Police to use armored car to monitor nuisance properties

Peoria's "armadillo"

Racine police have something fun planned for nuisance properties in the city.

The police department has a MacGyver-esque plan to convert an armored vehicle into a mobile, indestructible video camera.

Known in some communities as the "armadillo," the armored vehicle will be parked outside of troublesome properties and record activity for three to five days, according to Police Chief Kurt Wahlen.

Wahlen got the idea from a similar program in Peoria, Ill. Police there first tried to videotape nuisance properties using a parked squad car, but neighborhood residents smashed out headlights and further damaged the vehicle, Wahlen said.

Peoria police switched to an armored car, which couldn't be damaged. The vehicle proved so successful at monitoring problem properties that Peoria now has a second one, Wahlen said.

An added bonus with Racine's armored car is it's basically free. A 1999 armored car was donated to the police department and the city needs to spend a few thousand dollars tuning up the engine, mounting the camera and painting the vehicle.

Wahlen appeared before the city's Public Safety and Licensing and Finance and Personnel committees Monday night to get approval to accept the donated car. The City Council will consider the donation next Tuesday.

"This is a great tool in our arsenal," he said.

Wahlen said policies are being drawn up on how to use the vehicle. He did say neighbors would be notified when the armored vehicle is parked in front of a nearby house.

The donation easily passed the committees Monday.

"It's a great idea that costs almost nothing," said Alderman Aron Wisneski, chairman of the Public Safety and Licensing Committee.

Police honor citizens for heroic acts

The Racine Police Department gave out five awards Tuesday to citizens who took dramatic action to help protect the community. The winners met with the Police and Fire Commission, including Police Chief Kurt Wahlen, and received plaques to honor their actions. Here's the winners and their deeds:

Robert Flores and Ruben Martinez

On March 9, 2008, Robert Flores and Ruben Martinez, employees of Racine Public Safety Security Company, were working security at International House of Pancakes. While conducting crowd control, they heard a single gunshot in the parking lot. Both guards immediately responded to the parking lot and observed the suspect standing in the parking lot, holding a handgun. Both reacted, appropriately, by drawing their own duty weapons and ordering the suspect to drop his weapon. The suspect threw the handgun and fled on foot. Without hesitation or thought for their own safety, they pursued the suspect and captured him after a brief struggle. Mr. Flores and Mr. Martinez then detained the suspect until officers arrived.

This incident occurred during bar time, when the restaurant was crowded, which added to the confusion and danger of the situation. Mr. Flores and Mr. Martinez confronted and disarmed a dangerous person. Their courageous actions, culminating in the suspect’s capture, prevented any additional gunfire or injuries.

Both Flores and Martinez said the man with the gun came with the intention of shooting someone. They said by intervening they prevented further violence.

"It happened so fast we didn't consider our safety," Flores said.

Fausto Esquivel

On April 26, 2008, at approximately 12:43 a.m., Officer Freidel and Officer Boeck responded to a civil trouble at 1661 Douglas Ave. Upon their arrival, a nearly-full-term pregnant woman tried to explain, in Spanish, the multiple problems she was having with her husband and his mother. This call was complicated and involved many people in several different locations. The officers were experiencing difficulty getting to the root of the problems because of the language barrier.

Fausto Esquivel, 15, volunteered to translate. Fausto translated many conversations for the officers and did so in a rapid, professional manner. He translated for over 30 minutes and did everything that was asked of him.

Fausto is recognized for his helpfulness and maturity, notable for someone his age. Without his help, the officers would have been unable to help the family, because there were no Spanish-speaking officers on duty, that night.


Josiah Williams

Mr. Josiah Williams is currently serving the Racine Explorer Post 286 in the capacity of an Associate Advisor and has done so since June of 2004. As an adult leader and former Explorer, Mr. Williams represents a wealth of knowledge and is a living history of Post 286. As a youth Explorer, Mr. Williams joined Post 286 in 1996 and has held every youth leadership position available in the Post. At age 21, all youth are forced out of the program, but Mr. Williams stayed on as an adult leader.

Mr. Williams is a capable young man, on whom we have come to rely, for not only running Explorer Post meetings and providing a history of past activities and dealings of Post 286, but for being the anchor by which Post 286 is grounded. Mr. Williams is an invaluable member of the Post 286 leadership team as he possesses a special connection with the youth that not only challenges them, but with his friendship and candor, also keeps them honest.

