Police Blotter: Burglaries and Theft on the Rise

A new, interactive map shows you what areas of Golden Valley are seeing the most crime.

As expected, an increase in the temperature comes with an increase in theft and assault. Between May 30, 2011 and June 5, 2011, non-traffic related crime rose in Golden Valley.  Out of the 54 reported incidents last week: 11 were either theft of burglary; two were assault or damage of property; six were trespassing or disorderly conduct; and four were drug or alcohol related. Out of 27 arrests, five were not traffic related while three included assault. But between May 23, 2011 and May 27, 2011, police incidents and arrests were almost exclusively for traffic violations. As enforcement increased coming into the holiday weekend, many drivers were stopped on their way through Golden Valley. But motorists weren’t the only people to encounter …

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Golden Valley Woman Indicted for Defrauding Investors Out of $750,000

47-year-old Renee Marie Brown was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

A Golden Valley investment adviser was indicted in federal court Thursday for defrauding investors out of $750,000 and using the money to buy a condo and pay credit card bills. The indictment charges 47-year-old Renee Marie Brown with five counts of securities fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. According to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office Thursday afternoon, the indictment says Brown created Investors Income Fund X, LLC, a limited liability company, two years ago, and had people invest in Fund X. The indictment states that Brown told investors that Fund X was a “bond fund” with an eight or nine-percent rate of return, and that she had invested $200,000 of her own money in the fund. …

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Police Blotter: High Numbers of Non-Locals Still Committing Crimes

The good news is that this is non-violent crime and often traffic-related.

Arrests of non-residents have remained high, and May 2 - May 8 proved no exception.  75 percent of individuals taken into custody last week were not from the area. Of 24 adults arrested, only six were from Golden Valley. Such statistics reinforce April trends, as do large numbers of traffic related offenses. Around half of all arrests involved driving with a suspended or revoked license. Two individuals were reported as driving while impaired. Other instances of arrest included three persons with outstanding warrants and two cases of soliciting without a license. Police say they expect a relatively high percentage of people arrested in Golden Valley don't live here because I-394 and highways 55 and 100 run right through the city. No …

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Small Rise in Burglaries in Golden Valley

Police say it's no surprise as the weather warms up.

Last week saw an increase in burglaries in Golden Valley. Though it may seem alarming, Joanne Paul, crime analyst with Golden Valley Police Department, talked to Patch about the trend last month, saying, "Because the number of crimes in Golden Valley is so low, something like a string of burglaries can have a real impact and appear to show trends…" She continued, "In reality, you might have some guy break into 20 houses, so the one overall spree can make the city appear unsafe so we want to prevent that." The majority of crime sin Golden Valley remain property crimes, whereas personal or violent crime is at its lowest level in a decade. Warm weather, though, always brings and increase of crime, and as the sun becomes a more frequent sight…

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(Gallery) Golden Valley Police's New 'Curiosity Unit'

The Unit is part of the police department's Citizen's Police Academy.

Golden Valley Police has a new department: The Curiosity Unit.   20 local residents are enrolled in the second annual Citizens Police Academy.  They meet weekly at the Golden Valley Public Safety Building to get an insiders look at the law enforcement process. CSI Miami fan and local realtor Nancy Lehrman took the class because she is fascinated by how police work is accomplished, “I want to know how they solve crimes,” she said. On Tuesday, the three-hour session included; what qualifications are needed to become a police officer, what cops experience while patrolling on the streets, how impaired drivers are identified and a squad car tour.   According to GVPD Crime analyst Joanne Paul, the popular six-week course attracts several …

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7 Arrest Warrants Issued for Alleged Golden Valley Panhandler

Police say Mark Christopher Bell missed another court appearance on Wednesday.

For two months, Golden Valley police have been dealing with a man they say has scammed residents out of anywhere from five bucks to hundreds of dollars.  Now police say Mark Christopher Bell is back in Golden Valley.  "We had a number of calls that he was going door-to-door on Thursday night," says Joanne Paul, crime analyst with the Golden Valley Police Department.  "But once again, calls to the police came too late for us to investigate." Police say residents reported seeing Bell near the Minneapolis-Golden Valley border along Golden Valley Road.  Some say he knocked on their door. "I couldn't believe it.  There he was knocking on our door," one Washburn Ave. resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told Patch on Monday.  "I shut the …

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Police Blotter: Another Week of Arresting People Who Don't Live Here

Most people arrested in Golden Valley don't actually live here. It's a trend we've seen all month long, and one police have seen for years.

Karen Andrews, a wife and mother of three, has lived in Golden Valley for the last ten years and says one the reasons her family has never considered moving is because despite how close Golden Valley is to downtown Minneapolis, she doesn't worry about violent crime. In addressing various neighborhood watch groups in the past few months, police have said they're pleased with the recent downward trend of violent crime in Golden Valley, but they do acknowledge a problem with the number of people they arrest who don't actually live here. "It makes me nervous that so many people come here to commit crimes," says Andrews.  "But at least the police are picking up on it, and that makes me feel very safe about living here." Patch took a look at …

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Two Arrested for Theft from Menards Site

Workers at the site say people used construction equipment to get at the scrap metal.

Two people have been arrested and charged with theft of property over $1,000, Golden Valley police say, after they stole scrap metal from the Menards construction site. Police say a group of people has taken everything from steel and aluminum to copper from local construction sites and attempted to sell it at nearby scrap yards. Workers at the Menards believe thieves used construction equipment meant for the demolition and the rebuild of Menards to get at the metal. "We know that (scrap metal) was taken a couple of times, and sometimes we'd see equipment moved the next day that had definitely been used by someone other than us," one worker, who asked not to be identified, told Patch this week. Police can't confirm whether construction …

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Mary Costello

10:34 am on Friday, April 22, 2011

Hi Thomas, We're waiting to hear back from the investigator on the case to get details. All Joanne Paul could tell me is that a "tip came from someone at the work site" and that it lead to the arrests. But investigators say there could be more than two people involved. Stay tuned for updates. --Mary   more ›

Update: Alleged Panhandler May Have Moved On to Minneapolis

Golden Valley Police still have a warrant for Mark Christopher Bell's arrest.

It's been three and a half weeks since Golden Valley issued a second arrest warrant for a man they say scammed several residents out of as much as a few hundred dollars.  Now police say he may have moved on to Minneapolis. Minneapolis police issued a crime alert last week for the Bryn Mawr Neighborhood after receiving calls Mark Christopher Bell was asking for money there. "Do we assume he's moved on and out of Golden Valley? No, not at all," says Joanne Paul, crime analyst for the Golden Valley Police Department.  "We're still telling residents to stay alert and to call police if they see Mr. Bell." Golden Valley Police issued its crime alert about Mark Christopher Bell in early March, saying he was attempting to solicit money from …

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