FIVE ARRESTED FOR BURGLARIES OF NORTHEAST AND WESTSIDE HOMES

FIVE ARRESTED FOR BURGLARIES OF NORTHEAST AND WESTSIDE HOMES

Date:  August 28, 2012

                                                                                                                                          

Released by:

·         Laura Wohl, Public Information Officer

·         360.753.8214 – desk

·         360.951.8889 – mobile          

·         lwohl@ci.olympia.wa.us

Police make arrests in recent burglary cases

Olympia Police arrested five people associated with two different residential burglaries yesterday.  In the first incident, a computer, game consoles and other items were stolen from a Westside home on August 17, 2012.  One of the victims contacted Olympia Police and reported that the stolen computer had shown up for sale on Craig’s List.  Yesterday, Detectives contacted the sellers, pretending to be interested buyers.  The Detectives met with two juveniles who showed them the computer.  The two were arrested when the computer they were offering matched the stolen computer.  Two more juveniles were arrested later in the day, having been identified as also participating in the Westside burglary.  Detectives believe the group may be responsible for other Westside burglaries that have occurred in the last month.

In another incident, police were called to a Northeast home at around 3:00 am this morning for a burglary in progress.  The caller reported that someone was inside the home’s detached garage, which had been locked previously in the evening.  While the resident watched, a person left the garage, pushing a wheel-barrow full of tools, and headed towards the street.  Police responded and found Kraig Czapiewski with the stolen goods.  Mr. Czapiewski was arrested for burglary.  Police are investigating whether Mr. Czapiewski, who has a history of burglary and theft, may have been involved in several recent Eastside burglaries. 

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BURGLARIES ON THE RISE IN OLYMPIA

BURGLARIES ON THE RISE IN OLYMPIA

Date:  August 2, 2012                                                                                                       

Released by:

·         Laura Wohl, Public Information Officer

·         360.753.8214 – desk

·         360.951.8889 – mobile          

·         lwohl@ci.olympia.wa.us

Olympia Sees Increase in Residential Burglaries

Crime data from the Olympia Police Department shows that the residential burglary rate has climbed in 2012 and is currently 48% above the 2011 rate.  The number of burglaries in the City took a sharp jump during the month of July, particularly in the Westside and Southeast areas.  63% of the burglaries have involved unsecured homes and garages.  In several cases, items of value were visible from windows and the burglar simply opened a door or window to steal the items.  In other cases, suspects have walked through neighborhoods checking homes for unlocked doors and windows.  Upon finding an unsecured home, they enter and steal easy-to-carry items such as laptop computers and jewelry.

The Olympia Police Department is concentrating its efforts on solving these crimes and stopping the people responsible.  The police department is asking for the public’s help:

·         Secure your windows and doors. Thieves are opportunists who look for easy targets. If you feel you must leave windows open due to the warm weather, use a wooden dowel to limit the amount of distance the window can open.

·         Be vigilant. Be aware of your own surroundings and of what’s happening in the neighborhood. If you are the victim of a break-in, call 911 immediately and let the police search your home and the surrounding area.

·         Report suspicious activity quickly. If you observe suspicious people or activity in your neighborhood, call 911 and report this to police without delay. 

Police and the public, working together, are a proven tool for reducing burglaries and catching burglars.  Police are also tracing stolen property, increasing patrols in the affected areas, and using crime analysis to find the people responsible for this crime trend.

If you have information that might lead to the identification and apprehension of the persons responsible for these crimes, please contact the Olympia Police Department at

(360)753-8300 or Thurston County CrimeStoppers at (360)493-2222.

FREE WATERFRONT PUBLIC ART TOURS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 29

FREE WATERFRONT PUBLIC ART TOURS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 29

 

Date: August 1, 2012

                                                                                                                                          

Released by:

• Stephanie Johnson, Arts & Events Program Manager
• 360.709.2678
• sjohnso1@ci.olympia.wa.us

Looking for a great FREE activity for yourself or out-of-town guests?  Take a guided tour along Olympia’s scenic waterfront to learn about the public art that is both shaped by and defines our community!  Sponsored by Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation and the Olympia Arts Commission, tours leave every Saturday through September 29 at 11am from the bell in front of the Farmer’s Market near the traffic circle.  Tours take approximately one hour and include information on Triumph of the Vegetables, Motherhood, Tide Pool of Time, Kujira I, The Kiss, South Sound Map and the Percival Plinth Project.

