School Is Starting ... Please Drive Careful

Starting today, schools are beginning to open in Sturgeon Bay, and we would ask all motorists to drive carefully.

- St. Peter's Lutheran School starts this morning.
- St. John Bosco School starts tomorrow on Thursday, September 1.
- Sturgeon Bay Public School starts on Tuesday September 6.

Speed limits in marked school zones are 15 mph when children are present.

Tyce wanted to say hello to the officers having lunch.

He said "Thank you for keeping us safe!"

Media Release

The Sturgeon Bay Police Department has identified the man who drowned yesterday as a result of driving his rental car off the pier at Center Pointe Marina in Sturgeon Bay as Michael William Little, 65 years old from Kalamazoo, Michigan.  His passenger, Marcella Clark, age 54, also from Kalamazoo, Michigan was able to free herself and her dog from the sinking car.  Ms. Clark was treated at the scene by emergency personnel.  The Sturgeon Bay Police Department is continuing their investigations. 

Habitat for Humanity stolen trailer UPDATE

During the investigation into Habitat for Humanity's stolen trailer, police identified and referred a 67 yr old male from Sturgeon Bay to the DA's Office for criminal charges of receiving or concealing stolen property (less than $2,500) and obstructing an officer.  The male was found to be in possession of the stolen trailer on his property, but denied he was the one who stole the trailer.

The DA's Office filed a criminal complaint on the above charges against Gregory R. Noldin, who made his initial appearance in court yesterday, August 22.  Mr. Noldin has been ordered to have no contact with Habitat for Humanity and his next court date is scheduled for October 24.

All persons are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.

UPDATE: Door to Door Paving Solicitation

This morning, police received information the door-to-door paving solicitation company is going by the name Git-R-Done Paving.  This name may be on the trucks, along with Wisconsin Dells.  There is a website for the company, but it lacks details, as does their Facebook page.  

It is believe this company operated in Northeast Wisconsin a few years ago under a different name, and the work completed was shoddy.  

The SBPD strongly recommends homeowners and businesses do not hire traveling asphalt companies, which often uses schemes to convince you they will save you  money.  In the end, it will cost you more and often result in shoddy work.  Further, there is little recourse for an owner to get their money back except in civil court and it is difficult to locate a traveling company.

If you are in need of paving or seal coating services, contact a local company that has established roots in your community.

Below is a news article from a Texas Better Business Bureau on how to avoid asphalt schemes.

Avoid Asphalt Paving Schemes - October 19, 2015

Asphalt driveways can show considerable wear over time, so it’s very likely that yours will need repair at some point. If fixing the driveway of your home or business is on your list of improvements this year, BBB reminds you that asphalt pavers who swindle money from their clients is one of our most common scams and cautions consumers to be on the lookout for dishonest asphalt paving companies.

“Itinerant, or traveling asphalt paving crews typically move from county to county offering low-priced opportunities to give your asphalt driveway a quick facelift”, said Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of BBB Serving Central East Texas. “If you’re presented with these or similar offers, a little bit of caution can help prevent serious problems.”

Professionally-designed and properly constructed asphalt pavement will last for many years, and reputable contractors will stand behind their work. You are safer dealing with a well-established contractor who carries a solid reputation, so make sure you check out a business’ track record by going to bbb.org before working with any company.

BBB offers these tips to help you steer clear of asphalt scams:

Beware of door-to-door sales. Reputable asphalt contractors seldom offer their services door-to-door, and they’ll do so only if they are doing a legitimate job in the immediate area. If you’re approached, always ask for references and proof of proper licensing.

Leftovers? Probably not. One of the most frequently used hooks that bogus companies use is offering “leftover asphalt” from their last job. Professional asphalt contractors will know, with great accuracy, how much paving material is needed to complete a project. Rarely will they have leftover material. Among the only reasons a contractor might have left over material are inclement weather, equipment problems or cancellations.

Don’t make hasty decisions. Reputable contractors will provide a written estimate which will be valid far beyond the day the estimate is given. If they use high pressure sales tactics and the great deal they are offering you today is not available tomorrow or next week, it may be a scam.

Get it in writing. Insist upon a professionally written contract which specifies, in detail, the work to be performed and the agreed-upon price.

Look out for cash-only sales. Most reputable contractors take checks or credit cards and don’t require cash-only terms. If the contractor only takes cash, use extreme caution.

