The Riverside Police Department received a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Division for participation in the You Drink and Drive, You Lose campaign to stop people from driving impaired. Enforcement efforts will be increased starting August 20 through September 6, 2010 and will focus on reducing death and serious injuries caused by impaired drivers.

“It’s never worth the risk to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” said Chief Mills. “Whether it’s your license, your money or your life, you drink and drive, you lose.”

Consider some of these consequences if you are caught driving while intoxicated:

- For the first conviction, or first conviction in over 5 years, your license will be suspended for 30 days followed by a 60 day point suspension if a hardship license is not obtained.

- A second conviction results in a $1,000 fine, a yearlong revocation of your license and up to a year in jail. You will also be required to install an ignition interlock system on your vehicle, which prevents your car from starting when you have alcohol on your breath.

- Third and subsequent convictions can be penalized with up to a $5,000 fine, a 10 year license denial, and/or up to seven years in prison. 

- If you cause a fatal crash while intoxicated, you could be charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, a felony resulting in up to seven years of jail time, a $5,000 fine or both.

 - Insurance coverage will be difficult to find. If you do manage to receive coverage, the rates will be significantly higher.

For more information contact Brent Holland at (816) 812-1109, or visit www.saveMOlives.com.

Women in Riverside will have a chance to not only learn self-defense tactics, but hit the mats and practice their moves on August 14 at a FREE workshop offered by the Riverside Police Department.  The class is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Riverside Department of Public Safety (2990 NW Vivion Road) and is open to women ages 12 and older.

“Our goal with the class is to teach several simple techniques that are easy for you to remember and then give you an opportunity to practice them on real people,” Sergeant Dean Noll, Riverside Police and lead trainer of the class, said. “This approach doesn’t overload participants and helps them gain confidence in their ability to use the techniques if the right situation presents itself.”

To sign up for the class, contact Holly Phillips by August 11 at 816-741-1191 or by email at hphillips@riversidemo.com.

On 05/24/10 at approximately 2030 hours Riverside Police Officers were notified by a concerned co-worker of a resident who had not reported to his place of employment for several days.  Officers responded to 4417 NW D’Mons Drive to “check the welfare” of the resident.

When officers arrived, they found an unsecure door to the apartment at which time they began to check the inside for the resident’s safety and welfare.  Once inside officers found the victim deceased.  Officers found signs of violence inside the apartment and to the victim. The Riverside Police Department began investigating this death as a homicide. 

During the investigation of the scene by the Riverside Police Crime Scene Unit, it was discovered that the victim’s, Red 1994 Chevrolet pick-up with Missouri license plate #9SA333 was missing from the apartment complex.

The Metro Squad has been activated and is assisting with the investigation.

Riverside Police is joining with other law enforcement agencies on May 24th – June 6th for an aggressive “Click it or Ticket” safety belt mobilization to crack down on Missouri’s safety belt law violators and to reduce highway fatalities.

Nearly one in four Missourians still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Seven out of ten Missourians killed in traffic crashes are unbuckled.

Failure to regularly wear a safety belt can be deadly. “Every day someone dies in a crash in Missouri because they weren’t buckled up,” said Captain Gary McMullin. “We’ll be out there to remind you seat belts can – and do – save lives every day.”

For more information on Missouri seatbelt usage, visit www.saveMOlives.com.

The Riverside Police Department received a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Division for participation in the You Drink and Drive, You Lose campaign to stop people from driving impaired. Enforcement efforts will be increased May 5-9 and will focus on reducing death and serious injuries caused by impaired drivers.

“It’s never worth the risk to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” stated Chief Mills. “Whether it is your license, your money or your life- You Drink and Drive, You lose.”

Consider some consequences if you are caught driving while intoxicated:

• For the first conviction (or first conviction in over 5 years), your license will be suspended for 30 days followed by a 60 day point suspension if a hardship license is not obtained.
• A second conviction results in a $1,000.00 fine, a yearlong revocation of your license and up to a year in jail. You will also be required to install an ignition interlock system on your vehicle, preventing your car from starting when you have alcohol on your breath
• Third and subsequent convictions can be penalized with up to a $5,000.00 fine, a 10 year license denial, and/or up to seven years in prison.
• If you cause a fatal crash while intoxicated, you could be charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, a felony resulting in up to seven years of jail time, a $5,000.00 fine or both.
• Insurance coverage will be difficult to find and if you do the rates will be significantly higher.

