Hello Neighbors,
As everyone knows, the past year has been busy with local and national elections, and we have several new city officials to familiarize ourselves with. We wanted to make sure that residents are informed on how to reach some of these key resources within our neighborhood and at City Hall. Below you’ll find contact information for key resources for crime and safety issues, as well as information on how to sign-up for Tom Oldenburg’s weekly e-mail updates and Officer Stehlin’s weekly crime reports and tips, and several updates from Officer Stehlin.
16th Ward Alderman – Tom Oldenburg
Phone: (314) 622-3287
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/aldermen/profiles/tom-oldenburg.cfm
About Tom: Tom Oldenburg was elected 16th Ward Alderman in the City of St. Louis on April 4, 2017. As alderman, Tom brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to the people of the 16th Ward. Tom has served as Vice President of the St. Louis Hills Neighborhood Association, has previously directed the St. Louis Hills Block Captain Program and is a member of the 16th Ward Democratic Organization. Tom also is a parishioner and Holy Name Society member at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church.
To sign-up for Tom’s weekly e-mail updates click the link above to his City profile and send him an e-mail through the form on the page.
SLMPD 2nd District Captain Angela Coonce
E-mail: agcoonce@slmpd.org
About Captain Coonce: Captain Coonce has been with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department since March 1998. During her career, she has served as a beat officer, Public Affairs Officer, detective, aide to the Chief of Police, and Commander of the Intelligence Division.
Officer Vince Stehlin – NOM Liason
E-mail: vstehlin@slmpd.org
About Officer Stehlin: I am currently in my twenty-ninth year with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police department and over the last seven years have been directly assigned to your neighborhood overseeing the Neighborhood Ownership Model (NOM). Working with residents, businesses, other city agencies and the alderperson, together to come up with comprehensive plans to reduce crime and better the quality of life in the neighborhood has been some of the most rewarding work for me to date. Every neighborhood has different challenges and needs; please feel free to contact me if I can help you.
To sign up for Officer Stehlin’s weekly crime report and other e-mail updates click here to send him a pre-populated e-mail (type your name at the bottom).
Christian Saller – Neighborhood Improvement Specialist (NIS)
E-mail: sallerc@stlouis-mo.gov
Website: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/neighborhood-stabilization-office/profiles/Christian-Saller.cfm
About Christian: Christian is part of the St. Louis Neighborhood Stabilization Team (NST). The NST serves as a catalyst for bringing together the Police, elected officials, governmental agencies, social service organizations, community groups and individuals to identify permanent solutions to on-going problems. The role of Neighborhood Improvement Specialist was previously known as Neighborhood Stabilization Officer (NSO).
Latest News and Tips from Officer Stehlin
Unlicensed Vehicle Notice: I know some of you periodically send me emails when you locate vehicles on your block that appear to be suspicious, abandoned, unlicensed etc. The City of St. Louis has produced a reminder notice I can now place on vehicles that are unlicensed in your area as a “Step 1” of the process before they are ticketed and/or towed. If any of you observe vehicle(s) that meet this criteria, feel free to email me the location and make/model/color of the vehicle in question and I will look into it and take appropriate action.
SLMPD Citizens Academy: Interested in learning more about what police officers do everyday? The Citizens Academy offers an insider’s view into the day-to-day job of a St. Louis City Police Officer and is designed to further strengthen the bond between the department and the community. In addition to classroom instruction, participants also visit with police canines, interact with the department’s bomb and arson robot, tour the 911 center and even use driving and shooting simulators.
The Citizens Academy meets one night per week for 12 weeks. Actual police officers teach nearly all of the classes which include sessions on the department’s history and structure, crime patterns, gang intelligence, homicide investigations and community policing techniques among other things. Class members also participate in role-play, using their knowledge to diffuse situations our officers encounter everyday. At the end of the course, a graduation ceremony is held to honor those who have completed the course. Graduates of the program are able to apply the knowledge they’ve learned to better serve their neighborhoods and assist police when needed.
The Citizens Academy has proven to be a great tool in building bridges in the community. The course provides participants with an understanding of the challenges officers face everyday and the role the community serves in solving and preventing crimes. Recent graduates of the program can apply the knowledge they’ve learned in order to better serve their communities.
Application Process: Applicants must be St. Louis City residents or own a business in the city limits. Participants must be 18 or older and have no outstanding arrest warrants. All participants must agree to a criminal background check. There is no fee associated with attending the Citizens Academy. Download the application by clicking here.
NOM Letters / Lawrence Miller Case: On 7/4/2017 the 2nd District burglary crew arrested Lawrence Miller, one of the subjects, while attempting another scam. Detectives applied for warrants on suspect for burglary/theft. Charges were issued for Burglary 1st & Stealing Felony. Bond was set at $50,000 CASH ONLY by Judge Stelzer.
The NOM letters and signature pages for this case are ready for resident signatures. Feel free to stop by our station at 3157 Sublette Ave to support our case. They are located at the front desk, just ask an officer or clerk for assistance.
Internal Revenue Service Phone Scams: The summer months are the predominant time of year wherein calls to us regarding IRS phone scams increase. Scammers will typically contact individuals or businesses advising them of a returned certified letter. The scammer will then threaten arrest if a payment is not immediately paid electronically.
When determining the validity of such a phone call, please refer to the following reminders.
The IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill (this is true even with the use of private debt collectors).
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
The best advice one can give when there is even a question as to whether a call is valid or not is to not engage the scammer and simply hang up. The citizen can contact the IRS at 1-800-366-4484 for more information.