The Brooklyn Center Police Department identified a growing need to address domestic violence in 2011 and formed its Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART). The goal of this team is to provide support and resources to members of the community affected by domestic violence. The team includes police officers and civilian staff; including: patrol officers, investigators, and community outreach employees. All team members volunteer to be a member knowing that this requires them take on special duties in addition to their current job responsibilities.

Our DART members provide follow-up and resources to nearly every victim of domestic violence in Brooklyn Center, as well as other family members affected by the violence, and sometimes even the offenders. DART officers work with victims and their families to provide safety planning, offer referrals to resources, provide support when clarification on the legal process is needed, and ensure that each victim understands their rights. At times the officer may also become involved in the location and apprehension of wanted offenders. They also follow-up with involved parties to ensure that court ordered no contact conditions are not being violated.

Did you know?

• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the United States have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.
• On a typical day, domestic violence hotlines receive approximately 21,000 calls, 15 calls per minute.
• Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.
• The presence of a gun in the home during a domestic violence incident increases the risk of a homicide by at least 500%.
• 72% of all murder-suicides involved an intimate partner; 94% of the victims of these crimes are female.

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional abuse.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call Cornerstone's Day One Crisis Line at 1-866-223-1111, text 612-399-9995 or chat at www.dayoneservices.org.

Identity Theft

It is difficult to completely protect your private information these days. Here are some simple, but very important, tips to protect you and your name against identity theft.

• Secure your hard copies: Every sensitive document should be kept in a safe. Credit cards and debit cards should always be securely placed in your wallet. (Bonus tip: shred all aged documents that contain sensitive information.)
• Examine your financial statements: Review your financial statements monthly and check carefully for fraudulent activity. Report any suspicious charges immediately. (Bonus tip: Sign up for alerts and limit your credit card activity to a specific geographical area.)
• Choose strong passwords: Use different, strong passwords for each of your accounts and devices. (Bonus tip: Use a secure password service, like Gizmodo, to create and store unique passwords.)
• Protect your computer: Invest in a strong anti-spyware program to protect your hardware from hackers. (Bonus tip: Encrypt your hard drive for an extra level of protection.
• Be wary of suspicious emails and websites: Don’t open suspicious websites or click on any unfamiliar sites. (Bonus tip: if your inbox is flooded with promotional emails, unsubscribe from some of them. This will help you spot the truly bad apples in that mail.)
• Use two-factor identification: The extra log-in step will help ward off scammers and add another level of security to your accounts (Bonus tip: Never elect your device to “remember your password” for a site that involves payment of any kind.)
• Avoid public wi-fi: Public wi-fi is a great hunting ground for thieves; steer clear if you can. At the very least, avoid all online banking or password log-ins while using public wi-fi.

The Chief of Police reviews formal applications submitted by lawyers verifying that the applicant was a victim of a violent crime (typically domestic violence). A U-visa is intended to protect crime victims and ensure foreign national crime victims are available to remain in the country and assist in the prosecution of those accused of the crimes. The House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Committee approved HF321, which would speed up the application process for foreign nationals who are victims of domestic violence crimes to receive federal protection in the form of a U-visa, which allows them to remain in the United States.

Halloween Safety

Halloween is the most dangerous day of the year for pedestrians.

Motorists

• Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals. Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may dart into the street.
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. In dark costumes, they’ll be harder to see at night.
• Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
• Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys.
• Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
• Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and front porches.

Parents

• Ensure an adult or older, responsible youth is available to supervise children under age 12.
• Plan and discuss the route your trick-or-treaters will follow.
• Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
• Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger’s home or garage.
• Establish a time for children to return home.
• Tell children not to eat any treats until they get home.
• Review trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.
• Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and visible with retro-reflective material.

Trick-or-Treaters

• Be bright at night – wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and treat buckets to improve visibility to motorists and others.
• Wear disguises that don’t obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use nontoxic face paint. Also, watch the length of billowy costumes to help avoid tripping.
• Ensure any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or horseplay.
• Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries, and place it face down in the treat bucket to free up one hand. Never shine it into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
• Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible.
• If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
• Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.
• Cross streets only at the corner, and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
• Trick-or-treat in a group if someone older cannot go with you.
• Tell your parents where you are going.

