We
accomplish this task in numerous ways, but we are always expected to do so ethically from a
value base that is both legally right, and morally correct. Police Officers are expected to uphold
the “Public Trust” in a fair and equitable manner, and with equal access to all. We must always
balance the goal of order maintenance with the goal of law enforcement, to do so objectively,
and to do so as part of a team in the criminal justice system. Perhaps the biggest responsibility of
any Law Enforcement Officer is to recognize that his or her authority is not derived by a set of
laws and ordinances, or an oath of office, but is granted to them from the very community they
serve.
DEPARTMENT MISSION
2
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
OFFICER MISSION
DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION
During 2013, the Athens Police Department was organized into three divisions in order to
provide effective service to our community. The organization of the Department was as follows:

Operations Division- consists of Patrol Division and Investigations,

Administrative Division- serves to support the Operations Division, but not necessarily
on a twenty-four hour basis. For instance, Parking Enforcement is considered an
administrative function.

Auxiliary Division- the Auxiliary Division serves to support the Operations Division,
usually on a twenty-four hour basis.
3
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
STAFFING and ASSIGNMENTS
For most of 2013, the Athens Police Department employed twenty five sworn officers, fourteen
Reserve Officers, four Communications Officers, four Parking Enforcement Officers, and six
civilian employees. The 2013 assignments of these employees into the three divisions of the
department were as follows:













Chief of Police- Department Head, Supervised Investigations Division
Captain of Police- Second in Command and Executive Officer for Department.
Supervised Parking Enforcement, Patrol Division, Administration Division
Five Lieutenants- one assigned to Investigations, four assigned to Patrol Division as
street supervisors.
Eighteen Patrol Officers- one assigned to Administrations as DARE Officer, three
assigned to Investigations, fourteen assigned to Patrol Division.
Four Communications Officers- assigned to the Auxiliary Division and directly
supervised by the Patrol Supervisors
Thirteen Reserve Police Officers- assigned to the Auxiliary Division
Four Parking Enforcement Officers- assigned to the Administrative Division
Administrative Assistant- assigned to the Administrative Division
Data Entry Operator/Records Clerk- assigned to the Administrative Division
Parking Enforcement Data Entry Operator- assigned to the Administrative Division
Licensed Social Worker- assigned to the Administrative Division to assist with domesticrelated complaints and others
Meter Repair Technician- assigned to the Administrative division
Part-time Police Intern- assigned to the Administrative division
BUDGET
Our department’s budget for 2013 was funded almost exclusively by the City’s General Fund,
which is mostly generated by city income tax. The annual budget appropriation for 2013 was
$3,878,928.87 and of that appropriation, the department used or will use approximately
$3,842,032.50 The following is a brief breakdown by general line-item of how this money was
or will be used (at the time of this report, approximately $72,088.35 expenses have not been
finalized)
100 Fund (regular wages, overtime, workers compensation, insurance etc.) 200 Fund (operating expenses such as fuel, office supplies, some equipment etc.)
300 Fund (professional services such as telephone, electricity, leasing, etc.)
500 Fund (refunds)
4
$3,515,208.27
$190,337.30
$134,238.30
$1145
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
2013 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS





