Hwy almost done ... left turns are opening

The Alabama St intersection on Hwy 42/57 opened today for left hand turns when traveling on the Hwy.

The Utah St intersection is scheduled to open tomorrow.

Thank you's go to ....

Sunflour Artisan Bakery for making today "Blue for Blue" 

and treating law enforcement to some yummy blueberry muffins.  

The children's drawings of thanks were a nice way to top off the show of appreciation!

We also acknowledge a local citizen, who earlier this week, 

dropped off an assortment of cookies from Econo Foods 

as his way of saying thanks for all the police officers due.

The public's continued show of appreciation is uplifting for us.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who has thanked an officer in person for their service.  A simple expression of thanks is enough to put a smile on an officer's face and for them to know they are making a positive difference in Sturgeon Bay.  

As Roger Utnehmer said in his recent Civil Discourse Editorial showing his appreciation for law enforcement, "...please consider saying the two most underused words in the English language.  Say thank you to a law enforcement officer."

The Sturgeon Bay Police Department says, thank you back!

What an honor it is to serve this community!  

Drugged Driving

On July 19 at 9:49pm, police were dispatched to N 4th Ave near Jefferson St for an accident.  The driver of a vehicle crossed the center of the road and struck a parked vehicle and was injured.  Police detected an odor of intoxicants from the driver, a 47yr old female from Sturgeon Bay.

The driver thought she had fallen asleep while driving home from a 3rd Ave bar, but she admitted to police she had taken two prescription pain pills with her alcohol.  The medication taken was identified as strong narcotic with a warning to not consume alcohol while on the medication.

The driver was transported by EMS to the hospital and upon being medically cleared, she was taken to the Door County Jail, being arrested for OWI-1st offense.  The driver was also issued citations for operating a vehicle without headlamps on, operating left of center and operating a vehicle without insurance.



Wisconsin's OWI law is written as follows:

346.63  Operating under influence of intoxicant or other drug.

(1) No person may drive or operate a motor vehicle while:

(a) Under the influence of an intoxicant, a controlled substance, a controlled substance analog or any combination of an intoxicant, a controlled substance and a controlled substance analog, under the influence of any other drug to a degree which renders him or her incapable of safely driving, or under the combined influence of an intoxicant and any other drug to a degree which renders him or her incapable of safely driving; or

(am) The person has a detectable amount of a restricted controlled substance in his or her blood.

A Lie Leads to More Charges

On the evening of July 17, officers located a 22 yr old male  in downtown Sturgeon Bay, who was being sought for questioning in prior incidents from July 9 and the morning of July 17, where he lied about his identity.  Police determined the 22 yr old male was using his younger brother's name and identity in order to avoid detection from his warrants.

The 22 yr old male, who reported to be homeless, was arrested for three counts of obstruction, as well as a warrant from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and a warrant out of Door County.  The new charges have been referred to the DA's Office.

The male claimed his brother used his name once, so he figured it would work for him to do as well.

OWI arrests

At 11:00pm on July 14, police stopped a driver for going 42mph in the 800-900 block of Michigan St.  The officer detected an odor of intoxicants coming from the driver, who had bloodshot eyes.  The field sobriety tests indicated the driver was impaired.  The 20 yr old male from Adamsville, Alabama was arrested for OWI-1^st offense, and also cited for speeding.

On July 15 at 8:20pm, police received a citizen report of an intoxicated motorcyclist, and stopped the driver upon locating it.  The officer detected an odor of alcohol coming from the driver, who admitted he had been drinking.  The officer administered field sobriety tests which indicated the driver was under the influence.  The 52 yr old male from Brookfield, WI was arrested for OWI-3^rd offense, and taken to the Door County Jail. 

Disorderly Arrest

At 1:30am on July 17, police were dispatched to the bar area at Stone Harbor Resort for a disorderly male who was intoxicated and bothering female patrons.  Stone Harbor employees were unable to get the male to cooperate and leave, and the male began swearing at employees.

