About Us

2008

May Success of the Month

On May 1, Officer Casey Brashear was dispatched to a suspicious vehicle at Sunoco on SR 131. The dispatcher advised that the male subjects were in the lot asking customers for money. Officer Brashear arrived on scene and located the vehicle occupied by two adult males. Both of the males were intoxicated and refused Officer Brashear's request for identification. Based on previous contacts, Officer Brashear believed one male to be Spencer Dickinson, a wanted person who Detective Paul had filed Aggravated Arson charges on in 2007. The male kept giving Officer Brashear false information. Officer Brashear made contact with the Clermont County Jail for identifiers. Based on the identifiers obtained, Officer Brashear confirmed that the male was in fact Spencer Dickinson who was wanted on multiple warrants through Clermont County, including the Aggravated Arson warrant. Due to Officer Brashear's diligence, Spencer Dickinson, a wanted felon was placed under arrest for falsification and warrant service and transported to the Clermont County Jail.

On May 22, Officer Holly Souhrada made a traffic stop of a suspected Impaired Driver. Upon contact with the driver, Timothy McDowell, Officer Souhrada detected an odor of alcohol. Mr. McDowell denied any consumption of alcohol and was asked to step from the vehicle for PBT testing and field sobriety tests. The driver tested positively on the PBT and did not pass the field tests. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to the Miami Township Police Department for a breath test. Mr. McDowell's breath test result was .181. A review of Mr. McDowell's driving record indicated that this was his seventh Driving Under the Influence arrest. Mr. McDowell was arrested for Felony DUI and transported to the Clermont County Jail.

April Success of the Month

On March 20, 2008 Miami Township Police were called to a report of Breaking and Entering of a residence at 1332 SR 131. While Investigator Bill Paul was processing this scene, a report of an aggravated burglary in progress was made for the residence at 5757 Mt. Vernon Drive. A 1985 Jeep CJ 7 was stolen from the garage of the Mt. Vernon Drive residence along with other property from inside the residence. In his investigation of these two cases, Investigator Bill Paul found other cases with similar characteristics. Those offenses had occurred at the Eastside Christian Church, Castrucci Ford, a residence at 1167 SR 131, a residence at 5932 McPicken Drive and Ohio Valley Voices. The stolen Jeep was recovered on March 21, 2008 in Miamiville. Upon hearing the location of the vehicle recovery, Officer Rob Heideman contacted Investigator Bill Paul and advised that the stolen Jeep had been found in the same location that Jonathan Gerhardt had ditched a stolen car in the past. Based on this information, Investigator Paul presented a photo line up to the victim and the witness at 5757 Mt. Vernon Drive. Both picked out the suspect, Jonathan Gerhardt. Investigator Paul then filed a warrant for his arrest for aggravated burglary. Gerhardt had no regular address and was living at large making it difficult for police to find him. On April 8, 2008 Investigator Paul received a call from Sgt. Jamie Mills, of the Milford Police Department to report that they just had a vehicle stolen from the home of a City Council member. Gerhardt was identified as the offender in that case. On April 9, 2008 Gerhardt was taken into custody in Milford by Milford Police officers while he was walking on the same street where he had stolen the vehicle the day before. During the interview of Gerhardt, he admitted to Investigator Bill Paul that he was responsible for a total of one Aggravated Burglary F1, one Burglary F4, ten counts of Breaking & Entering F5, five counts of Theft F4, five counts of Theft F5 and one count of Vandalism F5. Altogether he was charged with twenty-three separate felony offenses. Gerhardt told investigators that the property that he did get away with had been thrown into dumpsters. The five stolen vehicles were all recovered. Due to the identification of a potential suspect by Officer Heideman and the subsequent reviewing and analyzing of previous reports by Investigator Paul, a significant threat to Miami Township residents and their property has been identified and charged.