The department’s new enforcement approach with nuisance parties and noise violations
paid dividends with the spring “fest” season, with most “fests” ending peacefully by the
time darkness set in.
The department established a regular “School Safety Committee” meeting with Athens
City Schools and ATCO/Beacon workshop. As a result of these meetings, state
legislation was recommended to improve safety drills for “active response” scenarios and
our department provided training to teachers and administrators of the schools for this
type of scenario.
Two long-time civilian employees retired from the department in 2013. One vacancy
was filled in March 2013, the other position should be filled by February 2014.
The department established a “Community Initiatives” program helmed by retired
Captain, now Reserve Officer, David Williams. The program has been a success with the
advent of programs like T.A.G (Targeting Area Graffiti), the victim’s outreach program,
a monthly department newsletter, and “Shop with a Cop” to name a few.
Reserve Commander David Malawista was awarded the “CIT Champion of the Year” by
the Ohio National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
5
CRIME STATISTICS
Included within this report are several tables and figures analyzing Calls for Service (CFS) data,
National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data, and arrest data for our agency. Tables
1, 2, and 3 found in this section of the report show the last eight years of data on an annual basis
and should be used for comparison. Figures 1 through 7 found in this section of the report are
specific to 2013 data only.
CFS DATA- Table 1 is a detailed listing of all Calls for Service to APD Dispatch where activity
was documented.
Table 1
Calls for Service
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
911 Hang Up Call
227
192
164
147
110
71
66
60
Alarm Drop
506
464
497
512
382
335
436
425
Alcohol Related
269
159
50
16
41
42
78
28
Assault
136
184
161
175
165
188
169
Burglary/B&E
2012
2013
Average
84
73
119
452
466
448
37
73
79
135
115
137
157
154
122
234
188
233
240
237
198
249
191
205
Dead on Arrival
7
9
6
12
9
5
10
6
14
4
8
Dog Bite
3
2
2
4
7
5
4
3
2
8
4
Domestic Trouble
120
114
147
148
151
189
211
151
163
141
154
Drunk
371
321
380
387
351
391
331
379
453
406
377
Emergency Squad
46
57
44
68
88
40
17
45
124
138
67
Explosion/bomb threat
3
3
17
2
3
3
3
1
3
1
4
Exposures
20
13
11
11
11
9
3
4
8
5
10
Fight
251
360
326
309
283
322
264
325
294
292
303
Fire
69
83
89
123
76
91
55
60
80
67
79
Homicide
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Misc Sex Offense
28
15
9
18
13
14
18
29
20
16
18
Missing Person
14
16
16
14
17
14
18
20
17
9
16
Narcotics
227
192
164
147
48
77
63
62
93
100
117
Nature Unknown
14
11
10
3
4
11
9
5
7
9
8
Noise Complaint
836
778
749
736
760
705
896
828
827
722
784
Nuisance Party
4
6
6
1
6
11
27
2
13
53
13
Person with Gun
8
13
7
9
11
13
11
6
11
11
10
Person with Knife
7
6
9
6
7
6
3
1
5
4
5
Prowler/Trespassing
95
94
94
95
89
92
78
89
86
115
93
Rape
16
22
17
12
8
19
20
18
25
18
18
Robbery
9
6
9
8
4
11
9
20
14
14
10
Shooting
2
2
4
4
1
3
1
0
1
1
2
Shots heard
19
14
24
22
17
22
14
13
24
19
19
Stolen Vehicle
42
45
38
52
69
52
48
48
34
37
47
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Suicide/Attempt
18
34
30
47
40
52
28
34
51
54
39
Suspicious person
246
236
284
335
341
273
268
306
323
382
299
Suspicious Vehicle
211
319
364
412
459
241
194
208
265
371
304
Theft
777
806
823
917
911
743
852
805
794
789
822
Threats
177
199
261
247
226
259
234
247
261
215
233
Vandalism
419
354
463
416
397
373
385
281
337
279
370
Disabled Vehicle
72
57
91
93
92
76
107
94
114
131
93
Motorist Assist
138
198
162
172
165
164
158
175
165
164
166
Traffic Detail
76
65
60
63
113
80
74
54
53
48
69
Hit/Skip-Property
153
129
145
142
159
141
170
152
150
163
150
Hit/Skip-Injury
2
1
0
2
2
2
6
4
3
1
2
Traffic Accident/Injury
62
76
80
85
98
91
78
72
53
67
76
Traffic Accident/Property
732
691
632
618
676
605
556
494
538
542
608
Traffic Stop
1052
1328
1317
1049
1030
1284
1346
2213
1493
2008
1412
DUI
122
135
148
213
149
114
115
133
138
128
140
Animal Call
74
94
83
72
103
88
89
89
104
107
90
Assist other Agency
234
330
394
339
327
280
397
417
377
385
348
Assist other Officer
45
66
32
24
23
18
10
14
20
25
28
Contact Person
30
61
35
56
18
39
7
5
7
7
27
Directed Patrol
0
0
0
0
50
55
6
10
5
55
18
Escort or Parade
184
159
218
103
92
87
60
47
50
41
104
Investigate Complaint
611
615
232
28
15
31
72
112
154
160
203
Investigative Follow-up
443
523
532
520
518
430
442
494
492
662
506
Jail Transport
340
342
370
379
356
225
63
114
110
100
240
Juvenile Call
82
106
77
99
85
61
69
72
80
78
81
Mental Patient
124
166
136
145
130
129
110
132
137
110
132
7
34
86
119
136
155
164
150
153
137
114
Bank Escort
162
70
23
87
72
33
19
3
12
0
48
Officer Initiated
72
1148
1251
682
409
437
472
443
467
573
595
Transport to ABH
Open Door
51
88
55
82
61
87
107
75
69
109
78
Parking Complaint
444
446
301
228
285
238
237
213
194
232
282
Special Detail
552
436
355
240
240
314
226
168
220
230
298
Vacation Home Checks
18
15
3
1
3
1
0
0
13
2
6
Warrant Process
127
80
85
75
74
79
54
69
85
