COLERAIN POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY
COLERAIN POLICE DEPARTMENT
2020 ANNUAL REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
1
Mission Statement
The Mission of the Colerain Police Department, an
internationally accredited law enforcement agency, is to enhance
the quality of life among our diverse population and provide an
atmosphere of safety and security for our residents and visitors
through a community policing partnership.
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
2
www.colerain.org @colerainpolice facebook.com/colerainpolice CERKL
59,169 Residents
Colerain Police Department 4200 Springdale Road
Colerain Township, Ohio 45251
How to Reach Us Emergencies: Dial 911
Non-Emergencies: 513-321-COPS
(2677)
56 Approved Sworn Police Officers
43 Square Miles in our service area
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
3
LEADERSHIP A Message from Chief Mark C. Denney
To say 2020 was a challenging year would be a significant
understatement. All of our lives have been impacted by the
pandemic and the changes that came as a result. The Police
Department was tasked with providing all of our necessary
services while also focusing on keeping our officers and
citizens healthy.
Success came from innovative thinking and a willingness to
try new ways to do things. Online and telephone reporting
became important tools as did partnerships with local
businesses.
Donations of hand sanitizer, gloves and masks flooded the Police Department, given by residents and
businesses. We scaled back on some proactive policing measures to make sure we had officers available
for our residents’ needs. Our role in the community became more important than ever and our officers
answered that call.
Even in the midst of this uncertain time, we met many of our organizational goals. Allowing the pandemic
to put a stop to our progress was not an option. Mental health, de-escalation and self-defense training
were priorities for the Police Department in 2020.
Amidst the pandemic, another significant challenge faced policing in 2020. Community /police relations
became a focus across the nation after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Calls for police
reform, better training and more transparency were voiced from every corner of the country. As the Chief
of Police, I was asked, “what are you doing to make sure we are a progressive police agency?”
Proudly, I was able to provide a detailed response to that question. For the past 15 years, the Colerain
Police Department has been an internationally accredited police department through the Commission on
Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. This accrediting body is now recognized by the Department
of Justice as an approved assessor for President Trumps’ Federal Funding Certification requirements. Any
agency wishing to use federal funds must comply with certain police reforms. As a member of CALEA, we
have been in compliance since 2005.
Your police department has very detailed processes and policies that address civilian complaints, uses of
force, training, officer supervision and auditing. A review of not only the federal standards, but of those
voiced by civil rights advocates shows that we already comply with these demands for change.
Can we do better? The moment the Chief of Police answers “no” to that question, it is time for a new
chief. We can, and will, continue to improve. We constantly look for the next “best practice” and look
ahead for changes in policing, and in the expectations our community has for us. We want to keep
earning the support you show us every day.
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
4
Patrol Commander Christopher A. Phillips
The officers assigned to the Patrol Division are the most
visible component of the police department and
include not only the officers assigned to work patrol
beats and their supervisors, but also the K9 and Traffic
units.
These are the officers who must be available to
respond every time someone calls the police regardless
of the nature of the call. This commitment was made
even more challenging by the effects of the 2020
pandemic as the police department made adjustments
to continue providing uninterrupted service while
keeping not only the officers safe and healthy, but also those who they serve.
The officers assigned to patrol remained flexible and adapted to the situation with amazing resiliency
and professionalism as they worked through modified response protocols, alternative reporting
procedures, reduced contact practices, and three different schedules (with the assistance of officers
from the Investigative and Administrative Divisions) throughout the year.
Regardless of what challenge was presented, they adapted and continued to proudly provide
exceptional service to the community. I am honored to lead such a group of true professionals and have
thanked them several times this year, but would also like to take advantage of the opportunity to
publicly recognize their sacrifices, professionalism, and commitment to serving the residents and visitors
of Colerain Township.
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
5
Investigative Division Commander Michael S. Owens
The Investigative Division consists of eleven detectives,
one sergeant, and one Commander. Like the other
divisions within the police department, the investigative
division was impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic. At
the beginning of the pandemic, the department
transitioned to its COVID 19 alternative scheduling. This
involved each detective being assigned to a patrol
squad to assist with the needs of the department.
