Lake County Association of Chiefs of Police Honor Officers with Life Saving Awards 
On Tuesday, February 1, 2012, the Lake County Association of Chiefs of Police presented Patrolmen William Kuret, Richard Gerber, Jonathan Smelcer, Michael Bruening and Matthew Alvord with its Life Saving Award.
This award was presented to Ptl. Kuret and Gerber for their quick assistance of a female who, after being pulled from a car, was found to be not breathing and who was turning blue. On December 2, 2011, Ptl. Kuret and Gerber responded to a call which reported a woman had passed out in her car near the Intersection of Plaza and Mentor Avenue.
Ptl. Kuret arrived in less than two minutes and found that the woman was not breathing and began chest compressions. Ptl. Gerber arrived and administered oxygen from a CPR mask. Their quick actions kept her alive until the Mentor Fire Department arrived and administered narcan, which eventually revived her. The woman has made a full recovery.
The Life Saving Award was also presented to Ptl. Smelcer, Ptl. Alvord and Ptl. Bruening for their prompt actions in assisting an unresponsive male with no heartbeat. On December 26th, Ptl. Smelcer and Alvord arrived and found a man who was in cardiac arrest. Ptl. Smelcer and Alvord took over from a woman who had started to administer CPR. Officers Alvord and Smelcer continued with CPR as well as using the Automated External Defibrillator(AED). Ptl. Bruening arrived and used a bag valve mask to provide oxygen until the Mentor Fire Department arrived and the man was given a second AED shock, which restarted his heart. The man was then transported to the hospital.
We congratulate Patrolmen Kuret, Gerber, Smelcer, Bruening and Alvord for their outstanding work in the line of duty and for receiving this special award.
Don’t Be A Victim of a SCAM
Thieves and con artists are relentless in trying to separate you from your hard-earned money. One of the latest scams involves the thief calling a home and convincing the victim that he or she is their grandson or granddaughter, who will need money to get out of jail after an accident in Canada. Many victims have related that the voice does sound like the relative. The victim is instructed to wire money so the “grandchild” or other relative can get bailed out of jail. Variations on the scam have noted that the grandchild was in an unfortunate incident where drugs were found or that the grandchild has been in an accident or altercation. The money is usually wired to a foreign country and may not even be to Canada. The victim is usually instructed to wire the money using a Western Union at a Wal-Mart, Drug Mart, K-Mart or grocery store. Sometimes the thief tells the victim not to mention the reason for the wiring of the cash to the Western Union Representatives. This is because Western Union is aware of the scams and will tell the victim not to wire the money. If the victim does wire money, of course, the victim finds out later that the loved one is home, and has not been to Canada.
Please keep in mind the following:
- Do not ever send money to some unknown entity in the form of a cashier’s check, money order, Western Union wire, etc. It is basically untraceable.
- Always check with the loved one before wiring money. Call later in the day if they do not answer. Call another close relative even if the “grandchild” says not to tell anyone. Do not call the number the scammers give you to call the victim.
- If you feel somebody has contacted you about a scam, please be sure to contact the police and file a report immediately.
Graduation FBI Academy
December 2011- Congratulations to Captain Andrew Lehner on his graduation from the FBI Academy, which honored the two hundred forty-seventh class on Friday, December 16, 2011 in Quantico, Virginia. Captain Lehner received a certificate in recognition for the accredited course of study.
Internationally known for its academic excellence, the National Academy Program , held at the FBI Academy, offers eleven weeks of advanced investigative, management, and fitness training for selected officers having proven records as professionals within their agencies. On average, these officers have 19 years of law enforcement experience and usually return to their agencies to serve in executive-level positions. Training for the program was provided by FBI Academy instructional staff, Special Agents, and other staff members holding advanced degrees, many of whom are recognized internationally in their fields of expertise.
As an important member of the police service, Captain Lehner will continue to work diligently to promote public safety in our community. Please congratulate Captain Lehner on this fine accomplishment.