83
81
0
0
0
35
92
117
114
102
106
116
68
11361
12710
12412
11354
10911
10383
10388
10962
10848
11684
11301
Welfare Check
7
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Figure 1 (Calls for Service by Day of Week)
This chart illustrates that call volume rises during the weekend, which is typical for our community.
8
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Figure 2 (Calls for Service by hour of day)
Hour of Day-Military Time
Figure 1 and Figure 2 indicate that the majority of Calls for Service occur on the weekends and typically elevate during the late night.
9
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
NIBRS DATA- Table 2 is an excerpt of annual written reports generated in the National Indexed
Based Reporting format, otherwise referred to as an “Incident” report NOTE- Not all Calls for
Service (CFS) received by our department require a written report, only those CFS which allege
criminal conduct. Not all NIBRS reports generated by our department are listed here, only those
reports that are typically considered of general interest to the public. In 2013, our department
generated 2006 NIBRS reports.
Table 2
NIBRS DATA
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Average
all assault
130
148
158
167
121
118
106
90
95
109
124
Menacing
67
64
70
62
53
68
49
54
49
31
57
Sex Crimes
20
16
13
18
10
12
15
18
14
13
15
Rape
9
17
7
7
6
7
13
14
11
11
10
Burglary/B and E
131
114
170
138
166
122
121
112
157
133
136
Theft
566
573
627
662
593
512
540
514
503
495
559
Crim Dam/Vandalism
291
200
282
342
249
213
238
206
233
209
246
Criminal Mischief
93
101
101
48
61
58
54
27
34
32
61
Underage
251
260
434
212
92
147
139
168
205
203
211
Robbery
7
6
14
9
7
10
13
18
18
16
12
Trespass
30
32
44
28
33
33
15
25
29
33
30
Domestic
37
31
39
43
35
34
46
37
34
27
36
Harassment
40
45
41
21
26
25
30
27
28
21
30
Fight
21
28
31
38
20
21
16
22
23
13
23
Motor Vehicle Theft
0
0
17
17
27
15
15
16
11
14
13
Exposure
12
8
5
2
1
4
3
6
4
4
5
Disorderly
581
649
911
518
337
406
432
470
509
412
523
10
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Figure 3 (NIBRS Reports by day of week)
11
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Figure 4 (NIBRS Reports by Hour of Day)
Hour of Day-Military Time
Figure 3 and Figure 4 correspond with the CFS charts and indicate the majority of reportable crimes occur during the weekends
during the late evening/early morning hours.
12
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
ARREST DATA- Table 3 includes arrests made by any officer of this department during 2013.
This data includes officer-initiated actions and actions as a result of a CFS and/or a NIBRS
report. NOTE: As with Table 2 data, this data does not include all arrests made by this
department, only those that are considered of general interest to the public (e.g. serious crime or
expressed community interest).
Table 3
ARREST DATA
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Average
All Assault
2004
36
2005
41
48
52
37
41
54
44
42
56
45
Burglary and Related
9
13
18
15
14
13
10
8
24
16
14
Domestic Related
20
18
25
24
22
24
32
32
30
21
25
Alcohol Related
972
893
1257
644
412
498
561
570
574
494
688
Exposure
9
3
1
0
0
3
3
5
2
1
3
Fighting
25
23
21
31
24
27
12
23
30
15
23
Sex Crimes
1
1
1
1
0
0
2
4
1
1
1
Narcotics related
48
53
100
73
73
76
82
92
76
108
78
Noise
115
100
146
121
57
34
105
127
143
86
103
Trespass
16
9
25
18
15
32
7
20
22
40
20
Rape
1
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
Robbery
4
4
8
0
3
4
4
4
11
3
5
Motor Vehicle Theft
0
0
1
1
1
2
1
3
3
0
1
Theft
138
134
124
148
158
197
187
227
214
165
169
Harassment/Threats
7
13
11
6
10
20
14
24
17
6
13
Vandalism
35
37
57
27
19
20
43
44
26
36
34
DUI
99
94
114
104
70
56
81
127
99
109
95
13
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Figure 5 (Arrests by day of week)
14
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Figure 6 (Arrests by hour of day)
Hour of Day-Military Time
Figure 5 and Figure 6 correspond with the CFS and NIBRS data and indicate the majority of arrests are made on the weekends and
that arrests increase dramatically between midnight and three a.m.
15
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Figure 7 (CFS, NIBRS, Arrests and Citations by month)
Figure 7 represents the volume of CFS, NIBRS reports, arrests, and citations by month. According to this chart, the department’s
busy time of year remains unchanged, corresponding to Spring and Fall Quarters of Ohio University, which coincide with major
events during these time periods.
16
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Other Remarks
Too many socio-economic factors beyond the control of a local law enforcement agency affect
crime rates in any community. In this regard, Athens is no different. One cannot and should not
draw any hard and concrete conclusions from viewing the statistics included in this report.
Rather, this report should serve to paint an overall picture of crime rates for our community that
may serve to point to general conclusions for our police department in future focus and goals.
PATROL DIVISION