Police contacted the suspect who continued his uncooperativeness with officers about his identity.
The male would not listen to officer's directions, and began swearing at officers, and then pulled his pants down.  Police arrested the 25yr old male from Plymouth, WI for disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer.  The male was taken to the Door County Jail.

Assault Leads to Felony Charges

On July 14 at 11:30pm, police were sent to the apartments above Butch’s Bar on S 3^rd Ave for an assault, with the victim bleeding.  Police found the 38 yr old male victim sustained lacerations below his left eye and jaw, and his forehead was swelling.  The victim reported a male had kicked open his apartment door, breaking the door and a fan inside the apartment.   The suspect began to assault the victim, hitting him with his fists and a metal bar.  The victim reported the suspect also choked him by the neck, and he struggled to breath.  The assault was stopped when a third party intervened and the suspect fled.  The victim was transported to the hospital by EMS for medical evaluation and then released. 

The investigation identified the suspect as a 35 yr old male from Sturgeon Bay, who was located at Cherry Lanes Bar.  The suspect was taken into custody for the assault, and transported to the Door County Jail.  The suspect was intoxicated and police discovered he was on bond conditions to not consume alcohol, which is from an OWI-5^th offense case.

The suspect was charged with the following felonies: substantial battery, strangulation, burglary and bail jumping and the following misdemeanors: disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property.  The case has been referred to the DA's Office.

Battery by a Green Bay Man

On July 13 at approximately 12:10am, officers were dispatched to 704 N 4^th Ave for yelling and screaming.  Police investigated and learned a 21 yr old male from Green Bay was visiting the residence and got into an argument with one of the homes tenants.  During the argument, the suspect stuck one of the female tenants in the nose, leaving a mark.  The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival.

Police are still attempting to locate and question the suspect, but expect to charge with him with misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct.

Domestic Disturbance

At 4:15am on July 15, police were dispatched to a family fight on N 15^th Pl.  The investigation revealed the 39 yr old male from Sturgeon Bay got into an argument with his girlfriend, telling her he could kill her if he wanted to.  The male also was calling her derogatory names.

Based on the findings, police arrested the male for disorderly conduct-domestic related.  The male was taken to the Door County Jail on the charge, and the case has been referred to the DA’s Office.  

www.helpofdoorcounty.org   743-8818

Victims of domestic abuse may contact HELP of Door County for assistance 24/7.  

Juvenile Caught Throwing Rocks at Cars

At approximately 5:45pm on July 13, police took a report a juvenile was throwing rocks at vehicles on Hwy 42/57 between Oxford Ave and Clay Banks Rd.

As police arrived on scene, they observed the juvenile throwing rocks at northbound vehicles.  During the investigation, the juvenile lied to police about his identity.  The 10 yr old male from Sturgeon Bay was transported to the PD to meet with the on-call Social Worker, and then released to his mother. 

The juvenile has been referred to Human Services for criminal damage to property and obstructing an officer.  Restitution for the damage to the vehicles is being requested.  

Use Caution at Madison Ave @ Maple St Traffic Signal

PLEASE use extra caution at the Madison Ave and Maple St intersection.  The traffic signals malfunctioned this afternoon and are currently in flashing mode, which is the set up during the midnight hours.

Madison Ave traffic has the flashing yellow light and Maple St traffic has the flashing red.

Motorists MUST STOP at a flashing red light and motorists approaching a flashing yellow light should slow down and proceed with caution.

SBPD asks all motorists and pedestrians to use extra caution while using this intersection in flashing mode.  Technicians will be arriving tomorrow to look at the lights and fix the malfunction.

Thank you!

Thank you to the anonymous donor who dropped off cookies from Sunflour Artisan Bakery.  The donor wanted to show his appreciation for the the job the police officers do in serving and protecting the citizens of Sturgeon Bay.  

We also want to acknowledge all the citizens who have stopped an officer and thanked them for serving Sturgeon Bay.  The words are appreciated by everyone!