In April, Problem Solving Officer Annie Morgan was reviewing a number of cases in the Township involving thefts from vehicles. From previous contacts and investigation, Officer Morgan identified a juvenile that may be involved. The juvenile was currently missing and there was a warrant for his arrest. Officer Morgan met with Officer Adams at Milford High School to obtain possible locations or associates of the missing juvenile. Officer Adams provided valuable information on the suspect's possible whereabouts and associates. Officer Morgan requested that Investigator Bradford assist her in the investigation. Officer Morgan and Detective Bradford arrived at a potential suspect location furnished by SRO  Adams and located the missing  juvenile and adult associate in the woods. Both subjects were drinking and had on their property several suspicious items that Officer Morgan believed may be stolen. The subjects were taken into custody and transported to the Miami Township Police Department for interviews. The suspects were separated and interviewed by Detective Bradford and Officer Morgan. Both suspects admitted to culpability in multiple theft offenses and advised that another suspect was also involved in the receiving and pawn/selling of stolen items for cash and drugs. The third suspect was located and interviewed; resulting in his confession to involvement. As a result of their investigation, searches and interviews of the subjects, Detective Bradford and Officer Morgan filed multiple charges against the suspects for the offenses of Receiving Stolen Property, Theft, Burglary, Drug Paraphernalia and Underage Consumption. Great team work from Problem Solver Morgan, School Resource Officer Adams and Investigator Bradford.

In April, Officer Pryor was dispatched to the Circle K on SR 28 to investigate a theft. Officer Pryor checked the store security tapes and found the perpetrator's vehicle registration. Officer Pryor was able to locate an address on Ring Lane where the car was registered. Officer Pryor located the vehicle at the residence and made contact with the vehicle operator; who he identified as the theft suspect. Upon initial questioning, the suspect gave Officer Pryor a false name. After further investigation, Officer Pryor ascertained the suspects' true identity and found that the suspect had several outstanding warrants, including a felony through Brown County. At this time, the suspect admitted to the Circle K theft and Officer Pryor arrested the suspect, Jason Howes. Officer Pryor made contact with the property owner of the residence and obtained consent to search the property for stolen items. Officer Pryor discovered hundreds of items that appeared to have been stolen. The items were seized and placed in the Miami Township Police property system. At this time, Officer Pryor relayed the information to Detective Bullock for further investigation. Detective Bullock responded to the Clermont County Jail where he conducted an interview with the suspect. When presented the evidence against him based upon the recovered evidentiary property, the suspect admitted to several thefts throughout Miami Township and other jurisdictions. Concurrently, Detective Bill Paul was investigating several ongoing felony thefts and breaking and entering offenses at Meijer. Detective Paul identified the Meijer suspect as Jason Howes from video recordings. Detective Paul made contact with Jason Howes for an interview. Mr. Howes subsequently admitted to these offenses as well. As a result of this investigation, Mr. Howes has been charged with twenty felony and misdemeanor charges for offenses including Theft, Receiving Stolen Property, Criminal Trespass and Breaking and Entering. Through Officer Pryor's investigative skills and diligence in the initial investigation and Detective Bullock and Paul's follow-up investigations, a wanted felon was arrested and several offense reports were closed and property recovered.

Miami Township Police arrested two men for their involvement in four aggravated robberies that occurred in the Township on April 12 between 1:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The arrests came at about 9:30 p.m. less than ten hours after the fourth robbery. The two men arrested are Joe Monhollen and Eric Brown. Brown surrendered without incident. Monhollen attempted to flee from police on foot when he was about to be arrested. They were captured by Police Captains Steve Rogers and Cliff Rowland, Police Sergeant Fred Fatute, and Police Officers Greg Jenkins, Jamie Porter and Casey Brashear. No one was injured during the arrests. They were arrested outside an apartment on Pebble Ridge Drive in the Pebble Brooke Apartment Complex. The arrests came after police received a tip from a member of the community. The robberies of convenience stores occurred over a time span of less than twelve hours. In each case a white male entered the store, displayed a large knife and demanded cash. The robber's face was concealed by a hood on his jacket or sweatshirt. No one was injured in any of the robberies. "Our officers have worked on this case steadily throughout the day," said Miami Township Police Chief Steven Bailey. "It was a priority for us to get these dangerous people off the street before they could hurt someone or before they were hurt by someone else who might resist a robbery attempt. The Miami Township Police Officers did a great job on this today and the community can sleep well tonight."