Choose local. Traveling asphalt crews often operate out of unmarked trucks and have out-of-state license plates or contact information. Take into consideration that an out of town contractor will be more difficult to make arrangements with should further repairs be needed in the future.

Verify. Remember to verify the phone number and physical location of the business before agreeing to any work. And just to be safe, it’s a good idea to jot down the license plate of the company vehicle.

Please Help Us Find MOTO DOG!!!

Stove Dog Bakery at 230 Michigan St. reported the theft of an outside decoration to police, which they called Moto Dog.  The item was taken sometime between August 20 at 7:00pm and 8:20am on August 21.

A picture of the decoration is attached with this release, which is an orange statue of a dog riding a motorcycle.

Please help us in locating Moto Dog and returning him to his home!

Intoxicated Decision Making Leads to Jail

Sturgeon Bay Police have two recent calls where intoxication has lead to poor decision making and a trip to the local jail.  The police stress responsible drinking, which means consuming alcohol in moderation...know your limit.  Excessive drinking often leads to poor decisions, embarrassment, arrest and in a worst case scenario, tragedy resulting in injury or death.  

On August 20 at 4:25am, officers were dispatched to a west side residence on S Geneva Ave for a report a person who broke into a house and the homeowner had the intruder at gun point.  Officers arrived on scene in approximately 3 minutes.

The homeowner had been awaken by his dog, and confronted the suspect in his kitchen.  The homeowner was in possession of a gun, telling the suspect to stop and that he had a gun.  The suspect complied with the homeowner’s instructions and was directed to the porch to wait for the police arrival.  The suspect had damaged a portion of the homeowner’s backyard fence and the patio screen door.  The damage was consistent with a person trying to force open the door.   

The 19 yr old male from Sturgeon Bay was found to be intoxicated, which was a contributing factor to the suspect’s behavior, as the suspect did not know how he ended up in the house; the suspect does reside in the same area of the home he broke into.  Further investigation found the suspect was on pain medication from a recent surgery, and that may have contributed to his behavior when mixed with the alcohol.    

The suspect was taken to the Door County Jail and charged with criminal trespass to a dwelling and criminal damage to property.  An ordinance citation for consummation of alcohol underage – 2^nd offense was also issued.   At this time, there is no evidence to indicate the suspect was breaking into the house to commit a burglary or theft. 

On August 21 at 12:39am, officers were dispatched to a residence in Utopia Circle for a report of an unknown male pounding on the homeowner’s front and back doors.  The homeowner was concerned the suspect may be trying to break in and the first officer arrived within 3 minutes. 

Officers located the male, a 21 yr old man from River Forest, IL, on the back side of the house yelling, “Let me in or I will kill you” and he was pounding very hard on the door.  The screen door had been thrown off to the side and was broken.  The officer identified himself and when he went to apprehend him, the suspect took a swing at the officer, missing him.  The officer had to take the suspect to the ground, where the suspect continued to resist the officer, before he was handcuffed. 

The suspect was found to be highly intoxicated and had difficulty providing his name and date of birth, which could only be confirmed from the suspect’s family.  Police discovered the family were in town for a wedding and were staying at The Lodge.  Once the suspect was medically cleared at the hospital, he was taken to jail for disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property and obstructing/resisting an officer.

It is believed the suspect’s intoxication level contributed to him not knowing his whereabouts, and he may have thought he was at the hotel.  

Door to Door Paving Solicitation

Police just received information there is a person or persons going door to door in the city soliciting people to do paving or asphalt sealing.  They claimed their business name is Get Along Paving, and business is slow, so they can do a driveway right away.

Please do not hire door to door solicitors to do paving, as it is often a scam.  We do not know if this is a legitimate company at this time.

If anyone has information on this business or know their location in the city, police contact our department at 746-2450.  We would like to identify and talk to them, to determine if they are a legitimate business.  

It’s True…..Drive Sober or You Will Get Pulled Over

The Sturgeon Bay Police Department is participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization, which officially started August 19.  Going back to August 16, drivers appear to have not gotten the message, as city police have made 6 OWI arrests.

ARREST #1:

On August 16 at 12:20am, police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle, after a registration check showed the owner, a 36 yr. old female from Sturgeon Bay, had two active warrants out of Kewaunee County.  The officer detected an odor of intoxicants and the driver showed signs of impairment during the field sobriety tests.  Further investigation revealed the driver had smoked marijuana in the past couple hours while at a party.  The driver was arrested for OWI 1^st offense (controlled substance), and taken to the Door County Jail for the warrants and OWI arrest. 