 

For more information, call Olympia Arts & Events at (360) 709-2678.

olympiawa.gov­­­­

Message from Chief of Police

 

Chief Ronnie Roberts sent the following message to neighborhood associations in Olympia as an introduction to the newest members of the Olympia Police Department (OPD).  

 

 

Over the last year we have been feverishly working to hire officers to fill vacancies left by retirements and resignations.  I wanted to introduce you to some of our new officers. 

Officer Ryan Donald is out of the Academy finishing his last rotation with his PTO.  Officer Ryan Donald was born in Frankfurt Germany in 1980.  He grew up in a military family.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army Military Police Corp. just after September 11, 2001.  Officer Donald was stationed in Germany after receiving his basic training.  He has completed two deployments to Iraq and one to Kosovo.  After returning to the states he was stationed in Arizona where he worked with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.  Officer Donald left the military after eight years and was employed as a Loss Prevention Officer before being hired with the Olympia Police Department.

Recruit Officer John Minshall is currently at the police academy.  Recruit Officer John Minshall was born in Gilroy California in 1984.  He has lived in the Tacoma are for 25 years.  Recruit Officer Minshall has been an active reservist in the U.S. Army for the last ten years.  Four of those years were on active duty and deployments to Iraq.  For the last year he has worked as a full time Corrections Officer with the Olympia Police Department.  He is married and has two children.  Recruit Officer Minshall is enrolled in college and is working on his Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership.

Officer Yaraslov Pavlenko is currently in the police academy. Recruit Officer Yaraslov Pavlenko was born in 1988.  He immigrated to the United States from the Ukraine in 1992 with his family.  He grew up in southern California before moving to Vancouver Washington.  Recruit Officer Pavlenko worked in construction and as a Reserve Deputy with Clark County Sheriff’s office.  He is fluent in Russian and English while having working understanding of Spanish.

Officer Eric Henrichsen is currently awaiting entry into the academy in September. Recruit Officer Eric Henrichsen was born in Oak Harbor Washington in 1987.  He attended Central Washington University graduating with a degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology.  After graduation he worked as a Loss Prevention Officer with Walmart.

Officer Javier Sola  Del Vigo is currently awaiting entry into the academy in September.  Recruit Officer Javier Sola Del Vigo was born in Bilbao Spain in 1973.  He served in the Spanish Army before immigrating to the United States to learn English.  He attended South Puget Sound Community College where he received his AA certificate.  He enrolled with the Evergreen State College and graduate with a Bachelor in Arts Degree.  Recruit Officer Sola Del Vigo attended the American University I Cairo Egypt where he studied Political Science.  He has attended and completed the Bates Fire Academy. He also attended Pierce College where he received certification as an EMT.  Recruit Officer Sola Del Vigo became a naturalized citizen in 2008.  He is a U.S. Marine Corp. reservist as was recently promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  He is recently married and living in Olympia.  Recruit Officer Sola Del Vigo is fluent in Spanish and English while possessing a working knowledge of Basque.

Officer Ashley Cavalieri   is currently awaiting entry into the academy in September.  Recruit Officer Ashley Cavalieri was born in Federal Way Washington in 1986.  She attended Highline Community College where she played basketball.  Recruit Officer Cavalieri transferred to Notre Dame de Namur University where she continued playing college basketball.  She graduated with a BA degree in Political Science.  She returned to Washington where she has completed Masters Course work in Education.  She has a certificate of completion from the PIMA Medical Institute for dental assisting.

Officer April illman is currently awaiting entry into the academy in September.  Recruit Officer April  Illman was born Enterprise Alabama in 1987.  After marrying she moved to Clarksville Tennessee with her husband who was stationed at Fort Campbell Kentucky.  She attended Troy University in Alabama and graduated from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville TN.  She has a Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal justice with a minor in Psychology.  Recruit Officer Illman moved to Washington in May after her husband was transferred to JBLM. 

This is an exciting time for the police department and brings enormous challenge.  I am proud of the diversity in culture and backgrounds. 

We will be conducting a formal swearing in of Officers Sola Del Vigo, Cavalieri and illman on Wednesday, August 1^st at 3 pm in the Council Chambers. We will also be promoting Officer Matt Renschler to the rank of Sergeant.  If you have time please join us.

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