On April 22, Miami Township Police were dispatched to Kroger on SR 28 for a theft. A 47-year-old woman had just placed her groceries and her purse into her vehicle and was returning the shopping cart when a male entered the victims' vehicle and stole her purse. The victim observed the theft and gave chase on foot as a female accomplice and the male fled in their vehicle. The victim held onto the doorpost letting go just prior to the vehicle striking a curb and fleeing the lot. The victim observed a small child in the back seat as the suspects made the get way. A short time later, Officer Sherri Howard observed the getaway vehicle parked at 1285 Pebble Brook. Officers Howard and Rob Heideman located the female suspect who admitted to being the driver and provided the male suspect information. The victim then identified the male via a photo line up. Officers Howard, Heideman and Sergeant Swing conducted additional interviews of witnesses and the victim's purse was recovered at a nearby business in the trash. The driver was charged with Felony Theft, Child Endangering, and Reckless Operation on private property. The male suspect was charged with Felony Theft.

March 2008 Success Of The Month

Captain Steve Rogers has served the law enforcement profession for more than twenty-five years. Most of his years in the profession have been spent serving the residents of Miami Township. Captain Rogers rose through the ranks and has served in a variety of positions. Upon being promoted to the rank of Sergeant, he maintained a strong work ethic and established a reputation for being a working Sergeant, staying involved with those he supervised and setting an example for others to follow. Once promoted to Lieutenant, Steve remained very proactive during his first assignment as Road Patrol Commander. He continued to maintain a strong work ethic and established a reputation for fairness and looking out for the best interests of the police department and the citizens it serves. In addition to his normal responsibilities, Steve expressed a genuine concern for the welfare of those he led and it was not at all unusual for him to visit officers or their families who fell ill or became hospitalized. No matter how pressing work concerns became, he always found time to attend services when a colleague or subordinate lost a family member and would offer them comfort and condolences. This never seemed to be an act of duty or responsibility, but rather an act of genuine caring for others. Steve was later assigned to lead the investigations section and remained true to his character setting new standards and seeking to achieve even higher goals. The division was proactive and under his leadership and as a team they investigated a variety of crimes up to and including a murder/suicide. Upon being promoted to the rank of Captain, Steve had come full circle. He was again assigned to lead the agency's Road Patrol function. At a time in his career when others would begin to slow down and prepare for retirement, that kind of approach simply did not fit into his character. He continues to regularly attend roll call briefings to maintain the connection with those on the front lines. He continues to visit sick or injured officers and their families. When given an internal complaint, he never rushes to judgment and focuses on fairness and doing the right thing. As the Patrol Division Commander, Captain Rogers continues to lead by example. He is often heard picking up details for road officers when he hears them getting overwhelmed with calls. He's even been heard doing the mundane tasks such as opening or closing park gates to help his troops and doesn't exhibit any hint of feeling that such tasks are beneath him or his rank. Captain Steve Rogers has established himself as a friend, a co-worker, a supervisor, a mentor and a strong leader and it is for those reasons and more that his peers and subordinates have overwhelmingly supported his award as Miami Township Police Departments Police Service Award, Employee of the Year for 2007. Congratulations Captain Rogers.