ARREST #2:

On August 17 at 5:34am, police were dispatched to a reckless driver complaint on W Maple St.  Police located the vehicle on Michigan St, where it crossed the center line and came to an improper stop.  When police stopped the vehicle, the driver pulled over and went up onto the curb.  The driver, a 48 yr. old female from Sturgeon Bay, showed signs of impairment, and admitted to officers she was taking prescription medication for sleep and muscle relaxers.  The driver was arrested for OWI 1^st offense and taken to jail.

ARREST #3:

On August 17 at 1:41pm, police conducted a traffic stop on Hwy 42/47 after receiving information from another law enforcement officer who observed the driver and occupant in the vehicle smoking marijuana.  The driver, a 17 yr. old female from Sturgeon Bay, admitted to smoking marijuana in the last 15 minutes; the distinct smell was obvious to the officer.  The driver was arrested for OWI 1^st offense (controlled substance).   A search of the vehicle revealed marijuana, drug paraphernalia and tobacco products.  In addition to the OWI arrest, the driver was cited for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.  The 16 yr. old female passenger received citations for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of tobacco product by a minor.   

ARREST #4:

On August 20 at 1:56am, police radar showed a vehicle going 42 mph in the 1200 block of Michigan St, which is a posted 25 mph zone.  A stop was made and the driver, a 22 yr. old male from Sheboygan, was found to be impaired by alcohol and had a suspended driver’s license.  The driver was arrested for OWI 1^st offense and taken to jail.  The driver was also cited for operating after suspension and speeding. 

ARREST #5: 

On August 21 at 12:20am, a police officer was observing the Michigan St @ 3^rd Ave intersection, when an approaching motorcycle revved their engine while approaching the four way stop.  The motorcycle failed to stop at the stop sign on 3^rd Ave as it turned onto Michigan St.  The officer stopped the driver, a 28 yr. old male from Sturgeon Bay, who had a strong odor of intoxicants and showed signs of impairment.  The driver was arrested for OWI 1^st offense and taken to jail.  The driver was also cited for failure to stop at a stop sign.

ARREST #6:

On August 21 at approximately 7:50pm, an officer stopped a vehicle for speeding on Hwy 42/57 near Alabama St; radar indicated the driver was going 57 mph in the 45 mph zone.  The officer detected an odor of alcohol from the driver, a 58 yr. old male from West Allis.  Fields sobriety tests indicated impairment and the driver was arrested for OWI 1^st offense, and he was taken to jail.    

Citizen's Heroism Award



 
     

At 1900 hours, EMS was dispatched to the Madelyn Marina for a report of a male who had fallen off a dock, into the water, in a wheel chair. Sturgeon Bay Police Officers Tassoul and Dorner responded on scene just after EMS. The male, identified as Eric Murrock, had been observed throwing a ball into the water for his dog to fetch. A gentleman on shore watching this saw Eric throw the ball into the water, then proceed to go in reverse in his wheel chair off the dock into the water. The gentleman began yelling for help. Two “good Samaritans” rushed into action and jumped into the water, while another man called 911.

Eric was found face down in the water for an estimated two minutes before the men could flip him over and get a life preserver on to keep him afloat. The incident occurred at the farthest dock, in about 10 feet of water. The men had to tread water with Eric until help arrived. Due to Eric’s size and being dead weight as he was unconscious, it took about six people to get him out of the water. Erick was then transported by ambulance to the hospital.

The “good Samaritans” took it upon themselves to remove Eric’s 500 lb electronic wheelchair from the bottom of the water and pulled it to shore.

These men placed their safety in jeopardy to attempt to save someone they did not even know. They went out of their way to help without being told to do so.

On behalf of the Sturgeon Bay Police and Fire Departments, Door County Emergency Services and the Door County 911 Dispatch Center the Citizen’s Heroism Award was awarded to Adam Rasmussen, Ralph Zimmer, Sid Ernest and Mark Courts in recognition for their heroic actions on June 8, 2016 when they came to the aid of Eric Murrock, who had accidentally fallen off of a dock into the water. Their quick response and life saving measures certainly saved his life. Congratulations on a job well done!