The police department would like to thank all the citizens who have and continue to help us keep the city safe.  Our success and effectiveness depends on the cooperation of the citizens and we can not do it without your support.  

We find it to be a true honor to serve and protect the fine citizens and visitors of this great city.

  

The mission of the Sturgeon Bay Police Department is to serve, protect, and work in partnership with the community to ensure a safe, nurturing environment.

Vandalism to Mailboxes & City Tree

This morning, officers took reports of approximately 5 mailboxes which had been intentionally damaged.  The damages occurred on N 18th Pl, N 19th Ave and Huron St, in the subdivision behind the YMCA.








Additionally, the Door County Advocate reported one of the city trees located in front of their business had branches broken off during the overnight hours.  In addition, beer bottles and bar cups had been littered in front of the business.








If anyone has any information on who did the above damages, please contact the Sturgeon Bay Police Department at 746-2450 or provide an anonymous tip through the Department's Facebook page.

Abuse to a Child

In the early morning of July 11, police received a complaint from the mother of an 11 yr old child, that the child's father had physically abused him.  The child reported the father got mad at him, and broke his cell phone.  Then the father hit the child on the arm with a belt, leaving visible welt marks, and grabbed the son's neck.  The father told police he only tapped his son's arm with the belt and grabbed his shirt, not the neck, but admitted to breaking the phone.  

Based on the investigation, police arrested the 29 yr old male of Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay for Physical Abuse to a Child and Criminal Damage to Property and taken to the Door County Jail.  The case has been referred to the DA's Office.

The child remained with his mother, who lives in Green Bay.  

Arrest for Stalking and Damage to Property

A 31 yr old male, with addresses in Sturgeon Bay and Illinois, was arrested in Brown County and taken to jail, after SBPD issued a temporary felony warrant for the male.  The police have referred the case to the DA's Office, recommending felony charges of stalking and criminal damage to property, as well as misdemeanor charges for battery and disorderly conduct.

The charges stem from incidents that have occurred in Sturgeon Bay in the past week.  The suspect and victim had been in a relationship, which ended.  Since then, witnesses have spotted the suspect at the victim's residence and showing up in locations where the victim is at, even when told to have no contact with her.  On July 3, the suspect texted a picture to the victim, which showed the victim's deceased husbands grave, asking to meet the victim there.  On July 7, the suspect spray painted the victim's vehicle, causing an estimated $7,000 in damage.  On the afternoon of July 7, the suspect showed up at a Sturgeon Bay business surprising the victim and her family who were already there.  During that incident, the suspect was swearing and slammed a glass door into the head and arm of  one of the victim's family member.  The suspect fled prior to police arrival.

Marijuana Arrest

On the afternoon of July 8, police received a tip that a 30 yr old male from Sturgeon Bay was in possession of marijuana.  Police located the male walking down the street on the northeast side of the city.  The male confirmed he had marijuana on him, along with a pipe. The drug evidence was seized and the amount indicated it was for personal use.

Since the male had no prior convictions for marijuana, he was issued ordinance citations for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.  Future offenses will result in a criminal arrest for marijuana possession.    

Arrest Made for Criminal Damage to Property

On the morning of July 3, police took a report that two vehicles had been vandalized overnight while parked at the AmericInn  Hotel.  A 2005 Yamaha motorcycle was tipped over and sustained damage to the windshield, headlight and chrome trim pieces.  A 2007 Buick Lucerne received extensive damage, with all the quarter panels and doors to the vehicle being dented and smashed in.  The estimate to repair the damage to the Buick was over $14,000.

This was determined to not be a random incident, but the damaged vehicles were targeted.  The suspect was identified as a 34 yr old male, who was a family member to the two vehicle owners.  The suspect had recently been let go from working in the family business and was upset.  Evidence gathered in the investigation confirmed the suspect had damaged the vehicles.  

On July 7, police arrested the suspect, a a 34 yr old male from Sturgeon Bay.  He was taken to the Door County Jail and charged with criminal damage to property.  The charge was a felony, as the damaged amount exceeded $2,500.