On 11/14/07, Officers Jenkins, Brashear and Hirsch were dispatched to Brightwater Circle for a report of a suicidal male. The male had ingested a large quantity of alcohol combined with an unknown number of prescription pills. Upon arrival, Officer Jenkins attempted contact with the male by knocking on the front door. A fellow officer observed the male point a handgun at the door via a window. Officers on scene took cover and concealment positions. Residents in the immediate vicinity were evacuated in the event gunfire erupted. Upon completion of the evacuation, Sergeant Fatute initiated contact via phone attempting to resolve the situation peacefully. Believing the male was in eminent danger of death, Sergeant Fatute initiated non-forcible entry. Sergeant Fatute took point with an AR-15 as Officer Jenkins followed quickly behind with his Taser. Upon entry, Officers observed a large hunting knife lying on the table in close proximity to the suspect. The deliberate entry caught the male off guard and allowed Officer Brashear to move up in an attempt to handcuff the suspect. The male resisted, requiring Officer Jenkins to utilize his Taser. The male was then successfully handcuffed and given medical treatment. The weapons, an air-soft pistol and hunting knife were recovered and seized. The male continued to be uncooperative during transport to Clermont Mercy Hospital for a psychological evaluation. This was an extremely dangerous situation that involved a potentially armed and dangerous suspect. These officers displayed extraordinary acts of heroism in defusing this potentially hostile and volatile situation. The Officers on scene exhibited incredible control utilizing their training and imagination to defuse the situation without loss of life. When the defendant appeared in court for the resisting arrest charge that was filed against him, Judge Brock addressed the defendant and stated that "Officers would have been fully justified in shooting you. You should consider yourself lucky that the Officers didn't." The defendant ultimately pled guilty to the resisting arrest charge and the defendant's family personally thanked the Officers for not using deadly force that evening. Congratulations to these Officers on a job well done.

Several years ago, the Miami Township Police Department began participation in a program in conjunction with Clermont Senior Services, in which Officers visit seniors in the area. The goal of the program was to improve the quality of life of older Miami Township residents through an occasional visit to their residence. Officer Kent Arter has been involved in the program since its inception and several years ago began visiting Ms. Marcella Moellman. Over the course of several years, Officer Arter's relationship with Ms. Moellman progressed from occasional visits while on duty to his family also being involved in off-duty visits. Officer Arter and his family have since become very close with Ms. Moellman. Not only has Officer Arter assisted Ms. Moellman with many day-to-day tasks or just stopped by to say hello and check on her, he and his family continually visit Ms. Moellman at her retirement community and exchange gifts with her at Christmas. Officer Arter is commended for this exceptional service that truly demonstrates community policing.

The Miami Township Police Department is pleased to award civilian volunteer and Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association member Gene Bishop the Civilian Service Award. Gene has been a member of the CPAAA since his graduation from the Miami Township Citizen's Police Academy Session V in 2002. Over the years, Gene has provided many volunteer hours to our department in a number of functions. In 2007, Gene was actively involved in and vital to the success of two programs. Gene donated countless hours assisting several County agencies as the coordinator of the annual DARE golf outing. With Gene's leadership and assistance, the golf outing raised over $12,000.00 in 2007. These funds will be used to support numerous programs for Clermont County children. Gene also provided invaluable service to the Miami Township Police Department with the annual Shop with a Cop event. Gene has worked on this event for several years and his assistance in 2007 to Officer Petrocelli and the department resulted in an extremely successful and rewarding event. Over $7,000.00 was raised in 2007 and this allowed over eighty children to have a wonderful holiday season. Miami Township commends this exceptional service to our agency and the community.

