police

Batavia Police announced a pair of arrests in the city today for drug possession:

• Leandra Ames, 35, of 44 S. Main St., was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of marijuana Wednesday, city police said. While searching Ames' residence, police located 32-year-old Leaddice J. Daniels, who was on parole. Daniels will face the same charges.
• Jeffrey Plath, 44, of 12 Hutchins Place, was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia Thursday, city police said. Police went to Plath's residence on a court order to seize handguns when they found crack cocaine and paraphernalia.

Note: All of the above arrests were reported in published releases from the Batavia Police.

Thursday:

• 9:36am, 309 Ellicott St., larceny
• 10:12am, 8 Swan St., accident
• 5:50pm, West Main Street, accident

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.

Wednesday:

• 1:19pm, 7 Wood St., larceny
• 1:34pm, MacArthur Drive, criminal mischief
• 5:26pm, 412 E. Main St., accident
• 5:55pm, 51 Montclair Ave., harassment
• 6:49pm, 412 E. Main St., larceny
• 10:16pm, 19 Holland Ave., harassment
• 11:10pm, 500 E. Main St., trespass

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.

Batavia's new Police Chief Randy Baker sat down with us earlier today to talk about his time with the city — he's a 27-year veteran of the department — and his plans for the future. The Batavian reported on Baker's appointment a little over a week ago.

Monday:

• 9:26am, 73 Union St., arson
• 3:50pm, 303 E. Main St., harassment
• 5:41pm, 390 W. Main St., accident
• 6:04pm, 12 Oak St., harassment
• 6:36pm, 18 Thorpe St. (Apt: Upper), harassment
• 10:34pm, East Main Street, accident

Tuesday:

• 2:51am, 19 Holland Ave., criminal mischief
• 7:08am, Ellicott Street, accident
• 11:21am, 8315 Park Road, larceny
• 11:49am, Washington Avenue, accident
• 12:12pm, 2 Summit St., accident
• 12:33pm, 209 E. Main St., larceny
• 1:24pm, 260 State St., larceny
• 2:58pm, 355 W. Main St., accident
• 3:10pm, 1 State St., harassment
• 3:18pm, 303 E. Main St., accident
• 6:06pm, 20 Porter Ave. (Apt: Lower), larceny
• 7:16pm, 629 E. Main St., accident
• 8:02pm, 390 W. Main St., larceny

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.

From the Daily News (Wednesday):

• Thomas A. Aquino, the Rochester man who recently admitted that he was the notorious Pillowcase Burglar of the 1980s, received the 15-year maximum sentence for one count of second-degree burglary. Judge Robert C. Noonan told Aquino in court that it would be "a dereliction of my duty to impose anything less than the maximum sentence." Reporter Scott DeSmit put together a great article on the sentencing.
• Really, a fantastic front page put together by the Daily News today. In addition to DeSmit's article about the Pillowcase Burglar, you can find a photograph by Mark Gutman in which a pair of cyclists wait at the corner of Main and Oak streets in the midst of last night's power outage. One of them exhales a cloud of cigarette smoke, illuminated by a pair of headlights that glow intense yet puny in the pitch black night. There's also an article about the City Council's review of City Manager Jason Molino that appeared on The Batavian yesterday, and an on-the-ball article by Tom Rivers who was out assessing the damage done to local crops as a result of Monday's hail storms.
• Democratic Congressional candidate Jack Davis stopped at the VA Medical Center in Batavia Tuesday vowing that he would support a bill in Washington that would "expand and improve health care services for female veterans." Check out the article by reporter Roger Muehlig for more about Davis's visit and female veterans. It's well done.
• Eighteen-year-old Batavian, Richard J. Peters II, could face up to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to raping a 4-year-old Wyoming girl. Peters will be sentenced at Wyoming County Court on September 11.

For the complete stories, the Daily News is available on local newsstands, or you can subscribe on BataviaNews.com.