Domestic Abuse arrests

On the afternoon of July 6, city police handled two domestic abuse calls within one hour.  

At 7:10pm, officers were sent to an address on N 4th Ave for a family fight.  An argument ensued over damage to a gun safe.  During the argument, the 52 yr old male grabbed his wife around the neck and threw her down to the floor.  This caused the wife pain and bruising to her body.  The male was arrested for domestic related battery and disorderly conduct, and taken to the Door County Jail.  The case has been referred to the DA's Office.


At 8:01pm, officers were dispatched to the area of Alabama St, just off Egg Harbor Rd for a male and female fighting.  An off-duty deputy observed the argument, with the male swearing loudly and called police;  a non-law enforcement citizen also called 911 to report the disturbance.  This was at a time when families were leaving the soccer fields at the Fairgrounds.  City officers arrived and observed the female party had red marks around her neck.  The female did not want to pursue charges, but acknowledged her husband had put his hands on her neck during the argument, which the husband stated he did do.  Based on the investigation findings, police arrested the 66 yr old male from Egg Harbor for domestic related battery and disorderly conduct, and he was taken to the Door County Jail.  The case has been referred to the DA's Office.


Under Wisconsin's domestic violence laws, if two domestic related persons (spouse, former spouse, person who lives with or has lived with you, or shares a child together) are involved in a fight that has turned physical, and has caused or could cause injury to a person, law enforcement is required to arrest the predominant aggressor.  The DA's Office than makes the determination if criminal charges are filed.

In Door County, victims of domestic violence can receive free advocacy services from HELP of Door County by calling (920) 743-8818.  There website is www.helpofdoorcounty.org

Suspect Charges at Officer

On July 4 at approximately 1:30pm, city officers arrested a 32 yr old male in front of City Hall on a WI Department of Corrections warrant.  The suspect was cooperative initially, but upon learning he would be going to jail, the suspect suddenly lunged at the arresting officer.  The suspect pushed the officer backwards, grabbing the officers vest.  At the same time, the suspect yelled at officers to "just kill me."

A struggle ensued, and officers were able to gain control of the suspect, having to deploy a Taser. One officer suffered a laceration to his arm during the struggle, but did not require stitches.  The suspect denied suffering any injury other than marks from the Taser probes, but he was medically evaluated at DCMC as a precaution.

Due to the suspects suicidal comments, a crisis worker was called in and the suspect was ultimately transported to a mental health facility.  When the suspect is released from that facility, he will be transported to the Door County Jail on the original warrant.  In addition, the case is being sent to the DA's Office for additional charges which may include battery to a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Cinema Burglary

On the morning of July 6, police were dispatched to the Sturgeon Bay Cinema for a burglary and theft.  Unknown suspect(s) had gained access into the cinema.

Once inside, the suspect(s) entered the office, gaining access to the business safe and stealing approximately $2,000.  Also, the suspect(s) broke into the coin operated video game machines and stole the coins.

Sturgeon Bay Police is looking for the public's assistance in identifying the suspect(s) involved.  Please contact us if anyone saw suspicious activity around the cinema on the night of July 5 and morning of July 6, or recently became aware of any person(s) who came into possession of a large amount of cash and coins, who normally would not have that much money in their possession.

Anonymous tips may be submitted through the Sturgeon Bay Police Department's Facebook page, or call us at 920-746-2450.

Happy 4th of July!

The Sturgeon Bay Police Department would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July, as we celebrate our Nation's Independence!  

Thank you to all who served and currently serve our Nation, to ensure our Freedom reigns.

Bayview Bridge & Highway OPEN!!!

The wait is finally over, the Bayview Bridge and north section of Highway 42/57 are open!

Thank you to the construction company and workers for putting in a long day and night, to ensure the Bridge would be open this morning.

For those traveling, please wear your seatbelts and don't drink and drive.  Have a safe, Happy 4th of July!