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Thursday, September 10, 2009
Police using text messages, e-mails to warn of neighborhood crimes
DAYTON - Want to know if cars are being broken into in your Dayton neighborhood? What about those shots you just heard?
The Dayton Police Department on Wednesday, Sept. 9, launched a text messaging and e-mail service that notifies residents of crimes and/or crime trends in their neighborhood.
Here was the first e-mail sent out Wednesday afternoon:
Advisory Message has been issued by the Dayton OH Police Department.
Wednesday September 9, 2009 14:50 PM EDT
Theft from Vehicle Pattern Advisory- 3 block radius from intersection of Fifth and Brown St. between 12PM and 5AM
Crime Pattern Advisory - 3 block radius from intersection of Fifth Street and Brown St.
Theft from motor vehicle has been decreased in CBD 52% by using community solutions to make safer neighborhoods. We continue this initiative by informing you of a recently discovered theft from motor vehicle crime pattern.
This advisory is for citizens and businesses within a 3 block radius of the intersection of Fifth St. and Brown St. between the hours of midnight and 5 A.M. We encourage everyone in this area to practice good crime prevention techniques and ensure all valuables are secured in a non-visible location inside your vehicle. We have no suspect description at this time. Please report any suspicious activity immediately and include as many details as possible.
The no-cost service is provided through the Web site nixle.com. Those interested can click here and sign up.
The service is being used right now by the downtown police district, but Lt. Larry Faulkner said soon all police districts in the city and the Dayton Fire Department will be sending notifications.
Faulkner said users will not receive spam e-mails or unnecessary text messages. And notifications will be made with discretion, he said.
“We did some focus groups and found that it was real important to get conclusions of events,” Faulkner said. “They also said they didn’t want to be woken up so we will use discretion unless it is an absolute emergency.”
Nixle.com’s service is of no cost to the police department and Dayton is not the first to use it. Huber Heights police have been sending alerts out for some time.
While billed as a service to the community, the messages allow police departments to rely more on the community in helping stop or solve crimes.
“It increases our ability and puts eyes and ears all over,” Faulkner said. Chief Richard Biehl “keeps talking about community policing and this is just one more way we can do that.”
TweetBarber shop robbers turn themselves in hours after hold up
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County - Two men who robbed a barber shop and the patrons inside about noon today, Sept. 10, have turned themselves in to local law enforcement.
Jermichael Malcolm, 36, and James Easterling, 25, are being booked into the Montgomery County Jail about 3:50 p.m. on felony aggravated robbery charges, Sheriff Phil Plummer said.
Authorities said the two men, armed with guns, entered the Xclusive Cuts barber shop in the 4300 block of North Main Street and took cash and televisions off the wall.
They then fled in a Chrysler 300.
“All the parties involved knew each other,” Plummer said. “The barber shop owner actually recognized one of the robbers.”
Malcolm and Easterling surrendered after they got word authorities were looking for them in connection with the robbery, Plummer said.
No one was hurt during the incident and authorities are trying to recover the property taken from the barber shop.
TweetSocial worker’s slaying leaves more questions than answers
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — Investigators with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office said today, Sept. 10, they still have more questions than answers in the slaying of a well-liked social worker.
Sheriff’s Maj. Scott Landis said numerous assumptions could be made why Stephen L. Branham was shot to death Sunday, but the only thing his detectives have been able to rule out is the motive wasn’t robbery.
“Money was still in his pocket, his cell phone wasn’t taken and he had his wallet,” Landis said.
Branham, 46, was a social worker who facilitated classes on anger management for violent offenders. Sheriff Phil Plummer said it is unclear if Branham’s attacker knew him, but there is no sign his killing was gang-related.
A witness did hear two men arguing before the shooting at the Barrington Apartments, in the 4300 block of Springcreek Drive, Landis said. A person of interest has been identified, but there are no suspects, Plummer said.
Branham is the area’s 38th homicide this year. You can track the status of the investigation and get status updates on the other 37 by clicking here.
TweetAbducted woman has been found
DAYTON - A woman reportedly abducted from the 800 block of Watervliet Avenue on the city’s east side about 10 a.m. has been found at a local hospital, according to police.
Officers were dispatched to Miami Valley Hospital after a report that the woman, age unknown, might have been dropped there, a police dispatcher said. She was found unharmed, according to police.
Police are still looking for her abductor. It is unclear what prompted to the kidnapping.
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