Credit: AAA Exchange

School Bus Safety

Please review the school bus safety tips below to ensure that all children get on and off the bus safely and get off at the correct bus stops.

• Please make sure that your student carries their bus transportation card with them in or on their backpack. This will allow for your student, school staff and the bus drivers to help ensure that your student gets on the right bus and off at the right stop. We would recommend your child carries this card with them for the entire school year.
• Consider taking the time to go over the bus transportation card with your child to help them be aware of what bus they are taking and the stop they need to get off on.
• If you cannot be at the bus stop before and after school consider speaking with your child about the importance of coming right home after school. Often times police are contacted about missing children after school only to find out the child went to a park or to a friend’s house without notifying their parents first.
• If possible, consider getting to know some of the parents at your child’s bus stop so if they don’t come home after getting dropped off after school you may have an idea as to where they may have gone.
• Consider speaking with your kids about properly crossing the street in front of the bus. Kids should be 10 feet or more in front of the bus when crossing, make eye contact with the driver and have the driver waive them across the street. Children should also look both ways prior to crossing and should wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before entering and exiting the bus.
• During the first week students and bus drivers are still getting acclimated to their buses and routes. Please keep this in mind as buses may run slightly behind schedule the first week or two of school.
• If your child’s bus has arrived and your child did not get off the bus you can contact your child’s school or the bus transportation division to see if your child got on a different bus or is still at school. If you feel your child may be missing do not hesitate to call 911 so an officer may work with you to locate your child.
• More information on bus transportation and safety for your child’s school, please visit the school district website.

• Brooklyn Center Schools
• Anoka-Hennepin Schools
• Minneapolis Schools
• New Millennium Academy
• Noble Academy/Nompeng Academy
• Osseo/Maple Grove Schools
• Robbinsdale Schools
• St. Alphonsus Catholic School

9-1-1 is for Emergencies and To Request Police Officer Assistance

Please call 9-1-1 if you have an emergency. In Brooklyn Center, 9-1-1 is also for Non-Emergency calls where a police officer’s assistance is needed. Dispatch service is provided for Brooklyn Center and many cities through Hennepin County. As a result, dispatchers may not be familiar with the City of Brooklyn Center. Therefore, it is important that you provide the necessary information when you call for assistance.

Types of 9-1-1 Emergency Calls

Emergencies include crimes that are in progress or about to happen (suspicious activities), or that have resulted in serious personal injury, property damage, or property loss, medical emergencies that require immediate response from trained medical personnel, and any reports of fire or smoke. By calling 9-1-1, you will be linked to the appropriate police as well as fire fighting, medical, and ambulance services.

Types of 9-1-1 Non-Emergency Calls

Many other situations may require police officer assistance, but are not emergencies. These items include dogs running loose, barking dogs, on-street parking violations, etc. Please dial 9-1-1 to report these situations.

How to Call 9-1-1

When you call 9-1-1 for an emergency or to request a police officer’s assistance, it is important to remain calm and be prepared to answer the dispatcher’s questions. It is very important to tell the dispatcher the following:

1. If the situation is an “Emergency or Non-Emergency”
2. Where the incidence is occurring
3. What is occurring
4. Who the people are involved
5. When the occurrence happened
6. If any weapons are involved
7. If you are working with any city departments or personnel and have been advised to call
8. If the situation is a repeat call
9. Any other item that will be helpful to the responding officer in approaching and assessing the situation.

This information is important to help the dispatcher process your call and get the necessary assistance to you as quickly as possible. Please be patient with the dispatcher. Remember, your safety, as well as the safety of the responding officers, is a priority.

General Information Calls

If you have general questions and do not need an officer’s assistance, please call the Brooklyn Center Police Department at (763) 569-3333.