In June of 2020, the police department transitioned
back into normal operational mode. The investigative
unit began to work diligently on following up with the heavy caseload that accumulated during the
alternative COVID scheduling. The detectives worked extremely hard to achieve an over ninety-percent
closure rating on their assigned cases.
The efforts of the investigative division were recognized by the Colerain Township Trustees in the form
of a commendation during the November Board of Trustees meeting. Specifically, they were recognized
for the August murder Investigation that occurred on Airy Meadows Dr. The investigation took two of
the detectives to Las Vegas, Nevada to apprehend and charge two suspects with murder.
The investigative unit also has detectives assigned to drug investigative task forces. One is assigned to
the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force. The other is assigned to the Regional
Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force. Joining these taskforces and addressing the trends in narcotics
investigations allow thorough and complete drug investigations throughout Colerain Township. Colerain
Township also receives a portion of the forfeited funds to supplement department needs.
New to the investigative unit in 2020 was the implementation of the Retail Theft Investigator. The goal
of this investigator is to address the theft offenses occurring at the major retailers in Colerain Township.
A deeper look into the calls for service regarding theft along the Colerain Avenue proved to be a large
drain on the Services of the Police Department. To address this problem the department has assigned
an investigator to partner with the larger retailers to alter the way the department investigates and
enforces the theft violations in the township.
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
6
Support Services Commander Edwin C. Cordie III
In a year like no other, the Support Services Division
focused on the essential operational work of the
department. We worked alongside one another to keep
the department running behind the scenes and keeping
our officers healthy. As a primary goal of securing
personal protection equipment (PPE) for the members of
the department, we were able to obtain hand sanitizer,
gloves and masks to continue to provide for the law
enforcement needs of the community. A special thanks
to the community members and businesses that assisted
in this goal by donating to our PPE needs.
As part of the Support Services Division, the School Safety Section prides themselves in providing
innovative solutions by anticipating the future needs of our schools and ensuring a safe environment for
the students and teachers of the Northwest Local School District (NWLSD). This year we have achieved
this by instructing all teachers and students of NWLSD the Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and
Evacuate (ALICE) program, an active shooter and preparedness-training course. Our School Safety
Sergeant, Dean Doerflein developed, in conjunction with NWLSD, temporary door-locking devices, which
will be installed to ensure classroom safety in the event of an intruder. We have completed our second
year working with Hamilton County Juvenile Court to provide a diversionary program that helps keep
juveniles out of the criminal justice system. This program not only handles first time criminal offenders
but also provides intervention in an attempt to direct juveniles in the right direction and provide families
with much needed assistance.
The Administrative section of the Support Services Division includes the civilian staff of the department.
This section, led by Sergeant Jamie Penley, focuses on the logistics for the department (supply ordering,
equipment, fleet), providing public records, entry of records and answering 321-COPS calls. This group
has handled over 38,000 contacts with the public, has dispatched nearly 4,000 calls for service, and has
entered approximately 28,000 pieces of data into our multiple records systems. This group has assisted
with the release of roughly 900 impounded vehicles and has facilitated 150 repair service requests for
the Police Department’s fleet.
The Support Services Division also handles the Community Policing function for the department. 2020
was hard on the Community Policing Unit, forcing multiple functions to be cancelled. Yet, we were able
to still complete the third annual Shop with a Cop program. This program and many more hope to come
back to the community in the year 2021.
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
7
Supervision
Patrol OIC Patrol OIC Patrol OIC
Nicole Dennis Jake McElvogue Zach Meyer
Investigative Sergeant Administrative Sergeant Patrol Sergeant
Scott Owen Jamie Penley Justin Hussel
Patrol Sergeant Patrol Sergeant Patrol Sergeant
Kyle Frandoni Eric Renner Dustin Weekley
Support Services Sergeant Investigative OIC Patrol OIC
Dean Doerflein Joe Hendricks Andre Jones
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
8
Fleet and Finances
49 Vehicles including
marked patrol and
unmarked/covert.
