This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

Top Cop in Mendota Heights Talks Shop with Patch

Police Chief Mike Aschenbrener offers tips to prevent theft now, and in the spring.

In an effort to keep Mendota Heights, Lilydale and Mendota residents updated on  the latest in police and public safety news, Patch will be sitting down with Police Chief Mike Aschenbrener every few weeks to discuss the latest crime news and safety concerns in the area. During our first interview, he filled Patch in on tips for crime-prevention.

The chief crime problem in Mendota Heights?

For the last year it’s been "fraud, fraud, fraud, fraud," reported Aschenbrener. The police chief warned that fraud cases almost always begin with theft.

Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"People love to steal stuff and become someone else," he explained. "The police department deals with a lot of identity theft."

Aschenbrener said people rarely understand that thieves see easy targets in places most people wouldn’t glance at twice.

Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"A red flag on a mailbox says to thieves ‘I’m here, steal me,’" about outgoing mail. Aschenbrener warned that almost any letter can be a boon to thieves.

"People put everything in their outgoing mail. Bank statements, checks, you name it. People naturally worry about violent crime, but the reality is that the greatest criminal threat to people is personal and financial. It’s nonstop, everyday," he said.

Aschenbrener advised that residents exercise far more caution in the way they handle any document containing personal information a thief could use.

"Hand mail to your postman if you really really want to do it that way, but I would definitely tear the red flag off my mailbox," he said.

Other crimes in the area?

The police chief warned that theft in Mendota Heights isn’t limited to cases where criminals assume someone else’s identity.

"The number one problem people have is that they forget it only takes fifteen seconds for a thief to steal something out of your car."

He warned that laptops, purses and work papers–belongings many residents leave sitting vulnerable, in plain sight, on a seat in their car–offer criminals a wealth of information that goes well beyond any single item’s monetary value. Crime often comes in waves, and although plenty of thieves steal mail during the winter, when residents may be reluctant to walk to their local post office box, Aschenbrener says the department is already anticipating different crime trends in the coming months.

"Four months from now the number one thing that will happen at the parks and the trail heads will be five-thefts-a-day for six weeks. People think ‘we can go outside!’ and they get off from work and go to the trail head and leave everything in their backseat while they go rollerblading or biking. They come back and their car window’s gone and everything they left in the backseat is gone too."

Aschenbrener emphasized that residents should lock valuables in the trunk or another locked and hidden space in the car, where any valuables will be safely away from thieves’ prying eyes. If a car doesn’t have such a space, it's best to leave any items of value at home.

Residents interested in learning about crime and other community concerns can also read the police chief's  newsletter, "Just the Facts," by visiting www.mendota-heights.com and searching for "Just the Facts." 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Mendota Heights