Patrol, in most departments, is commonly referred to as the “backbone” of the police service, and
this is certainly true of our department. Most police operations that are visible to the public
emanate from the patrol division. Our patrol division is responsible for initial response to most
of the calls for service from the public and obtaining information to create at least an initial
report, some of which are then forwarded to the Criminal Investigation Unit for follow-up.
Patrol is also responsible for, among other things, traffic enforcement, order maintenance
(protecting and maintaining peace and order), and deterrence through visibility, the latter often
helping to provide for a sense of safety and security in our community.
Currently (January 2014), our patrol division is staffed with 14 patrol officers. Patrol division is
supervised by 4 Lieutenants under the general direction of Captain Harvey. The following
officers are currently assigned to patrol division:
Lt. John Withers
Lt. Adam Claar
Lt. Joe Stotts
Lt. Tony Fish
PO Tom Withers
PO Ron Brooks
Canine Officer Krishea Osborne
PO Neal Dicken
PO Destry Flick
PO Jeremy Emerick
PO Scott McPherson
PO Andy Foster
PO Matt Warren
PO Nick Magruder
PO Ross Holter
PO AJ Spear
PO Tom Simpson
PO Brian Follrod (Provisional)
17
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
COMMUNITY POLICING EFFORTS
School Safety Committee
In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy last year, Athens City School Superintendent Carl Martin
called together a meeting of all administrators of Athens City Schools, and the two law
enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction for the locations of the various schools. Four of the
schools for the City school district reside inside the jurisdiction of the City of Athens, the
remaining schools are located in the county where the Sheriff’s office has jurisdiction. During
that meeting, we discussed improving our response plans to “active shooter” situations. During
the meeting, it recommended that we (the Athens City Police and the Principals of the four
schools inside the city) start meeting monthly to address safety concerns for the schools. The
School Safety Committee was established and has been meeting monthly since February 2013.
We have been able to accomplish much in just this past year, coordinating training for teachers
and administrators, developing strategies for “active shooter” scenarios, and making general
improvements to other safety concerns such as traffic patterns around the schools, pedestrian
safety, etc.
During one of our first meetings, our department recommended more robust and realistic drills
and implored the schools to take part in drills beyond the current mandate of one “lock down”
drill per year. All of our schools inside the city have been very active and appropriate in meeting
the current mandate, but when asked to expand the number of drills and to make the drills more
robust and realistic, they responded that there simply was not enough time in the school year,
given the requirement of nine fire drills, one tornado drill, along with in-service requirements
etc. to expand their participation in such activities.
In response to their statements, our department decided to approach Representative Debbie
Phillips to explain our desire to provide more time for the schools to practice “active shooter”
response. We explained that the current mandates seem archaic compared to the reality of the
21st century and we asked Representative Phillips to propose legislation that would decrease the
burden of so many fire drills on the schools which would then allow
the schools more time to drill for active shooter/rapid response
scenarios. We also asked that the reference in the law to “lockdown”
drills be changed to capture a truer sense of what the drills/training
should encompass. “Lockdown” is but one option during an “active
shooter” scenario, and we feel it is important that the schools, in
conjunction with local law enforcement, be able to train to realistic
scenarios. This recommendation has resulted in proposed legislation
from Representative Phillips and members of our School Safety
Committee, to include Officer Ron Brooks, Superintendent Martin,
and Council Representative Kent Butler offered proponent testimony
for the legislative committee reviewing the proposed legislation.
18
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Community Initiatives Programming
In October 2013, Dave Williams, a retired Athens Police Captain and current Reserve Police
Officer, offered to return to the department part time (up to 20 hours per week) with the specific
mission to help the police department organize community programming initiatives. Our
department gladly accepted his offer because many times full-time officers cannot find the time
during the busy shift hours to assist in organizing such initiatives. Creating this position allows
Officer Williams to focus solely on these important endeavors.
Below is a summary of accomplishments with our Community Initiatives Program since Officer
Williams began working in October 2013.