Friday:

• 9:22am, State St., criminal mischief
• 12:04pm, 236 Vine St., aggravated harassment
• 1:46pm, 226 W. Main St., accident
• 5:37pm, 114 W. Main St., accident

Saturday:

• 2:18am, 214 E. Main St., larceny
• 2:03pm, 35 Clinton St., burglary
• 2:24pm, Clinton St., accident
• 2:42pm, 390 W. Main St., accident (vehicle and pedestrian)
• 2:45pm, W. Main St., accident
• 6:38pm, 8351 Lewiston Road, larceny
• 7:12pm, Liberty St., harassment
• 8:44pm, 20 N. Spruce St. (Apt: A3), larceny
• 9:27pm, 20 Maple St., harassment
• 11:35pm, 116 State St. (Apt: 4), larcent

Sunday:

• 2:46am, 51 Montclair Ave., harassment
• 4:34am, 123 Washington Ave. (Apt: Upper), menacing
• 2:57pm, 437 E. Main St. (Apt: Lower), assault
• 3:46pm, 412 E. Main St., accident
• 5:47pm, 121 Liberty St., larceny
• 8:38pm, 99 Jackson St., accident

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.

Quite a few of you over the past week or so have caught on that we here at The Batavian can help spread the word. Whether you want to talk politics, culture, volunteerism, crime or whatever, we're here to get it done. Most recently, I received an e-mail from Batavia Police Det. Todd Crossett about a law enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics. (You can see Det. Crossett here to the right — hint, he's the one guy in uniform.)

As more and more folks are figuring out the value in a community site that let's you say what you want to say, when you want to say it, I thought I would take a minute here to let you all know that you can take this into your own hands. I'm here to help get up a post if you have an event coming up or if you snapped some photographs at a torch run (see another from Det. Crossett below). But I would encourage folks to go ahead and submit your own photos and write your own posts. Directly. That way, you have complete control.

That being said, here are a few tips:

• Make sure you're registered for the site. If you're ever having trouble with that initial step, don't hesitate to give me a call: (585) 802-3032.
• Click the "Create content" link in the left-hand column.
• Click the "Blog entry" link that pops up.
• Write your text.
• Submit your photograph or video.
• For photos, simply click the little yellowish button in the Blog entry toolbar (above where you type) — the one that looks like a miniature mountainscape. Upload your photo, but please make sure the size is no bigger than about 480 pixels in width. If you need any help, let us know.
• For video, make sure your video is on YouTube, then simply type in: "video:" and then the URL for the video and enclose that in brackets, like these: [ ].
• When you're done, scroll to the bottom of the page and hit save. That's it.

Now that we've finished with that, here is another photograph sent to us from Det. Crossett, along with a brief explanation of just what this torch run was all about.

Det. Crossett: "On Wednesday, June 4, City of Batavia police officers and Genesee County Sheriff's Deputies participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. The run started at the ARC day treatment facility in Elba and ran to the ARC facility on Walnut Street in the City of Batavia. When we left the day treatment facility Robin Eames, a client at day treatment, assisted in carrying the torch. Once the torch reached Walnut street, Kathy King, assisted in carrying the torch. Ths year the Royal Rangers, a boys scouting group donated the water for the run. Alexander Crossett rode his bicycle and represented the Royal Rangers on the run. This run is to bring awareness to the accomplishments of the participants in the Special Olympics."

Police Blotter for Friday, June 13 through Sunday, June 15:

• A Clarence man was arrested and charged with burglary Friday evening. Genesee County sheriff's deputies responded to a call from a Batavia business owner who alleged that Timothy D. Curby, 24, was found inside the business and had some of its property had already been placed in the bed of his pickup truck. Corby was sent to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
• A carnival worker from Florida was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $3,000 bail early Friday morning and faces two misdemeanor charges of second-degree menacing and forcible touching, according to sheriff's deputies. A fellow carnival worker at the Stafford Carnival told deputies that Exal Hernandez Delacruz, 17, entered her bedroom, displayed what appeared to be a pistol and forced his hand under her shorts.
• Kenneth P. Snyder, 32, of East Bethany, was charged with driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop in the town of Alexander early Saturday morning, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Snyder was also ticketed with moving from the lane unsafely.
• Ashley L. Munzert, 23, of Attica, was charged with driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop in Stafford early Saturday morning, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said.
• James D. Stack, 21, of 8997 Alexander Road, Batavia, was charged with second-degree harassment early Saturday morning, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Stack was at the Stafford Carnival when he allegedly pushed someone inside the beer tent.
• Michael R. Paladino Jr., 32, of 30 Clay St., LeRoy, was charged with second degree promoting prison contraband early Sunday morning at the Genesee County Jail, sheriff's deputies said. Corrections personnel told deputies that Paladino had been found with crack cocaine.
• Mitchell R. Freeman, 19, of Stafford, was charged with second-degree harassment Sunday evening following a complaint at the Stafford Carnival that Freeman had allegedly struck another person, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said.