Based on 2020 appropriations
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
9
Personnel
56 Fulltime Officers*
9 Support Staff
2 Non-Sworn School Safety
Average Age of Officer: 33 Years Old
Total Number of Officers Under 30: 19
*Approved Strength
More Than 10 Years of Service
More Than 15 Years of Service
More Than 20 Years of Service
More Than 25 Years of Service
14 10 4 4
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
10
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
11
2020’s New Officers
Alex Fantaci
Benjamin Gifford
Jeremiah Fernbaugh
Alisha Werdman
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
12
Workload
41,080 Calls for Service in 2020
113 calls per Day
8 Minute Average Response Time
10-15 Detective Calls-Outs per Month*
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
5,740 5,893 5,475 5,783 5,877 6,003 6,309 13.9% 14.3% 13.3% 14.3% 14.3% 14.6% 15.3%
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
13
Statistics In Hamilton County, the Colerain Police Department is the busiest police agency except for the Cincinnati Police
Department. Colerain is roughly 45 square miles and serves a diverse population of nearly 60,000.
Annually, our officers respond to 40,000-50,000 calls for service, make approximately 2,000 physical arrests and take
upwards of 10,000 incident reports.
Crime 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Change from
2019
Homicide 3 2 1 2 1 3 +200%
Rape 20 22 16 25 11 8 -27%
Robbery 68 78 52 40 41 20 -51%
Aggravated Assault 37 39 54 39 28 25 10%
Burglary/B&E 308 363 260 236 141 141 -
Theft 1,828 1,856 1,464 1,269 1,222 941 -23%
Auto Theft 47 66 85 84 51 34 -33%
Violent Crime 128 141 123 106 81 56 -30%
Property Crime 2,183 2,273 1,809 1,589 1,495 1,116 -21%
Total Crime 2,311 2,414 1,932 1,695 1,576 1,172 -26%
Violent Crime4.7%
Property Crime95.3%
2020Violent Crime5.1%
Property Crime94.9%
2019
Colerain
City of Cincinnati
OhioSuburbs 25,000 - 50,000
50,000+ CommunitiesMidwestUnited States
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
PropertyViolent
Property and Violent Crime per 100,000 Residents
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
14
Category 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Calls for Service 50,954 48,092 50,816 47,778 42,826 44,907 41,080
Traffic Stops 3,034 2,570 3,509 4,486 3,483 3,765 1,637
Citations 2,808 2,546 2,792 2,771 2,351 2,804 1,356
Warnings 360 210 256 343 684 838 281
Crashes 1,885 1,945 2,770 2,362 2,461 2,858 2,259
Arrests 2,854 2,314 2,749 3,163 2,679 2,516 1,199
Citizen Contacts 66,105 62,624 60,122 56,808 51,499 54,122 48,434
Pursuits 9 5 16 24 11 11 21
Uses of Force 10 7 11 22 25 19 29
Displays of Force NR NR NR NR NR 125 79
Officer Crashes 13 16 11 12 15 17 9
*Not all inclusive
Support Staff 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Hours Worked 9,403 8,740 9,911 12,440 13,000
Calls Answered 31,439 29,982 31,005 31,159 30,368
Assisted at Window 4,527 4,995 5,274 5,847
3,196
Crashes6%
Abandoned Vehicles
2%
Vacation Checks
8%
Business Checks
16%
Self Initiated Investigation
31%
Directed Patrol8%
Parking Complaints
11%
Domestics18%
Types of Calls
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
15
Year 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Total Number of Pursuits 9 5 16 24 11 11 21
Reason for Pursuit Initiation:
Traffic Violations 4 2 3 9 5 6 8
Felony Offenses 3 1 7 10 2 5 6
Misdemeanor Offenses 2 2 3 5 3 0 5
Assisting Other Agencies 0 0 3 1 1 0 2
Pursuits Resulting In:
Accidents 4 2 5 8 4 3 3
Apprehension of the Violator 7 3 9 21 7 6 14
Pursuit without Apprehension 2 2 2 3 2 5 7
