Burglary Alert

As the summer months come into full swing, so does some of the summer crime activity. It is important to remember to lock your homes and vehicles to prevent thefts and burglaries. Several incidents have recently been reported to the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department, and are currently under investigation.

During the week of June 13^th, 2010, several residents in our community reported overnight burglaries of their homes. The incidents involved at least one suspect entering the homes through unsecured doors, and stealing property from inside the homes. There have also been numerous reports of unlocked vehicles showing signs that someone had gone through their contents.

Some of these incidents were reported in the neighborhoods listed below. 

• Third Avenue apartment parking lots - Excelsior 
• Smithtown Road, between Eureka Road and Grant Lorenz Road - Shorewood 
• Valleywood Lane/Eureka Road area - Shorewood 
• Birch Bluff Road/Eureka Road area - Shorewood 

If you have any information regarding these incidents, or you believe you know who the suspect is, please contact the SLMPD through Hennepin County Dispatch at (763) 525-6210. 

Prevention Reminders: 

Before leaving the house or retiring for the evening:

• Close and lock windows that are at ground level or easily accessible;
• Check and lock exterior doors (including garage doors). 

Keep garage doors closed and locked when you’re inside. 

Keep vehicles locked and always remove valuables (even when parked in the garage or driveway).  

When away from home and you have no other choice than to leave valuables in the vehicle, hide items from plain view prior to arriving at your destination.
Suspicious Man Approaches Children

On Wednesday, April 14, 2010, the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department (SLMPD) received a report that two young girls were approached by an unknown man who yelled something similar to “Stop! Wait for me!” The girls were able to run from the area and tell an adult. 

The incident occurred in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 800 block of Third Avenue in Excelsior. 

The suspect is described as an older white male with short grey hair and a grey beard. His vehicle is described as a van with three windows on the side. It is unclear what color the van was, but it may be either red or light blue in color. 

A similar incident occurred nearby in the City of Minnetonka recently, where the suspect description was similar and the vehicle was described as a white, newer model American made pickup truck with an extended cab. 

If you have any information regarding either of these incidents, or the suspect and/or vehicle descriptions sound familiar to you, please contact the SLMPD through Hennepin County Dispatch at (763) 525-6210. 

Please see the Stranger Danger Tips for Kids section under the Child Safety page of this website and review them with your children.

Owner of Found Ring Sought

A ring was found on January 1, 2010 by employees of the Shorewood Cub Foods store and the SLMPD is attempting to locate its owner. Please call the SLMPD at 952-474-3261 for further information if you believe you may know who the ring belongs to.
Burglary/Theft Prevention

The  SLMPD urges you to take some basic precautions to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of a burglary or a theft.

ALWAYS lock your doors, even while you are at home. Service doors into garages as well as doors between attached garages and the interior of the house are often overlooked by homeowners and left unsecured.  Overhead garage doors should be kept closed, whether or not you are home.

Leave a few exterior lights on after dark. Consider installing motion detector lights. They are very effective and relatively inexpensive. 

Before leaving for vacation, contact the SLMPD at (952) 474-3261 and ask to be placed on the vacation house check list. Officers will check the exterior of your home periodically and randomly during your absence. Put mail and newspaper deliveries on hold before leaving. Mail delivery can be placed on hold via the Internet at www.usps.com. Click on "Hold Mail" and you'll be taken to a secure site for entering your information. You can also pick up a "Hold Mail" card at any post office branch. 

Lock your vehicles, even in your driveway or inside your garage. Do not leave valuables inside your vehicle.

Get to know your neighbors. Residents who know each other, keep an eye on each others’ homes, and report suspicious activity to police are great crime deterrents.  

If you observe suspicious activity in your neighborhood, report it to the SLMPD immediately by calling 911.

Mail Thefts in South Lake Area

Recently, the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department (SLMPD) has taken several reports of thefts from mailboxes. Thefts have been reported in many nearby communities as well. Mail theft nearly always leads to identity theft, which is currently the fastest growing crime in the Minnesota, as well as in the United States.

 The SLMPD urges you to take some basic precautions to reduce your chances of becoming a victim:

ALWAYS put outgoing mail into an official United States Postal Service (USPS) collection box. They are harder to break into, and in a more public setting.

AVOID putting outgoing mail into your own personal mailbox. Mail placed in a personal mailbox is unsecured. If you must put outgoing mail in your box, don't raise the flag; postal personnel will still pick it up, but you won't be advertising that it is there. The red flag is the perfect signal to a mail thief that there is outgoing mail (and probably checks that can be altered) in the mailbox.

 Pick up your delivered mail as soon as possible from your personal mailbox. Never let it overflow.

 Before leaving for vacation, place your mail on hold. This can be done on the Internet by going to www.usps.com. Click on "Hold Mail" and you'll be taken to a secure site for entering your information. You can also pick up a "Hold Mail" card at any post office branch.

Consider electronic banking and direct deposits to minimize the amount of financial data coming into and going out from your mail box. When you order new checks, consider picking them up at the bank rather than having them mailed to your home.

ALWAYS shred all mail going into your garbage that contains your name, address, account numbers, or other vital information. Shredders are available inexpensively at office supply stores or discount department stores.

If you observe suspicious activity in your neighborhood, report it to the SLMPD immediately by calling 911.

Identity Theft

While there are no guarantees about avoiding identity theft, The South Lake Minnetonka Police Department and the Federal Trade Commission recommend that you:

• Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your personal information.
• Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your financial accounts and billing statements.
• Defend against identity theft as soon as you suspect a problem.

Awareness is among the most powerful tools in the fight against identity theft. And that's where you play an important role. The more you know how to protect your identity and what to do if a problem occurs, the harder it is for identity thieves to commit their crimes.

Get comprehensive information on identity theft from resources available online at www.ftc.gov/idtheft  or by phone at 1-877-ID-THEFT.

Solicitor Regulations

Solicitors must abide by the following city ordinances:

Excelsior: Permits are required for all solicitors except newspaper delivery, farm and garden products, or milk, ice, or baked goods vendors with regular routes in the city.

Greenwood: Permits are required for all solicitors except newspaper delivery, farm and garden products, charitable, political, or religious organizations, or milk or general food delivery with regular routes in the city.

Shorewood: Permits are required for all solicitors, NO EXCEPTIONS.

Tonka Bay: Persons cannot solicit upon or along any public streets or on any public land, or at any home with a placard posted stating "Peddlers and Canvassers Prohibited". No person shall conduct his business so as to annoy other persons or to become a nuisance or so as to obstruct travel upon any street, alley, or public place within the city.

Although many solicitors are legitimate, some neighborhood crime is associated with certain transient groups soliciting door-to-door. Homeowners are urged to be cautious. Ask to see their permit. If they cannot produce a permit, are overly aggressive with selling tactics, or you just feel that they are suspicious, notify the SLMPD immediately by dialing 911. Remember, you are not obligated to answer the door if you are not comfortable with who is there.