Mentor Police Department Promotes Three Officers
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Mentor Police Department is proud to announce the promotions of Capt. Kenneth Gunsch, Lt. Daniel Molnar, and Sgt. Mark Stansbury. These officers were sworn in by Judge John Trebets on Monday, December 19, 2011 and will take office on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. Also pictured are Police Chief Daniel Llewellyn, Judge John Trebets and City Manager Kenneth Filipiak.
Mentor Hires Police Officer
Matt Alvor
d was born and raised in Mentor and he is a Mentor High School graduate. He has been in the U.S. Coast Guard for 7 years and is currently serving in the Reserve Unit at the Ashtabula Station.
After completing his basic police training at the Lakeland Community College Police Academy in 2010, Matt worked as a part-time police officer for the North Perry Police Department.
I his spare time, Matt enjoys softball, hunting, fishing and golf.
Mentor Police Department Thanks Crossroads for K-9 Fund Donation
After hearing about the passing of Mentor Police K-
9 earlier this year, Crossroads staff and children decided to hold fundraisers to help with purchasing and training of a new dog for the department. In September, staff in the Partial Hospitalization Program (better known as “PHP”) held a 50-50 raffle selling tickets to Crossroads staff, family members and community partners. Next, they held car wash hosted by high school classroom staff and students that raised another $200. Then, PHP staff baked goodies and with the help of a few middle school and high school students held a two day bake sale adding another $200. Lastly, Crossroads held a penny drive among all 4 classrooms in PHP and raised $26 in change for a grand total of $700.00. The elementary students contributed by making signs to hang around the building advertising the 50/50 raffle, bake sale and car wash.
On Thursday, November 3rd, several staff members and students presented the check to Chief Daniel Llewellyn. Two officers have been selected to receive K-9 partners. One officer begins his training with his new K-9 partner, a Belgian Malinois, on Monday, November 14th.
The kids are so excited about their donation and are looking forward to meeting with the officer and his new K-9 partner!!
Mentor Police Hires Corrections Officer
Mentor Police Department welcomes new full time Corrections Officer, Tim Gaebelein. Tim previously worked in the Security Department at Hillcrest Hospital and is an Auxiliary Officer for the City of Mayfield Heights. Tim has correction officer experience from previously working for the Delaware Department of Corrections.
New Patrolmen Sworn In
Pictured (l-r) are Ben Hildebrecht, Chief Daniel Llewellyn, and Joseph LaVaglio.
On Thursday, August 25th, the Mentor Police Department welcomed two new patrolmen. Joseph LaVaglio and Ben Hildebrecht were sworn in by Judge John Trebets as the newest members of the police department.
Joseph LaVaglio comes to us from Brookfield Police Department, where he worked part-time. He has worked at Garda Armor Services, full time, for the past 2 ½ years. He earned an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Youngstown State University. Joe completed his basic police academy training at YSU.
Ben Hildebrecht comes to us from The Cleveland Clinic Police Department where he has worked full-time since 2007. He has worked part-time in Fairport Harbor for the past two years. Ben completed his basic police training at the Cleveland Heights Police Academy.
City of Mentor Police Department Wins Award
On August 18th, the Mentor Police Department received the AAA Gold Award at the annual Luncheon held in Independence, Ohio. Mentor was one of only seven Northeast Ohio communities to receive this award. In order to receive this special recognition, cities must document programs and projects that address local traffic safety issues.
Programs and projects documented for 2010 include participation in the Lake County Safe Communities Coalition, the City of Mentor Traffic Working Group, participation in the Lake County Crime Prevention Task Force, educating local high school students on the dangers of alcohol, participating in the “What’s Holding You Back?”, “Click It Or Ticket”, and the “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose” campaigns, participating in the annual Mixers & Shakers and Mocktail events, the Mentor Police Bicycle Unit, participating in the annual “Protect & Serve Tavern”, the Cities Traffic Calming and Speed Enforcement efforts, the utilization of the ATV Patrol, Mentor Fire Department’s Safety House, the SMART Trailer, Officer Phil Safety Programs, the Bicycle Helmet Citation Program, the 3rd Grade Seat Belt Safety Program, assisting with the annual Safety Town, the Bicycle Helmet Program, Child Safety Checks and Giveaways, Adult School Crossing Guards, and participation in the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids and Safe Communities Organization.