Established a Community Outreach Program for victims of crime and serve as a liaison
between the victims and the officers taking the reports. This is accomplished by
identifying those victims with a lower percentage of follow-up police contact, such as
vandalism, theft, and other types of crimes, and sending out a letter to the victims. Within
the letter is information (status) about their case, and an avenue of contact within the
police department for additional information. Also included in the letter is a component
of feedback from the victims, such as how their police contact and reporting experiences
were with the Athens Police Department. We have averaged approximately thirty letters
sent out each month, and have had very few replies from victims and no complaints about
the handling process of the cases as of this date.
Established a police department community wide monthly newsletter. The monthly
newsletter includes information about what the police department is doing (and has done)
to better serve the community. Also included in the newsletter are helpful tips about
crime trends and the prevention of crimes. Additionally, there are sections about parking
laws, and a section about the history of the police department and some of its past
officers. The police department monthly newsletter is available on the City of Athens
public website and hard copies are available at the reception area of the police department
and city hall.
Helped further enhance the City of Athens graffiti removal and prevention efforts by
establishing an anti-graffiti task force, called T.A.G. Task Force (Targeting Area
Graffiti). Since the task force was initiated in November 2013 the task force core
members have held two graffiti removal dates, one was with a group of high school
seniors for “Make a Difference Day” and one was with a local fraternity group of
volunteers. There are plans already in the works to continue with these efforts in 2014,
one specifically for Martin Luther King Jr. Service day in January and one for
Beautification Week in April of 2014. Additional, these efforts will remain in effect year
round utilizing volunteers and community service workers through the court system.
Teamed up with Athens Police Officers and the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) to hold
a Holiday Gift Drive for the children of Big Brother and Big Sisters of Athens County.
Officer Scott McPherson was instrumental in bringing the two groups together for this
19
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT

project and we managed to collect nearly one thousand gifts for the children during the
Holiday Season.
Applied for a grant from the Walmart Foundation and was awarded a $2000 grant for our
first ever “Shop with a Cop” program. Athens police officers, assisted by Ohio University
police officers, Walmart employees, and the local FOP (and family members) all
participated in this
JPAC (Joint Police Advisory Council)
JPAC continues into its third year of existence.
The charge of JPAC is to develop and maintain productive lines of communication between
members of the City-University community and the police departments who serve them.
Recognizing that few police-related concerns are confined to either the campus or the city alone,
and that the community as a whole benefits from the coordinated and efficient deployment of
police resources, The Council will emphasize shared solutions that make optimal use of
resources and best meet the needs of the overall community. Issues The Council may consider
include, but are not limited to:





Monitoring crime trends and offenses within the city and campus
Identifying methods of communicating concerns to the larger community
Emphasizing crime prevention and personal safety
Assisting the Police Chiefs in identifying and prioritizing community concerns
Providing feedback and suggestions for community-based policing strategies
CANINE PROGRAM (prepared by K9 Officer Krishea Osborne)
The K-9 unit is comprised of Officer Krishea Osborne and K-9 Jersey.
The K-9 unit was utilized 67 times in 2013. A total of 89 arrests for various narcotics and other
violations are attributed to the use of K-9 Jersey. The team recovered $13,849.00 worth of
drugs, $23,503.00 in cash, as well as encountering 29 weapons.
The team had a total of 57 arrests for various criminal offenses. The team’s efforts led to
significant apprehensions of criminals for the department.
On 2-1-13 the team made a traffic stop on a vehicle off Dairy Ln. K-9 Jersey alerted to the
vehicle and a search revealed 2 grams of MDMA. That traffic stop led to drug detective Haegele
to obtain a search warrant for an apartment in the city. The team assisted with the search warrant
and K-9 Jersey gave alerts in multiple areas of the apartment. Those alerts led to the discovery
of 2 ounces of MDMA worth over $3,000, over 2 ounces of Marijuana and $6,287 in cash.
20
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
On 2-2-13 the team made a traffic stop on a vehicle for no front license plate on E State St. A
passenger in the vehicle was determined to be wanted on 4 felony drug charges. K-9 Jersey
alerted to the vehicle and a search resulted in the discovery of 1.2 grams of MDMA and 2 Xanax
pills on the wanted passenger and 1 Xanax pill in the driver’s wallet. In the trunk of the vehicle
was a lone back pack. A search of that back pack revealed 2 envelopes containing $9,453 in
cash.
On 9-7-13 the team responded to a call of 3 suspicious males beside a business on W Union St.
K-9 Jersey alerted to a vehicle in that lot. A search of that vehicle revealed multiple bundles of
tar heroin, and $4,700 in cash. K-9 Jersey alerted to a red Monte Carlo in the Highlander Motel
parking lot one of the males claimed to own. That led to CIU being called in for a search
warrant on a room at the Highlander Motel. That warrant was served and an additional $1,045
was seized along with additional Tar Heroin. A total of 18 grams of Tar Heroin worth $2,000,
$6,445 in cash and the 2004 Monte Carlo were seized.
The team continues to exceed the National Standard of 192 hours minimum of training per
canine team. These efforts ensure the continued success and reliability of the team. This was the
last full year the team will work for the city with their retirement scheduled for September 2014.
MOUNTED POLICE PROGRAM- prepared by Mounted Officers Dicken and Gray
The Mounted Unit remained active during 2013. They worked
a large portion of the weekends during Spring and Fall
Quarters. The hours worked were usually from 2300 to 0300
and longer if necessary. As a cost saving measure, the mounted
unit did not ride every weekend.
On March 2nd through the 15th Officer Dicken attended the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Equitation Skills Training in
Canada.
The mounted unit was deployed to assist with police operations
for Milliron Fest on March 15th and for Millfest on March 16th.
The team was deployed again with several mounted officers from assisting agencies on April
19th for Palmerplace Fest and on April 20th for Palmer Fest.
On April 20th and 21st Officers Dicken and Flick attending Mounted Instructor training in Allen
County.
On May 17th through the 19th Officers Gray and Dicken attended mounted training in Summit
County.
21
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
On June 10th through the 12th, all mounted officers attending crowd control training with
Columbus PD.
On July 3rd, Officers Dicken and Flick led the Columbus Red White and Boom parade and
worked the event with Columbus PD.
In July, the mounted unit assisted with “Jamboree in the Hills” which serves as a training
opportunity as well as a mutual aid response.
The mounted unit was deployed for the annual Halloween event in the city on October 25th
though the 27th, along with several mounted officers assisting from outside agencies.
Mounted Statistics 2013
Total hours worked on Mounted Patrol by Athens Officers = 336.5
Cost of Leases paid to Officers
Randy Gray
Neal Dicken
Destry Flick
Ernie Antle
Total
$856.25
$1500
$1200
$1018.75
$4575 (down 68.75 from 2012)
Training
Farrier
Total
$2765.53
$2300
$5065.53
Total Mounted Hours re-paid to other Police Agencies = 32 hours
Mounted Hours donated to City of Athens = 62
Palmer Fest
12 hours
Halloween
42 hours
Dep Tracy Day
16 hours
Grand total expenses for the Mounted Unit for the entire year was 10640.53. This number does
not include overtime payments or regular wages.
Special Event Costs- The mounted unit was utilized during two major events in the city,
Halloween, and “Palmer Fest”. The total expenses for these major events are as follows:
22
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Meals
Assisting Mounted Units Wages
Mileage Reimbursements
$900
$8032.64
$5514.66
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT (prepared by Lt. Jeff McCall)
In 2013, The Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) consisted of four patrol officers (Rick Olexa,
Bob Filar, and Chuck Haegele) and a licensed social worker (Molly Burchfield), and was
commanded by Lt. Jeff McCall, the CIU Division leader.
During 2013 the CIU was very active conducting in-depth investigations and providing
assistance to the patrol division, which has been the pattern for the past several years. Even
