Toonerville Trolley Neighborhood Association

574-LMPD TIP LINE

574-LMPD (5673) Tip Line January Newsletter for you

The 574-LMPD (5673) number receives a variety of calls ranging from requests for service to crime tips on murders, area drug dealers to general law enforcement questions. The 574-LMPD crime tip hotline received over 900 telephone calls in the month of December 2005. Of these 900 calls over 90 were criminal tips that led to the arrest of 20 individuals at large in our community. For the year of 2005 the 574-LMPD tip line averaged over 1000 calls a month and over 20 arrests a month. Since the beginning of the 574-LMPD crime tip hotline the line has contributed to the arrest of 379 individuals.

The other telephone calls to the tip line were from citizens and visitors to our community with questions about quality of life issues, crime prevention, and other police related issues. The tip line takes a wide variety of calls that aren’t about criminal activity and we are happy to report the staff of the tip line is also able to help these callers with their questions. We feel this is also an important service of the tip line and another way for us to build partnerships with the community. The person who calls today for a phone number may call tomorrow with information about a killer at large in our community.
574-LMPD NEWS
Another feature of the 574-LMPD program is quick tip cards. Quick tip cards are post cards placed in various locations throughout the Louisville Metro Area. Concerned citizen’s with crime tip information that don’t fill comfortable with calling the 574-LMPD crime tip hotline can use these cards to get information to the police department for investigation. Concerned citizens simply fill in pertinent information about criminal activity, fold the card up, seal it and drop it into a mail box. The cards are postage paid and come directly to the 574-LMPD office for processing. The cards are completely anonymous and come in English and Spanish. If you would like to have some cards for a certain location please contact Sergeant Brian Bernardi at 367-4396.
FEATURED ARRESTS
DECEMBER 12, 2005
On December 12, 2005 a caller called the tip line to report that the picture of a suspect featured on Louisville’s Law and Order program looked like Louis Williams. The suspect was wanted for robbing a National City Bank located at 2601 Bank Street. Detectives working this robbery had no other information about the suspect other than bank surveillance photos taken during the robbery. The suspect’s name was immediately given to the Louisville Metro Police’s Robbery Unit and on December 16, 2005 the suspect was arrested for robbery. Without the Crime tip hotline this arrest might not have occurred.
DECEMBER 15, 2005
On December 15, 2005 a caller called the tip line to report that Michael Chapman was at a Louisville area clinic selling his blood. Chapman was wanted for six bank robberies in the Louisville Metro Area and Louisville Metro Robbery detectives had been unable to locate him. The call taker immediately contacted the Robbery Unit and detectives were sent to the clinic where Chapman was located and placed him under arrest. Without this tip to the Crime tip hotline Chapman would still be at large in our community.
LMPD and Neighborhood Watch
Make your neighborhood your own again.
Fire Action Plan
To help promote communication and participation between neighbors Neighborhood Watch groups are known to promote safety programs for fire prevention and provide tips on how to escape from the home during an emergency. Discussing the basics on home safety is a priority. Develop a fire action plan and take these 8 simple steps to safeguard your family and home.
1) Purchase A Smoke Detector. Install smoke detectors on every level of your home to increase your chances of survival. A smoke detector is a fire alarm that buzzes when it detects smoke, warning you in time to escape. Place smoke detectors on the ceiling or high on a wall near the bedrooms. This enables the detector to sense the smoke as it approaches the sleeping area. Locate the smoke detector away from air outlet vents and dust the grill regularly. Test them monthly, change batteries twice a year, and replace alarms every 10 years. A working smoke alarm cuts chances of dying in a fire by nearly half.
2). Identify Escape Routes. Develop and practice a home escape plan. Your smoke detector may awaken you, but you may not be thinking clearly. Practice allows you to test your plan before a real emergency. Once a fire has started, it spreads rapidly and may give you seconds to get out. Normal exits from bedrooms may be blocked by smoke or fire. It is important that your family know exactly what to do. Make sure every family member knows two exits from each room. Second story windows may need a chain ladder or rope to enable occupants to escape safely.
3). Don’t Burn Up the Dinner. Never leave food cooking on a stove top unattended. Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries.
4). Have Fire Extinguishers Handy. Keep fire extinguishers in your kitchen, by the furnace and in the garage. Make sure you know how to use them.
5). Sweep the Chimney. Have your chimney and fireplace professionally inspected each year. Creosote coats the inside of chimneys and can start a fire.
6). Warm Up with Space Heaters. Keep space heaters at least three feet from rugs, curtains and other combustibles. Always turn them off when you leave the house or go to sleep.
7). Avoid an Electrical Fire. Don’t overload electrical sockets. Throw away frayed or worn extension cords.
8). Handle Candles with Caution. Never leave a burning candle unattended or near flammable material. Home fires caused by candles have doubled in the last decade.
HISTORY
574-LMPD
In October of 2004 the Louisville Metro Police Department started a new program to assist in the gathering of criminal tip information called the 574-LMPD crime tip hotline. The crime tip hotline is staffed 24 hours a day seven days a week by police employees who are specially trained in the gathering of investigative information. Anyone in the community can call any time with information about criminal activity or police related quality of life questions. Callers to the crime tip hotline can give their names or remain anonymous. Since the inception of the hotline, citizens have provided information that has led to the solving of two homicides. We have received additional information on several other homicides as well as numerous robbery and drug related tips. To date the line has received 9058 calls which have led to 379 arrests since the lines inception.
We, at the Louisville Metro Police Department, believe the 574-LMPD crime tip hotline is an excellent way for our citizens to take active involvement in solving the crimes and concerns in our community. We believe in order to have lasting success we need the eyes and ears of our citizens. The 574-LMPD crime tip hotline is a great tool for citizens to provide information that can directly assist in creating a healthy community. Please call the line if you have any information to report in your neighborhood. Remember, this is our community and together we can make a lasting difference.