Mr. Williams is commended for his continued dedication and service to the Racine Police Explorer Post 286, the Racine Police Department, and the City of Racine.


Jared Smerchek

On May 13, 2008, Jared Smerchek, Alexander Lopez, and Mark Lopez were in the drive-thru of the Burger King restaurant, at 5400 Durand Ave., when they witnessed an armed robbery in progress. They observed one of the offenders holding a gun to the head of a female employee of Burger King. Realizing what was happening, Mr. Smerchek and the Lopez brothers waited and, then, observed the offenders enter a waiting vehicle.

Jared and Alexander decided to follow the offenders and contacted the police, via cellular phone, to report the robbery, as well as a description of the get-away vehicle. Mr. Smerchek continued to follow the vehicle and provided officers with its direction and location, until Racine Police Department officers were able to locate and stop the vehicle. William Walrup, Jaschiro Willis, and Michael Lewis were taken into custody as suspects in the robbery. All the money taken in the robbery and several items of evidentiary value were also recovered from the vehicle. During interviews of the suspects, it was learned that Julian Rutherford, a Burger King employee, was also involved in the planning and execution of the robbery. He was charged on May 14, 2008.

Jared Smerchek, Alexander Lopez and Mark Lopez are recognized for their courageous actions as private citizens, when they placed themselves in peril to follow the offenders in an armed robbery until officers were able to apprehend the offenders. Due to their quick thinking, the arrests of all the offenders were completed within hours of the robbery.

After seeing the gun to the head of the female employee, Smerchek said he and his friends didn't question the need to follow the suspects. They received high praise from the police chief and Police and Fire Commission Chairman Charles Johnson.

"The system really works better when citizens are involved," Johnson said.

Wahlen added: "The system doesn't work at all without citizens getting involved."


Andrew Kothe

On Aug. 30, 2008, Andrew Kothe was working at Erickson Ambulance Company, when he witnessed a person who had been shot, at 9th Street and S. Memorial Drive. Mr. Kothe called police and then entered a large crowd of people surrounding the victim, to administer CPR. The victim was later transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. Mr. Kothe remained at the scene and provided information to the investigating officers.

Mr. Kothe did not hesitate to render emergency assistance to another person, even at a fresh crime scene having a large crowd in the area. Mr. Kothe is recognized for his willingness to act and come to the aid of a fellow citizen and the police.

After receiving his award, Kothe said he was doing his job.

"If I didn't want to do it, I wouldn't be in the business," he said, adding any EMT or paramedic would have done the same. "Any of us would have done what we did that night."

Johnson responded: "But you actually did it."


William Thompson

On June 17, 2008, at 1:26 a.m., Officer Boeck responded to 1017 Birch Street for a welfare check. Upon his arrival, he learned that a five-year-old female had wandered out of her home after her older sister, supposedly babysitting, left the home. William Thompson noticed the young girl, outside, without adult supervision. Mr. Thompson thought it very unusual, so he stayed with the child and called the police.

Mr. Thompson was aware of the many things that could go wrong for an unsupervised child, in the early hours of the morning, and made sure “Nioka” would be safe. Mr. Thompson is commended for taking the time to do the right thing and protecting the child.

More money for police, but churches must step up

City and county press conference on rising crime:
Zarzecki, Carlson, Nieskes, McReynolds, Wahlen and Becker

County and city officials presented a united front today, promising more resources to fight crime in Racine.

Mayor Gary Becker said the city will provide an additional $200,000 to cover Racine Police overtime; County Executive Bill McReynolds said the county will give $150,000 to County Sheriff Bob Carlson, who said it will provide an extra deputy, another criminal investigator and support staff for a "suppression effort." Mount Pleasant Police Chief Tim Zarzecki said the village will cover overtime for his forces to patrol the four-blocks on the east side of the village that abutt Racine's crime area.

"I want to relieve the fears of the community, which has been fed a steady diet of crime in the local media," said Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen. "I want to reassure the community: we have things under control. Members of the community should not live in fear."

Becker said, "I stand 100% behind this chief and the police force. He's been creative and aggressive."

McReynolds said, "Public safety is the No. 1 job of any elected official. Racine County will not tolerate lawlessness."