Called-Off by Officer 2 2 2 3 2 5 7
Injuries to Other Motorists/Pedestrians 0 0 0 1 2 0 0
Time Pursued
0-5 Minutes 3 0 10 17 10 8 15
6-10 Minutes 4 2 4 3 0 1 5
11-20 Minutes 2 3 1 3 1 2 1
More Than 20 Minutes 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
Time of Day
0700-1859hrs 7 4 6 10 2 2 11
1900-0659hrs 2 1 10 14 9 9 10
Speeds Reached
20-50mph 4 2 4 10 5 4 7
51-80mph 5 0 10 7 3 4 10
Over 80mph 0 3 2 7 3 3 4
Stop Sticks Deployed 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
16
2020 Uses of Force Year 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Use of Force Incidents 10 8 11 11 25 19 29
Type of Force Used
OC Spray 3 2 7 16 19 5 6
Strike/Takedown/Other 6 6 4 7 5 4 9
Taser 0 0 0 0 1 10 11
Firearm 1 0 0 1 0 0 1
K9 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Uses vs. Arrests
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Uses Arrests
Year Uses of Force Arrests White African American Hispanic Other Male Female
2014 10 2,854 70% 30% 0% 0% 90% 10%
2015 8 2,314 57% 43% 0% 0% 86% 14%
2016 11 2,749 73% 27% 0% 0% 73% 27%
2017 24 3,163 59% 41% 0% 0% 62% 38%
2018 25 2,679 56% 40% 4% 0% 76% 24%
2019 19 2,516 63% 32% 5% 0% 79% 21%
2020 29 1,199 59% 31% 0% 10% 83% 17%
Year % of Arrests Where Force Used
2014 .4%
2015 .3
2016 .4
2017 .8
2018 .9
2019 .8
2020 2.4%
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
17
2020 Uses of Force Total Number of Incidents 29
Officers Involved in More Than One Incident 4
Force Used:
OC 6
Taser 11
Firearm 1
Non-Weapon 9
K9 2
Initial Contact:
Call for Service 17
Investigation 5
Domestic Violence 7
Contributing Factor
Alcohol/Drugs 13
Mental Illness 4
None/Unknown 12
Time of Occurrence
0700-1859hrs 6
1900-0659hrs 23
Month of Incident
January 3
February 1
March 5
April 3
May 1
June 1
July 1
August 6
September 1
October 0
November 4
December 3
Day of Incident
Monday 0
Tuesday 4
Wednesday 2
Thursday 7
Friday 2
Saturday 5
Sunday 9
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
18
Personnel
Complaints
Outcome of Citizen Complaint Internal External
Sustained 3 0
Sustained-Other 0 0
Unfounded 0 1
Exonerated 0 1
Uncooperative Witness/Complainant 0 0
Not Sustained 1 0
Withdrawn by Complainant 0 0
Discipline
Discipline Officers
ESL Entry 0
Official Reprimand 0
Counseling (EAP) 0
Training 0
Demotion 0
Probation Extension 0
Resignation in Lieu 0
Termination 0
Suspension 2
Abeyance 0
Re-Assignment 0
Grievances (all types) 1
Awards Chief’s Commendation 16
Life Saving Award 0
Meritorious Service 0
Conduct Deserving of Recognition 450
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
19
Budget Year Appropriated Revenue Actual Spent Difference
(Appropriated/Spent)
Difference
(Revenue/Spent)
2014 $6,398,334 $5,959,021 $6,258,504 $139,830 $299,483
2015 $6,928,484 $8,499,053 $6,695,000 $233,484 $1,804,053
2016 $7,483,428 $7,966,144 $7,098,729 $384,699 $867,415
2017 $7,748,023 $8,101,555 $7,169,678 $578,345 $931,877
2018 $7,915,500 $8,351,240 $7,543,287 $354,180 $807,953
2019 $8,532,012 $8,573,654 $8,255,318 $276,694 $318,336
2020* $8,753,725 $7,804,707 $6,814,602 $1,939,123** $990,105
*As of 12/31/20 Overspent Underspent ** Department received CARES funds to assist with salaries
Revenue
Source Amount Percentage
Property Taxes $6,476,402 83%
Raised from Other Sources (no taxes) $1,328,305 17%
Property Taxes, $6,476,403
Drug Seizures, $160,123
Contracts, $795,282Fines and Fees,
$212,703
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
20
Partnerships Colerain Township is Ohio’s second largest Township, covering 45 square miles and serving 60,000 residents. The
daytime population of Colerain Township is nearly 200,000.