February  2008 Success Of The Month

During the early morning hours of January 22, 2008 Miami Township Police Officers received a report of a residential fire at the Martinelli Residence located at 6211 Cook Road. Sergeant Young, and his night shift squad, arrived on scene at about 4:43 A.M and were met by an active structure fire. The home was involved to the point that flames were visible through the windows and smoke was billowing from the eves of the roof. The first two officers to arrive on the scene, Sergeant Young and Officer Rasfeld, wasted no time in their initial attempts to protect life and property. Officer Rasfeld went to his trunk to retrieve a fire extinguisher as Sergeant Young began searching for a way through the flames to locate any potential victims that may have been inside. As he ran to the back of the residence, and made his search for access, Sergeant Young found that all of the windows and doors were locked and nothing could be seen through the windows due to the thick smoke inside. He kicked his way through the rear door to a laundry area but could only gain a narrow access due to the doorway being obstructed by a washer and dryer. Sergeant Young squeezed his way through the opening and entered the laundry room which had not yet completely filled with smoke. Once inside, Sergeant Young observed another door that led into the main living area of the house. The door was too hot to touch so he breached the door by kicking it open. It would only open about twelve inches as thick smoke, and a rush of hot air, poured into the laundry room from the other side. Sergeant Young had to retreat back outside for fresh air. As he shined his light back toward the door and yelled to anyone who might be inside, he heard a loud explosion and glass breakage. Then he saw a human hand and forearm drop to the floor through the opening behind the inner door. Sergeant Young could see that the victim was badly burned and that the laundry room was now filled with smoke. Visibility was obstructed and it became very difficult to breath. He advised the communication center of his situation and requested immediate assistance. Officers Rasfeld and Murray arrived, and together, the three officers attempted to push the door open and rescue the unconscious victim. All three officers were trying their best to hold their breath and avoid breathing the noxious fumes. At one point Officer Rasfeld could not be seen from the waist up as he was completely engulfed in the black smoke. Each of the officers then took turns alternating into the smoke in an attempt to move the victim and open the door as there was only enough room for one officer to work at a time. All the while they were hearing additional explosions from within. The officers retreated for fresh air and it became apparent to Sergeant Young that they were not making progress. He knew that the situation was deteriorating with each second that passed by. It was at that moment that he decided to force his way through the small opening into the main house so he could move the victim whose position was blocking the doorway. With Officer Rasfeld's assistance, Sergeant Young squeezed through the small opening and into the deadliest and most dangerous part of the scene. Once inside, Sergeant Young, unable to breath, turned his back to the flames, grabbed the 225 pound victim by his belt, picked him up from the floor and pulled him backward away from the doorway. Officer Rasfeld was then able to push the door all the way open and begin pulling the victim through the doorway. Sergeant Young, feeling the burning sensation on his head and believing that his uniform had caught fire, exited the laundry room. Officer Rasfeld continued pulling the victim through the doorway to a point where his upper torso was in the laundry room and somewhat cooler air. At that point fire personnel arrived, took the victim outside to the patio and began treating him for severe burns. The victim was breathing on his own. The actions of Sergeant Young and Officers Rasfeld and Murray prevented the imminent death of Mr. Martinelli that morning. Regrettably, Mr. Martinelli did succumb to his injuries on February 15. These Officers will be honored at the March 18 Trustees meeting.

January 2008 Success Of The Month

During January, Miami Township records clerk Marsha Garner spent her vacation in Haiti aiding her church in thedistribution of food, clothing and other gifts through the church sponsored I want to do Something About World Hunger program supported by the organization Kids Against Hunger. The program has several goals; during the trip the volunteers participate in Women's Day where they support Haitian women with fellowship and Bible studies, the volunteers support infant and toddler nutrition with the distribution of food to feed a thousand Haitian children for a year and the group distributes seven to eight hundred pairs of shoes to children. Marsha became involved with this project three years ago and returns each year to accomplish the mission. Marsha states “With all the press about the economy being on the verge of recession, people don't realize how well we have it compared to others in countries such as Haiti which is only a two hour flight from Miami, Florida.” Marsha feels that she gave just a small part in helping others because we are truly blessed in America. Marsha was also excited to see and spend time with her personal sponsored child and his family. Marsha's dedication to others as well as the community where she lives, works and worships make us proud to have her as a member of the Miami Township Police Department.

On January 5, Officer Rob Hirsch checked the registration of a vehicle he was traveling behind on SR 28. Officer Hirsch received a warrant notification that the registered owner of the vehicle was wanted by Tippecanoe County, Indiana. The warrant was for felony child neglect with a request for extradition. Upon confirmation of the warrant, Officer Hirsch observed the male park and enter Kmart. Officer Hirsch requested back up of the store exits while he entered to attempt location of the suspect. The suspect was located hiding in the electronics section. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Clermont County Jail to await extradition to Indiana. Upon speaking with the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office, Officer Hirsch was advised the apprehended suspect was on the County's most wanted list. Officer Hirsch is commended for his efforts in the apprehension of a multi-state fugitive.