But the "six white men" - as one person in the audience referred to Becker, McReynolds, Wahlen, Zarzecki, Carlson and District Attorney Michael Nieskes - got into trouble with some in the audience of about 70. The press conference at City Hall got heated after the officials called one too many times for help from the "faith-based community," and more action within the African-American community.

Wahlen said, "The long-range solution: it's a community problem. The faith-based community must step up. Where are the African-American males?" he asked rhetorically, referring to a peace march he attended Saturday at which no more than a half-dozen of the 100 adults present were black. Becker, too, called upon the "faith-based community" -- PC code for black churches: "Others have a responsibility to provide opportunities, to give people hope."

Added Wahlen: "Good people do not steal from one another; good people do not shoot one another." He said, "We all have our part to do. Kids are not being taken care of; they're sleeping in their clothes on the floor, watching violent videos, playing violent video games." There's been, he said, "a breakdown of the family, no dad in the house. We need family and the faith-based community to solve it."

Journal Times reporter Janine Anderson asked, "Why lay so much on the faith-based community?" Wahlen responded, "Only a spiritual endeavor can change a heart. They need to step forward and put their money where their faith is."

Former District 1 alderman Keith Fair, who is now the local NAACP's political action chair, called Wahlen out on his statement that blacks must step forward. Wahlen replied, "It's a fact they're not stepping up to the plate." Fair responded, "We never call for those black men until there's an event like this. Don't make an indictment against this community."

The discussion also touched on poverty, joblessness and economics, and the culture of our times.

The chief said he saw the new Batman movie. It was good, he said, but part of "a very violent culture, a gun-toting culture."

Poverty and unemployment were major themes. A woman from Mount Pleasant spoke up and said, "We need jobs. You can't support a family on $5 and $6 an hour."

Becker replied, "There are 600 to 700 jobs posted at the Workforce Development Center." But they're not for the unskilled, as in years past, when he said hard work was enough.

"This is a brutal economy, and there's nothing I can do to change it," the mayor said.

But he insisted, "Crime is not kids stealing to help mom." And Wahlen noted, "We've not had anyone busted for going into a grocery store stealing bread."

Other points discussed:

Sheriff Carlson: "This used to be a rural county; no longer. We are going to redeploy a number of our patrol staff to the City of Racine. We cannot go on like this; it creates a climate that is unacceptable."

District Attorney Nieskes: "There are a lot of initiatives, a lot of efforts under way. Two shootings in one week: that really, truly is not the norm." But he said it's not as bad compared to '92-'96. "This is not something that occurred overnight; it took decades...and in two decades, the new mayor and county executive will still be dealing with the problem."

Chief Wahlen said, "Obviously, I'm not happy about the 2008 statistics." He said the crime stats are well above 2007's, "but that year was the lowest since 1967." robberies are on a six-year trend up, unemployment is up. But vehicle theft has dropped 40%, he said, "perhaps because people cannot afford gas."

He said he has been patrolling the streets, visiting neighborhoods where the latest shootings occurred. "I want to reassure the neighborhoods that these are not random acts." He pointed out that the two latest slayings started "behind closed doors." The implication was that police could not have prevented them.

Unexpected faces on the Lighthouse Run course...

Update: Here's an inspiring story from Lighthouse Run. Carrie, from Racine, has lost nearly 100 pounds in the past year. Here's how she did it.

Scrolling through the Lighthouse Run results (HERE), one finds lots of familiar (or almost familiar) names -- folks we wouldn't necessarily expect to find on a racecourse.

We saw a few city officials before the race, and looked up their times after it. Below are Ben Hughes, Racine City administrator, the only city official we spotted who ran the 10-mile course. (Please let us know who we missed!) He's standing with Q.A. Shakour II, District 8 alderman since 2004, who ran the four-mile.

Benjamin Hughes, 36, 10-mile time: 1:19:43.8;

Q.A. Shakour II, 54, 4-mile time: 36:20.8

Police Chief Kurt Wahlen also ran the four-mile run.

Kurt Wahlen, 52, 4-mile time: 39:24.0

Then we ran into Sen. John Lehman near the finish line, who quickly disabused us of the notion that he had run. He was there to support his wife, Cathy, who ran the 10-mile race -- her first -- in honor of a relative coping with a brain tumor.