Note: All of the above arrests were reported in published releases from the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

Batavia's city Police Department released its statistics for 2007. The department saw an increase in overall calls for service, from 15,772 in 2006 to 17,707 in 2007. Here are some of the detailed statistics (all comparisons are between 2006 and 2007 totals):

• Emergency 911 calls increased from 6,432 to 6,519.
• Major (part one) crimes fell from 696 to 509. ("Part one" crimes include: larceny, burglary, robbery, motor vehicle theft, assault, murder, rape and manslaughter.)
• The overall crime rate dropped from 4,405 to 3,222.
• Motor vehicle accidents were about the same with 493 in 2007, while traffic arrests increased from 1,582 to 2,212: DWI arrests went up from 55 to 72 and parking tickets issued increased from 1,395 to 1,595.
• While the total number of juvenile complaints increased to 280, the number of cases decreased to 175. (Exact 2006 figures were not given.)

City detectives had fewer investigations in 2007, down from 482 to 422, likely the result of changes in the "staffing levels" in the Detective Bureau, according to the release. Detective investigated cases had a clearance rate of about 50.5 percent for 2007.

Police Blotter for Thursday, June 12:

• 12:45am, 111 Liberty St., harassment
• 8:38am, 136 W. Main St., accident
• 9:05am, 110 Ellsworth Ave. (Apt: Upper), larceny
• 11:53am, Ellicott Ave., accident
• 12:43pm, 111 Liberty St. (Apt. H), criminal mischief
• 4:10pm, Ross St., harassment
• 4:14pm, Linwood Ave., accident
• 5:31pm, 229 W. Main St., accident
• 5:49pm, Jefferson Ave., harassment
• 9:59pm, 149 Ross St., harassment

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.

Three cheers for Lt. Gene Jankowski and the city police force for averting disaster on Main Street this morning. With the help of an unflinching fellow officer, Jankowski halted four lanes of traffic on East Main Street out front of the police station so that a mother duck and her ten ducklings could safely cross.

The feathered family emerged from Austin Park when they were spotted and followed to the curb. Jankowski held off traffic while his colleague — I apologize for failing to get the officer's name — kept the ducks on course. Without pause, the lot of them dropped into the street and waddled across and into the cool waters of the Tonawanda behind the courthouse. There they were reunited with papa mallard (you can see him leading the crew in the photo to the left here).

Jankowski told me after that this happens about twice a year, and if the police don't act fast, the questing ducks would most likely cause chaos on Main Street, if not an outright accident as drivers swerve all over to avoid crushing the little beasts.

"They don't wait," he said. "They make a bee-line across the road."

They most certainly did. And on a day when the temperature has already hit 90 degrees, who could blame them? I had to keep myself from jumping into the creek and getting my feathers wet.