though there were no major investigations (e.g. Homicide) initiated by the unit during the year,
the CIU spent a tremendous amount of time investigating violent crimes of robbery, serious
assaults and property crimes; which include burglaries, thefts, credit card fraud, and forgeries.
The Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit (DV/SA unit) was responsible for the investigation
of numerous relationship-based criminal complaints to include; sexual assaults, domestic
violence, aggravated menacing and violation of protection order complaints.
A great advantage for the DV/SA unit is the availability of our Licensed Social Worker (LSW
Molly Burchfield) to assist in sex offense cases. Our LSW has interviewed survivors of sexual
assaults and is better suited to understand the emotional impact of these crimes due to her
sociological and psychological training and experience. When not assisting with these types of
investigations our LSW assists victims of Domestic Violence with protection orders, necessary
court paperwork, and acts as a liaison between all Athens County law enforcement agencies and
the court system on behalf of victims. Our LSW position is funded by an Ohio Criminal Justice
Services grant from the Violence against Women Act (VAWA). We have maintained this
position in our department since the late 1990s.
A significant change for the CIU in 2013 came in the way of technology. The department
purchased computer hardware and software which allowed for the search and analysis of
information contained on portable electronic devices. This acquirement of this technology
propelled the department forward in evidence retrieval capability, which previously was
accomplished by an officer “thumbing” through a device.
PARKING ENFORCEMENT
23
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
The Parking Enforcement Division is normally staffed by four Parking Enforcement Officers
(three meter enforcement officers and one 24hr enforcement officer), one Data Entry Operator,
and one Meter Repair Technician.
Parking Enforcement efforts in the City of Athens resulted in 21,779 tickets being issued in
2013. This number represents a decrease of 3920 compared to 2012.
Parking Enforcement efforts in the City of Athens resulted in approximately $894,548.58of
revenue generated for the City for 2013 (a decrease of $48,650.85 from 2012). This money is
paid to the City’s General Fund. (see Table 4).
Street Meter
Collections101.000.4401000
College Lot Meters101.000.440200
Totals
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Parking Garage Meter
Collections730.000.440100
Revenue
Ticket Colelctions101.000.4551000
Table 4
$262,119.00
$336,342.00
$411,771.00
$388,397.00
$478,962.00
$425,493.00
$312,081.00
$331,034.00
$361,615.45
$325,318.05
$164,297.00
$146,374.47
$178,401.00
$109,251.78
$179,884.34
$102,778.50
$118,688.00
$118,142.26
$126,994.36
$131,964.61
$391,707.77
$377,185.08
$328,523.55
$319,739.53
$406,947.00
$387,708.00
$377,373.00
$386,515.36
$423,514.62
$406,049.67
$23,867.69
$22,161.25
$25,527.50
$25,813.00
$24,253.75
$28,412.00
$39,432.00
$17,382.15
$31,075.00
$31,216.25
$841,991.46
$882,062.80
$944,223.05
$843,201.31
$1,090,047.09
$944,391.50
$847,574.00
$853,073.77
$943,199.43
$894,548.58
Table 5 includes a list of the parking ticket totals that the parking enforcement division, police
patrol officers, and the garage attendants (custodial staff) issued.
24
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Table 5
Year
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Lewis
7234
8458
9159
6985
6430
5063
4312
3338
5280
4236
Cravens
7611
7960
9244
8474
6848
6892
4853
5843
6348
5771
Eskey
6372
4194
6785
9021
6371
7619
3802
5604
6351
4524
Williams
N/A
1856
6372
5313
5703
5301
6460
6552
5296
4997
All Others
6342
6529
4636
1119
4456
3294
2639
2692
2424
2251
Total
27658
35372
38449
33972
34172
29158
22066
24029
25699
21779
Table 6 This report shows the number and types of tickets issued for the year. These numbers
include some tickets issued by Code Enforcement that are not included in the totals in table 5.
Code Enforcement would have the actual number of tickets they issued in 2013.
Table 6
PARKED ON SIDEWALK
BLOCKING DRVWAY
BLOCK INTERSECTION
10' FIRE HYDRANT
PARK CROSSWALK
20' CROSSWALK
30'OF STOP SIGN
DOUBLE PARKED
SIGNS PROHIBITE
1' PARKED VEH.
CURB/COLORED
SECURING VEHICL
24 HOUR PARKING
BLOCKING RDWAY
1'CURB
OPP/FLOW/TRAFFIC
RESTRICTED SIGN
FIRE LANE
HANDICAP
189
9
2
42
7
2
2
7
1034
0
774
0
2986
1
171
142
1036
9
20
25
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
THEATER ZONE
2 SPACES/PARKED
EXPIRED METER
2 HOUR LIMIT
4 HOUR LIMIT
FRNT ST BACK/YD
NO VALID MC STICKER
15
180
12365
2067
8
25
31
DARE (prepared by DARE Officer Rick Crossen)
Due to the fact this report is filed using a calendar year as opposed to a school fiscal year, the
numbers for some classes may appear larger or smaller than in the past. It depends upon whether
the classes are taught the first half or second half of the school year. The D.A.R.E. program is in
its twenty-sixth year in the Athens City School District. Officer Rick Crossen is currently in his
twentieth year as the D.A.R.E. Instructor. Officer Crossen spent 122 classroom hours teaching
238 sixth grade students the Core D.A.R.E. Curriculum. Two special days are set aside to have a
graduation ceremony for the kids upon completion of the course. Officer Crossen spent 2 days
in Cincinnati, Ohio for the National/State of Ohio D.A.R.E. annual training conference. Officer
Crossen is a certified School Resource Officer, but is not assigned to a school for that purpose.
The training conferences helped to keep Officer Crossen up to date on issues pertaining to school
violence and safety and to new teaching ideas. The conference also included training on the new
K-4 D.A.R.E. curriculum.
D.A.R.E.: Drug Abuse Resistance Education introduced a new core curriculum starting with the
2012-13 school year. Keepin’ it R.E.A.L. (kiR) is designed based on the Socio-Emotional
Learning Theory (SEL). SEL identifies fundamental, basic skills and developmental processes
needed for healthy development. Locally, the core program is taught in the Athens City Schools’
sixth grade classes. A small portion of the middle school lesson is then taught in the Athens
Middle School eighth grade classes. A preview curriculum is taught in the Athens City Schools
fourth grade classrooms. An additional preview curriculum is also taught in the second grade
classrooms. A two-lesson supplemental program is taught in the fifth grade. The creation of a
local D.A.R.E. website is desired, but finding a person to help create the website has been an
issue. The website would be used to help inform current D.A.R.E. students and others who may
have an interest in current events with the program.
26
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT

The Middle School D.A.R.E. Program is in its nineteenth consecutive year in the Athens
Middle School. In 2013, 198 eighth graders went through the program. Approximately
62 classroom hours were spent teaching the students.

The fourth grade D.A.R.E. Program is currently in its seventeenth year in the Athens City
School District. A total of 263 fourth graders went through the program in 2013. 38½
classroom hours were spent teaching the students.

The second grade D.A.R.E. Program is currently in its fourteenth year in the Athens City
School District. 18½ classroom hours were spent teaching 155 kids about being safe and
the dangers of drugs.

The D.A.R.E. Program titled “Be Safe with Over-the-Counter and Prescription
Medicines” (Rx/OTC program) is a two lesson supplemental program. 211 fifth graders
received the program and 12 classroom hours were spent teaching the course.
Ohio Third Grade Safety Belt Program: This program was a one lesson program that was
taught in the third grade. A grant through the Department of Highway Safety helped to pay for
some of the cost. The agency was also reimbursed $4.00 per student that goes through the
program. All four Athens City School District elementary schools participate. The Crime
Prevention Officer spent 5 hours teaching 224 third graders about the importance of wearing
their safety belt.
G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Training): The G.R.E.A.T. Program is designed
to help children set goals for themselves, resist pressures, learn how to resolve conflicts without
violence, and understand how gangs and youth violence impact the quality of their lives. The
officer spent 62 hours in the classroom teaching 218 students the program.
Other Remarks
The State Legislatures passed House Bill 422 in the summer of 2006, which requires all Ohio
public schools to develop and implement an “all-inclusive” safe school plan. Each school is
required to perform a safe school drill by December 1st of each school year. The school may
have a police officer observe the drill if they wish. In 2013, the Crime Prevention Officer
assisted with four drills, spending approximately 2 hours helping the schools perform the drills.
East, Morrison-Gordon and West Elementary Schools and Athens Middle School were involved.
The A.L.I.C.E. (Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuation) concept was introduced into the
four Athens City Schools within the city limits and Beacon School. Officer Ron Brooks and
Officer Crossen spent 17 hours instructing 297 teachers, administrators, custodians, etc. on the
A.L.I.C.E. program. An additional 2 hours was spent with 40 Beacon School employees as a
follow up refresher at the start of the 2013-14 school-year. Officer Crossen attended 5 monthly
safety meetings that are held by Chief Pyle for Athens City School administrators and Beacon
School Administrators. Officer Crossen spent 12 hours in meetings regarding school safety
issues.
27
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Officer Crossen, as the Crime Prevention Officer, gave six presentations not mentioned
elsewhere in the report. 5½ hours were spent during the presentations involving 154 individuals.
Officer Crossen spent 13.5 hours attending or holding ten meetings throughout 2013. Officer
Crossen was once again elected as the District Representative for D.A.R.E. officers on the state
of Ohio D.A.R.E. board. Three meetings were related to this position, which the meetings are
held in Dublin, Ohio. Officer Crossen organized six City Hall tours for third graders from Athens
City Elementary Schools. He spent time showing the students City Hall, the Court, and
Prosecutor’s office. He then introduced the Mayor of the City to the students for questions and
answers. 53 students from Morrison-Gordon were also taken to the County Courthouse to meet
with Judges Goldsberry and McCarthy.
Officer Crossen continues to work with The Government Channel in producing public service
announcements (PSAs) concerning safety issues. The PSAs are part of the “Community Watch”
series provided by The Government Channel (TGC). Four PSAs were recorded in 2013. More
are planned to be recorded in 2014.
Officer Crossen chaperoned six field trips with the D.A.R.E. students in 2013. The trips allow
for the kids the opportunity to get to know the D.A.R.E. Instructor outside of school. This
included a special trip to a Cincinnati Reds game for the current 6th grade D.A.R.E. graduates.
Various donations are received from individuals and organizations throughout the year. Only
one fundraiser was held in 2013. Applebee’s Restaurant again sponsored a Saturday morning
pancake breakfast and $450 was raised for the program through this event. The event is already
scheduled again in 2014 and other fundraising opportunities are being researched.
Officer Crossen participated in six high visible events during the year 2013. He was invited to
participate in a fundraiser for the American Heart Association as a celebrity tricycle racer (2
hours). He was invited to set up a table for handouts and giveaways at Jo-Ann Fabrics (3 hours)
and Lowe’s (4 hours). He was involved with trick-or-treat passing out candy and speaking with
the kids at the party afterwards (3 hours). Officer Crossen was invited by the local Elks club to
participate in a bowling with kids event. Officer Crossen bowled with the kids and gave two 15
minute presentations to the children. Officer Crossen made the suggestion to have a shop with a
cop program for local children. Ret. Capt. Williams was advised of this idea and took the care of
getting the program put in place. The event was a huge success.
RESERVE OFFICER UNIT
The Athens Police Department maintains a Reserve Unit currently comprised of twelve fullysworn police officers that are certified by the Ohio Peace Officer’s Training Academy. While
they carry the same authority as regular full-time staff, they are assigned to work only part-time
(up to 20 hours per week) or intermittently (specifically when called in) as budgetary constraints
and work demands dictate. The Reserve Unit is comprised of a small pool of dedicated and
28
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT
skilled individuals who have a variety of well-developed law enforcement abilities who can be
relied upon during periods of need (e.g. Halloween, Palmerfest, mandated overtime situations,
etc.) to provide much of the additional manpower these events require. Several officers in the
Reserve Unit work semi-regular weekly shifts to assist with street coverage during common
“high traffic” periods, thereby reducing burdensome workloads on the full-time staff.
In addition to his law enforcement abilities the Unit’s Commander, David Malawista, is a clinical
and forensic psychologist whose unique skills provide opportunities for training, education,
community outreach, connection with other law enforcement agencies, and representation on a
variety of local, university, state and national committees. As previously mentioned in this
report, Commander Malawista was recognized as the 2013 CIT Champion Award from the State
of Ohio NAMI organization and was bestowed this prestigious award by Attorney General Mike
Dewine during a ceremony at the Columbus Police Training Academy.
The Reserve Unit’s staffing ordinance allows for a maximum of sixteen positions. Presently,
thirteen of these positions are filled with six being designated as being able to work up to 20
hours per week, with the remaining seven positions being “on call.”
In 2013 the Reserve Unit provided 3,629 hours of service to the City of Athens (roughly 1.5
F.T.E.s) at a cost of $72,610 in wages.
2013 GOALS (revisited)








Obtaining at least one, if not two, new marked cruisers to replace aging vehicles. Statuscompleted, the department actually acquired two marked cruisers, one of which was
obtained partially from a $30,000 JAG grant. A third cruiser was replaced due to an
deer accident.
Continue policing efforts with noise and nuisance parties to further effect culture of
“party school” reputation. Status- in progress, noise complaints have dropped by over
100 compared to 2012, nuisance party declarations have quadrupled.
Identify other enforcement priorities to further shift culture from “party school”
reputation. Status- in progress, traffic stops have increased and appear to have had a
calming effect on other crime such as burglary, domestic violence, presumptively
through established police presence.
Maintain full staffing as obtained in 2012 Status- accomplished
Provide A.L.I.C.E. training to Athens City Schools within city jurisdiction Statusaccomplished (see “Community Policing Efforts”)
Arrange and institute “Rx Drug Drop Box” program Status- pending, may be dropped as
a goal.
Clear out confiscated vehicles from Hudson Street Impound Status- accomplished
Pursue, if available, State or Federal Grant for MARCS radios in partnership with OUPD.
Status- pending, no grants currently available
29
ATHENS CITY POLICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT


Continue joint patrol operations with OUPD Status- accomplished
Revise “Use of Force” policy- Status- accomplished
2014 GOALS









Obtain a replacement unmarked vehicle for the Criminal Investigative Unit.
Continue elevated Traffic Enforcement efforts
Continue noise and nuisance party enforcement
Maintain current staffing levels and replace vacant positions as quickly as possible
Continue to look for funding for MARCS radio transition
Continue to develop community initiatives programming such as after school sessions
for middle school aged children, Friday night dances, etc. and promote Ohio
University Student involvement in such endeavors.
Establish a pamphlet for residents to provide suggestions for neighborhood
awareness.
Update current Field Training Programming for new officers
In an effort to improve information sharing, evaluate possible “virtual consolidation”
of all three dispatching agencies (Athens Police, 911, and Ohio University Police) as
it regards the software each uses for dispatch and reporting.
30