“Best job on the department I have ever had,” Officer Dave Senter
“More arrests in 5 months including homicide suspect,” Officer Todd Wilson
By Tony Brockmeyer
They could be called out at any time. They may be in uniform or they could be in plain clothes. They could be in a marked patrol car or in an undercover vehicle. They might be following up on an investigation, providing backup for other officers or just cruising through an area that has experienced recent criminal activity. They could be riding alone or have a partner beside them. But you can be sure that the Mobile Reserve Unit of the St. Charles Police Department is out there and they like what they are doing. Solving crime and preventing criminal activity in St. Charles.
The concept and inception of the Mobile Reserve Unit (MRU) in June of 2005, arose out of what Police Chief Tim Swope received as the need for a proactive contingent of sworn personnel to address criminal activity and quality of life issues that are outside the normal scope of the Field Operations Bureau capabilities. According to Chief Swope, “The creation of such a unit was an effort to combat criminal infiltration into the City of St. Charles from those elements that operate on a global and regional basis, versus those confined only to city limit boundaries.
The MRU is designed to create a small group of experienced police officers available to investigate crime rapidly and with the resources necessary to successfully quell disturbances, investigate crime and bring about the arrest of dangerous individuals. The unit is available at any time for scheduled assignment at any time of day depending upon the nature of the detail. The unit can be plugged in to respond to any activity that threatens the quality of life in St. Charles. Details can include roadside crime interdiction, gang interdiction, security at City hosted functions, surveillance activities and traffic details.”
The St. Charles MRU is comprised of Sergeant Donovan Kenton, Officer Paul Yadlosky, Officer Grant Jansen who works with his canine partner Zzar. Dave Senter a 15 year veteran of the department and Todd Wilson a 17 year veteran.
Officers Wilson and Senter were available on the day this interview was conducted.
Officer Jansen and Zzar usually patrol the interstate highways but they are available to put their talents to work in any area of the city. Zzar is a professional drug dog. Officers claim that Jansen has the uncanny instinct of knowing just what vehicles traveling through on the interstates need to be investigated. He and Zzar spend about 80 percent of their time on highway interdiction.
“With major interstates it is necessary to have that type of unit available,’ said Officer Senter. “Our unit also does a lot of intelligence gathering and working with Federal agencies.”
When asked about gang activity in St. Charles, Officer Wilson said, “We have a lot of wanna be’s. We keep a close watch on them. Wilson went on.” We are on call 24/7 and rarely a day goes by where we would begging for work.”
The MRU recently provided surveillance and increased patrol of the area of San Juan and Riverbluff apartment complexes due to an escalation of disturbance calls involving new residents to the area with self-proclaimed ties to gang activity.
Members of the MRU have taken part in uniform enforcement details for the Fourth of July Festival, the Festival of the Little Hills and the Oktoberfest. On the same weekend of the Oktoberfest, the MRU worked in conjunction with the St. Charles County Sheriffs in providing uniformed patrol in the area of North Hwy 94 in reference to a motorcycle “rat run” involving several thousand motorcycles. Many of these motorcyclist had affiliations with outlaw groups. With the presence of the MRU the lengthy procession passed through St. Charles City without the disturbances that occurred last year.
Roadside interdiction activities of the Mobile reserve Unit resulted in the seizure of over $445,000 in illicit money, 30 pounds of marijuana, 12 pounds of cocaine, the recovery of two stolen vehicles and $10,000 in stolen property.
One seizure of illegal drug money and the identification of the suspect have provided the DEA and ATF with information that will help with federal prosecution of the subject, who without information developed by the MRU would not have been possible. The investigation involving the 6 kilograms of cocaine is continuing with the DEA and will probably lead to further seizures of property worth thousands, located in St. Louis County.
Further information gained through interdiction efforts had lead to the identification of one subject who is a major person of interest with a current FBI Task Force investigation reference to cocaine distribution and money laundering conspiracy occurring through a locally owned business. Interdiction efforts have also lead to the locating of an individual that is on the FBI’s terrorist watch list who frequents the City of St. Charles and surrounding area and is a subject of interest in drug trafficking. Through criminal interdiction efforts a fugitive suspect from Kansas with felony weapon and drug charges was identified and taken into custody for extradition back to Kansas to fact charges.
Members of the MRU assisted the St. Charles County Drug task Force (DTF) on a significant quantity marijuana buy/bust resulting in the arrest of seven individuals in the area of Sun Lake Apartments. The involvement of the MRU avoided the DTF having to use on-duty uniformed patrol officers to assist the, minimizing the impact on patrol services.
Of notable arrests, the Unit has identified seven illegal aliens involved in criminal activity, one of which is wanted in the country of Chile for attempted murder.
According to Officer Dave Senter, during a plainclothes surveillance of a suspected narcotics/money courier, Officer Dave Senter noticed suspicious behavior on the part of four subjects entering a retail electronics store, Best Buy. Breaking off the original surveillance, the subjects were subsequently watched and followed after leaving the store and stopped by another municipality. The subjects were found to be in possession of in excess of $5500 worth of stolen merchandise. As a result of that stop and investigation that municipality obtained arrest warrants for the four subjects for receiving stolen property. It was also discovered that three of the four were illegal aliens and Immigration Customs Enforcement was notified.
Following their initial arrest one of the subjects gave consent for a search of a location in the City of St. Charles where they had been staying while in the area. That search revealed in excess of $20,000 worth of additional stolen merchandise and suspected cash profits. the merchandise consisted of video games, digital flash cards, digital cameras, video game play systems and other electronic components.
Warrants against all four suspects for receiving stolen property are pending.
Information of this case continues as information from throughout the midwest continues to come in daily concerning similar cases possibly involving the same suspects. Information discovered during this investigation indicates that these suspects were active throughout the country, most recently in the Chicago area and appear to have exclusively targeted retail electronics store.
According to Officer Todd Wilson, on December 12, 2005, members of the MRU began surveillance of suspected narcotic/money couriers. Members of the unit followed the subjects as they traveled to seven Office Max and two Office Depots in the St. Charles/St. Louis areas.
After a period of time the subjects were confronted outside one of the stores after members of the unit had followed them inside and watched the subjects conceal merchandise under their outer garments and leave the store without paying for them.
During the subsequent arrest and inventory search of the vehicle they had been operating the MRU members discovered 36 print cartridges in shipping boxes along with other items such as maps. the maps that were located included the Denver, Indianapolis, Columbus and Cincinnati. Each map had handwritten markings of the locations of Office Max type store on them.
thirty three of the 36 print cartridges were tracked back to the stores that the subjects had been to during the surveillance. the other three are currently being tracked by Hewlett Package. The total value of the stolen merchandise was valued at $10,000.
Chief Swope said, “MRU also consecrate on criminal identification on the interstate highway system traveling thru St. Charles by focusing on criminal activity, drug trafficking, money laundering etc. MRU also has the capability to establish relationships with not only neighboring agencies but nationwide agencies to deter crime and continue an enforcement presence while people travel through St. Charles. The MRU specializes in several areas however the way it is set up now allows the Unit to continue its commitment to respond to the needs of the department, whatever they may be.”
Officer Dave Senter sums it up for the members of the St. Charles Police Mobile Reserve Unit, “It’s the best job I have ever had with this department.”
