Sheriff’s Office Newsletter - September 2021

September 2021 Newsletter (Volume 7, Issue 9)

To view each of the different stories in the newsletter, please click on the title below.

VonWald Group Home Golf Outing

Join us on Thursday, September 16th at Willow Creek Golf Course in Rochester to connect with fellow community members and support VonWald Youth Shelter, the southeast region’s emergency shelter for at-risk youth.

Go solo or bring a group of up to three friends and enjoy a boxed lunch, in addition to a light breakfast if you have an early tee time. After the past year everyone has had, we want to connect with community partners to enjoy the day.

Check-in 30 minutes before your tee time.

• 7:30 a.m. Coffee, grab-n-go breakfast
• 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 18 holes of golf
• 12 p.m. Grab-n-go box lunch

For the last 48 years, 180 Degrees' VonWald Group Home has been gifted with the support of the local community. Volunteers, businesses, and community leaders have rallied around this event in support of helping turn lives around.

We appreciate your understanding that due to Covid-19 and social distancing requirements, we will not offer our usual array of on-course games or silent auction items. We hope to bring those back in 2022.

You can find out more and register online via Eventbrite.

SE MN Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET)

Captain Mike Bromberg

The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office is part of the SEMVCET. What is the SEMVCET?

The South East Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET) consists of 21 investigators from 8 counties and 7 cities in the southeast region it includes the counties of Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona and the cities of Austin, Kasson, Lake City, Red Wing, Rochester and Winona. The SEMVCET covers 5,265 sq. miles and has a combined population of over 574,000 people. The SEMVCET has 6 staff located within Olmsted County, the positions are Commander, Administrative Assistant, 4 investigators. The remaining investigators are housed in their own agencies. The SEMVCET has recently partnered with the MN National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and has a National Guard-funded analyst located in the same office as the staff in Olmsted County. The SEMVCET Advisory Board is made up of 8 Sheriffs and 7 Police Chiefs from the corresponding agencies along with a prosecutor from Olmsted County.  The SEMVCET is one of the largest Task Forces in Minnesota. We have several geographic, demographic, economic and social conditions that contribute to drug distribution, drug abuse, firearm use, human trafficking and other criminal activities by persons and gangs.

The purpose of the SEMVCET is to investigate illegal drugs and violent crime.  The SEMVCET works with many other local, State and Federal agencies involved in combating illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking and other violent crimes that have a connection to Southeast Minnesota. The SEMVCET area, being so large and varying from small towns to larger cities, has seen a change in the severity from prior years with Methamphetamine (Meth) as the biggest threat for our region. We have experienced this in large quantities, from several ounces at a time to multiple pounds. Marijuana (MJ) is the second major contributor to sales cases and the first in possession in the region. Marijuana is a constant battle with legal issues and attitudes associated with several states legalizing, making it very easy to come by. Prescription drugs rank a close third in our region. There is a constant flow of prescription drugs in the area mainly consisting of opioids to include the synthetic drug Fentanyl.  Xanax is not far behind in sales and possession cases. Last year our region saw over 83 non-fatal overdoses and 7 fatal overdoses.

Violence and other crimes related to drug sales and use in our region are endless. Over half of the homicides in our region have had ties to drug use and/or sales.  Many of the homicides and robberies are over marijuana and at times the quantities of marijuana aren’t that substantial, between a quarter-pound and a pound. There have also been shootings related to competition for territory and unpaid drug debts. We see a lot of identity theft in our region caused by many of the drug addicts trying to get enough money together for their next purchase. Theft from mailboxes, credit card swiping, and burglaries are the leading source of thefts.  Stealing of metal (scrappers) by methamphetamine addicts is still an ongoing problem in our region. Copper theft from new construction sites as well as abandoned properties is the main source of income for these addicts.

National Night Out

2021 allowed us to join in on National Night Out once again; Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office enjoyed participating in several events this year! We had a great time getting out in our neighborhoods and we truly appreciate the overwhelming community support. Thank you to everyone who attended and to our local sponsor, Custom Alarm. We’re looking forward to getting together with you again next year!

Richardson Completes Institute of Credible Leadership (ICLD)

Congratulations to Detention Deputy Brandon Richardson who completed the Institute for Credible Leadership (ICLD) training series. ICLD is a four-phase, online leadership learning system offered through the MN Sheriff’s Association.

Monthly Snapshot: Southeast Minnesota Violent Crimes Enforcement Team Drug Seizures

Drug	2021 (First 6 Months)	% Change from 2020	2020 Total	% Change from 2019	2019 Total	% Change from 2018
Meth (gm)	2455	-83%	14245	-51%	27919	88%
Marijuana (gm)	156999	277%	56783	511%	11112	-85%
Prescriptions (dsg)	483	136%	356	-10.33%	397	-33%
Heroin (gm)	123	-44%	218	5450%	4	-82%
Synthetics (gm)	66	-39%	108	108%	0	-400%
Cocaine (gm)	83	-87%	642	973%	66	-95%

Dates of Interest

Note—these are regular dates—please verify these meetings are taking place as well as the forum they’ll be held in.

September 1

Dover City Council Meeting

September 5

Pleasant Grove Township Meeting

Quincy Township Meeting

Rochester City Council Meeting

September 6

Elmira Township Meeting

High Forest Township Meeting

Oronoco Township Meeting

September 7

Olmsted County Board Meeting

Salem Township Meeting

September 8

Eyota City Council Meeting

Rochester Township Meeting

September 12

Cascade Township Meeting

Chatfield City Council Meeting

Orion Township Meeting

Rock Dell Township Meeting

September 13

Byron City Council Meeting

Marion Township Meeting

New Haven Township Meeting

Stewartville City Council Meeting

September 19

Eyota Township Meeting

Kalmar Township Meeting

Rochester City Council Meeting

September 20

Pine Island City Council Meeting

September 21

Farmington Township Meeting

Haverhill Township Meeting

Olmsted County Board Meeting

Oronoco City Council Meeting

September 22

Eyota City Council Meeting

Olmsted County Fire Meeting

Olmsted County Township Association Meeting

September 26

Chatfield City Council Meeting

Dover Township Meeting

Viola Township Meeting

September 27

Byron City Council Meeting

Stewartville City Council Meeting

Senior Administration