For more information visit www.saveMOlives.com.

The newest addition to Riverside’s police fleet will catch your eye and for some will remind you of days gone by.  We are abandoning the solid colored marked car for the more traditional, some would say iconic, black and white cruiser.  The patrol officers are excited about this change and they had a vote to decide the car’s graphics.  I think you will enjoy seeing this car around town; it certainly won’t be hard to miss!

Guest post by Chief Greg Mills, Director of Public Safety

On March 9, 2010 at 7:23 pm Hassan A. Abbas, a native of Sudan, was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside of his apartment in the 4900 block of Gateway. Mr. Abbas subsequently died from his wounds at 8:11 pm. The Riverside Police Department immediately requested the assistance of the Metro Squad to investigate this murder. The following morning, 20 law enforcement officers from 15 different metropolitan police agencies began the investigation, headquartered out of the Department of Public Safety’s building.

The Metro Squad at work

On March 12 a suspect in the case was brought to Riverside Police Headquarters and interviewed by Metro Squad Detectives. On March 13, 19 year-old Cavona C. Flenoy of Kansas City, Kansas was charged by Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd with 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, Stealing/Tampering of a Motor Vehicle & Stealing a Credit Card. Her bond has been set at $250,000, cash only. Flenoy was an acquaintance of the victim and was in the apartment with his permission.

Cavona C. Flenoy

Many thanks are owed to the Metro Squad Detectives for their long hours of work and to their respective departments for allowing their time, skill and expertise to be used in helping to solve this crime.

- Guest post by Chief Greg Mills, Director of Public Safety

The Riverside Police Department received a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Division for participation in the You Drink and Drive, You Lose campaign to stop people from driving impaired.  Enforcement efforts will be increased March 12-14, 2010 and will focus on reducing death and serious injuries caused by impaired drivers.

“It’s never worth the risk to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol”, stated Chief Greg Mills.  “Whether it is your license, your money or your life – You Drink and Drive, You lose.”

Consider some consequences if you are caught driving while intoxicated:

• For the first conviction (or first conviction in over 5 years), your license will be suspended for 30 days followed by a 60 day point suspension if a hardship license is not obtained.
•  A second conviction results in a $1,000.00 fine, a yearlong revocation of your license and up to a year in jail.  You will also be required to install an ignition interlock system on your vehicle, preventing your car from starting when you have alcohol on your breath
•  Third and subsequent convictions can be penalized with up to a $5,000.00 fine, a 10 year license denial, and/or up to seven years in prison.
•  If you cause a fatal crash while intoxicated, you could be charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, a felony resulting in up to seven years of jail time, a $5,000.00 fine or both.
•  Insurance coverage will be difficult to find and if you do the rates will be significantly higher.

 For more information contact visit www.saveMOlives.com

Nearly one in four Missourians still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.   Only 77 percent of Missourians buckle up regularly, seven percent less than the national average of 84 percent

Riverside Police are joining with other law enforcement agencies on February 25th, 2010 for an aggressive “Click it or Ticket” safety belt mobilization to crack down on Missouri’s safety belt law violators and to reduce highway fatalities,

Failure to wear a safety belt can be deadly.  In 2008, 489 people killed in traffic crashes weren’t wearing their seat belt. Seven out of ten Missourians killed in traffic crashes are unbuckled.

Failure to regularly wear a safety belt can be deadly.  “Every day someone dies in a crash in Missouri because they weren’t buckled up,” said Captain Gary McMullin. “We’ll be out there to remind you seat belts can – and do – save lives every day.”

 For more information on Missouri seatbelt usage, visit www.saveMOlives.com

Missouri continues to see a reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes on our roadways.  However, for the past four years we have recorded our highest number of fatal and serious injury crashes during the months of July through September.  This time period is rapidly approaching.  In order for Missouri to reach a statewide goal of 850 or fewer fatalities by 2012, we have to address this issue now.

Riverside Police Department is going to help address the problem of increased traffic crashes during this quarter.  The Riverside Police Department will be focusing on traffic safety efforts and prevent a rise in crashes during the “HEAT IS ON” campaign, which runs June 30 through September 7.  High Enforcement Action Teams (HEAT) will be out in force during these 70 days.  Police Officers will be targeting all driving behaviors, including speeding or aggressive driving, impaired driving, and those drivers AND passengers not wearing their seat belt.