In order to provide adequate service to the residents and businesses in Colerain Township, it is vital to have
partnerships. Those partnerships include not only other local governments, but businesses and social service agencies
as well.
This has always been an area where the Colerain Police Department excels. These partnerships provide service, and in
some cases, financial support, that allows us to force-multiply without costing our residents more money. Below are
some of our important partnerships.
Northwest Local School District: In addition to a significant revenue stream for the Township, this relationship provides
an opportunity for our officers to forge meaningful and lasting relationships with our local youth. Many of these kids
have negative views of law enforcement, but those change once they see the person behind the badge. Our officers
provide service to the District’s 13 buildings and nearly 9,000 students.
Northgate Mall: While not the bustling meeting place for our Township residents that it once was, the Mall still stands as
an important landmark in Colerain Township. It sits in the heart of Colerain and is still a destination for people across
the region. Our ability to provide police presence at the Mall is a great way to represent our Township while also
providing revenue to the Police Department.
YWCA: This partnership also provides significant financial gains from a federal grant while offering groundbreaking
service to our residents. The YWCA partnership provides our officers a resource to help serve survivors of domestic
violence. Domestic abuse counselors are available to our officers 24/7 and offer follow-up services to those in need.
DEA: Colerain Police has assigned one detective to the DEA strike force for several years. This position assists in large-
scale drug investigations as well as intercepting large shipments of cash and illegal drugs into the area, much of it
destined for Colerain Township. DEA agents also are ready to assist Colerain officers whenever the need arises. In
exchange for this investment, the Colerain Police Department receives several hundreds of thousands of dollars annually
in seizure funds. This allows us to make many purchases and not impact the operating budget.
Walmart: Much like the Mall, Walmart has invested in having a police officer on site seven hours each day. While not
only reducing crime, this provides a revenue stream and an ability to be visible to our residents.
Hamilton County Juvenile Court: The Police Department now has diversion court to assist us with juvenile crime in the
Township. Also, the Driving Angels Teen Driving Program, created in Colerain Township in 2009, is now a county-wide
diversion program. Diversion court is held weekly in the Trustee’s Chambers.
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
21
DART: Like the DEA partnership, DART is the Township’s response to drug issues occurring in our neighborhoods.
DART is a multi-jurisdictional drug unit comprised of officers from many local police departments. Colerain has one
agent on the team.
Hamilton County Police Association SWAT: Colerain Police have one member assigned to the HCPA SWAT Team. Our
membership allows us full use of this team should we need to activate them within Colerain Township.
Hamilton County Police Association Mobile Field Force: Created by the Colerain Police Department, this countywide civil
disturbance response team is nearly 100 officers strong. They train and are prepared to respond to any member
community if civil disturbance breaks out.
Cincinnati Police Department Traffic Section: On several occasions, the Colerain Police Department has partnered with
the CPD Traffic Unit to handle crashes. Most recently, the death of Colerain Police Officer Dale Woods was investigated
by this professional team. We continue to work closely with them.
Cincinnati Police Department K9 Team: This team has assisted us in the selection and training of two handlers over the
past few years. Our K9 teams train with Cincinnati PD weekly.
Colerain Police and Fire QRT: A source of tremendous pride for us is the partnership with our Fire Department in the
Quick Response Team. This revolutionary initiative changed the way many communities across the country deal with the
opiate epidemic.
United Stated Marshal Service: The Colerain Police Department has several part-time members of the US Marshal’s
Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST). This group hunts down dangerous felons wanted for crimes of violence.
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
22
Emergency: 911
Colerain Police Department: 513-321-2677
Hamilton County Communications Non-Emergency: 513-825-2280
Colerain Township Department of Fire and EMS Headquarters: 513-825-6143
Station 25: 513-825-6143
Station 26: 513-741-7551
Station 102: 513-245-5450
Station 103: 513-245-5444
Station 109: 513-674-2490
Fire Inspections: 513-245-6505
Township Administration: 513-385-7500
Public Services: 513-385-7502
Community Center: 513-923-5050
Planning and Zoning: 513-385-7505
Code Enforcement: 513-385-2633
Colerain Township Elected Officials: 513-385-7500
Colerain Police Department 2020 Annual Report
23