Catherine Lehman, 53, 10-mile time: 1:42:44.8

A couple of other names jumped out: Dave Maurer, 57, executive director of the Racine County United Way, completed the 4-mile run in 37:19.5; and Alan Ruud, 61, founder of Ruud Lighting, completed it in 35:48.8.

Congratulations all around!

Our awe, however, is reserved for some folks we've never met. For example, Nancy Spencer, age 69, of Berlin, WI, ran the 10-mile course in 1:46:52.4. And seven men over the age of 70 also completed the 10-mile run. The oldest was Paul Gionfriddo, 85, of Muskego, WI, who ran the 10 miles in 2:01:04.5. Not far behind was Jim Morrison, 79, of Racine, who ran it in 2:15:43. A Kenosha septuagenarian, Joe Paleczny, 79, completed it in 1:42:08.1.
And, no, those ages are not typos: 85 and 79. Wow!

Our other pictures from the Lighthouse Run are HERE.

Police cameras won't be available to the public

The JT wrote today about the police department's new policy on use of surveillance cameras. The department is planning to install five new cameras in the inner city, and allow officers to access the cameras from squad cars and the PD. One line stood out toward the end of the article (emphasis added):

The goal is to have police watch the cameras through screens in their cars or have private residents watch cameras from home, Wahlen said in his presentation.

I took that to mean residents will be able to go online and watch the cameras - not a bad idea, actually. Why limit use of the cameras to police? If they're already online, let anyone take a look.

But, that's not what Wahlen meant. Here's an explanation from Sgt. Bernie Kupper, who responded to my email asking about private residents using the cameras:

I spoke with the Chief about the quote. He has no intent on providing the access to the general public. His point was that there will be key personnel outside of the department that may be given access to the camera system such as members of the Common Council. Alderpersons often call asking about crime in certain areas, so it would make sense to offer them the opportunity to view the camera coverage themselves. They are already privy to information necessary to handle complaints from constituents as well as information necessary to manage government that we don’t put out there in the public eye.

Police chief no fan of Racine's Post Prom

Don't count Police Chief Kurt Wahlen among the supporters of Post Prom. From his perspective, the annual event is a security nightmare.

"It worries me," Wahlen said Tuesday during the Police and Fire Commission meeting. "We can't cover all of our bases."

During this year's Post Prom, an 18-year-old man was arrested after shooting a handgun in the air below the YMCA. Another teenager got a citation for carrying a BB gun into the bleachers outside of Post Prom.

Wahlen invited members of the commission to watch next year's Post Prom from the police and fire departments' command vehicles outside of Festival Hall.

"It's a life-changing experience," Wahlen said. "It's depressing. I think it's depressing."

He said girls, in particular, act inappropriately. Two young women were taken from the scene in ambulances. At least one of the incidents involved drinking; paramedics found a teenager lying under a picnic table, abandoned by her friends.

"There's no ladies there, that's for sure," said Marie Black, a member of the Police and Fire Commission.

Police give two citizens public service awards

Two Racine residents received Citizen Public Service Awards from the Racine Police and Fire Commission on Tuesday. The award winners were:

Ben Peterson and Police Chief Kurt Wahlen

Ben Peterson
Ben, 17, is a junior at Horlick High School and a lifeguard at North Beach. On Aug. 17, 2007, he was off duty when a man went under water about 75 yards off shore. After two police officers pulled the victim to shore, Ben used his life-guard training to give CPR to the man. Sgt. William Macemon, of the police department, said Ben earned the public service award because it is rare for a citizen to jump into a rescue situation and try to help. Though the victim died, Ben did everything he could to help him, Macemon said.

William Scharding and Wahlen

William Scharding
Mr. Scharding is the owner of Feiner Plumbing in the 600 block of Sixth Street. On Dec. 8, 2007, Autumn Ford was shot and killed near Scharding's store. After the shooting, Mr. Scharding reviewed a security camera in his store and realized he had footage of the incident. He contacted investigators, who used the footage to identify and arrest Darius Monroe for the crime. He has been charged with Ford's murder, and four additional felonies. Macemon noted that investigators did not even know the video existed before Mr. Scharding came forward. Police Chief Kurt Wahlen added that investigators had few leads in the case before obtaining the video, which showed a suspect wearing a bright orange hat. When police called Monroe in for an interview, he was wearing the same orange hat as the man on the video, Wahlen said.