Tuesday:

• 12:09am, 35 Walnut St., burglary
• 1:42am, 390 W. Main St., trespass
• 2:12am, 127 North St., trespass
• 6:54am, 15 Maple St., larceny
• 7:19am, 9 S. Lyon St., accident
• 7:44am, 505 E. Main St., larceny
• 9:16am, 211 W. Main St., larceny
• 2:11pm, Cedar St., trespass
• 2:27pm, 115 Jackson St., larceny
• 4:07pm, Bank St., accident
• 6:13pm, 565 E. Main St., accident
• 10:47pm, Holland Ave., harassment

Wednesday:

• 10:43am, Ellicott St., accident
• 12:58pm, 117 Liberty St., possession of a controlled substance
• 9:18pm, Richmond Ave., larceny
• 10:13pm, 136 W. Main St., harassment
• 11:13pm, 10 W. Main St., harassment

Thursday:

• 9:21am, 34 Clinton St., larceny
• 11:01am, Jefferson Ave., larceny
• 12:39pm, 14 Trumbull Pkwy., harassment
• 2:25pm, Liberty St., accident
• 2:38pm, Oak St., accident
• 2:50pm, 390 W. Main St., forgery
• 4:42pm, Court St., accident
• 5:30pm, 229 Ellicott St., accident
• 6:34pm, 19 Ross St., larceny
• 8:08pm, 127 North St., accident
• 8:46pm, 6 East Ave., accident

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.

Police Blotter for Wednesday, June 11:

• Genesee County sheriff's deputies charged a Batavia driver with a felony count of aggravated driving while intoxicated last night. Arron L. Zimblis, 44, of 114 Vine St. (Lower), Batavia, was driving on Putnam Road in the town of Bethany when deputies allege that he failed to stop for a stop sign, left the road and drove about 100 feet into a field before coming to a stop.
• A Tennesee man was charged with second-degree aggravated harassment following an investigation by city police into an incidedent on January 31. Police were told that 33-year-old Jason T. McLain made several harassing phone calls that day. McLain posted his $200 bail and will return to City Court later this month.
• Another city police investigation yielded an arrest. In this case, a Batavia man was alleged to have damaged a door and spit at another person at a home on Ross Street in May. Ronnie J. Sumeriski II, 26, of 101 Jackson St., was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree harassment.
• Twenty-two-year-old Alicia M. Warney, of Holley, faces a charge of fourth-degree grand larceny, city police said. Warney is accused of stealing several thousand dollars worth of property from a former roommate when Warney moved out of the apartment.

Note: All of the above arrests were reported in published releases from the departments.

Police Blotter for Tuesday, June 10:

• Larry R. Brewer, 42, of 117 1/2 Liberty St., Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant for second-degree menacing yesterday afternoon, city police said. At the time of arrest, Brewer was also charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
• Christopher M. Dilaura, 28, of 34 Cedar St., Batavia, was charged with violating and order of protection and sent to jail in lieu of $1,000 bail, city police said.
• Raymond L. Leach, Jr., 51, of 29 Montclair Ave., Batavia, was charged with second-degree aggravated harassment, Genesee County sheriff's deputies said. Deputies were told that Leach made a threatening phone call.

Note: All of the above arrests were taken from published releases from the departments.

City of Batavia police issued three reports of arrests this morning.

• Richard J. Zawicki, 30, of 145 Hutchins St., Batavia, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child yesterday morning. According to the report, Zawicki allegedly got into an argument with a child that "escalated into a physical confrontation."
• Tara L. Hall, 29, of 11 S. Lyon St., Batavia was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and second-degree offering a false instrument for filing yesterday morning. Hall allegedly gave police a false statement following an investigation in accident.
• Willie J. Thomas, 32, of 5 Raymond Ave., Batavia, was charged with forcible touching last night following a police investigation into reports that Thomas had inappropriately touched "a female acquaintance" Sunday. Thomas was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $1,000 bail.

Friday:

• 1:08am, 2 Fisher Park (Apt: Upper), trespass
• 8:12am, 301 North St., criminal tampering
• 8:27am, West Main Street, accident
• 1:36pm, 1 Kingsbury Ave., harassment
• 10:21pm, 10 W. Main St., harassment

Saturday:

• 4:20am, 131 Summit St., criminal mischief
• 11:51am, 577 E. Main St., larceny
• 12:07pm, West Main Street, accident
• 2:07pm, 419 W. Main St., larceny
• 4:08pm, Washington Avenue, accident
• 5:25pm, 6 Lewis Place, trespass
• 8:50pm, 10 Fisher Park, assault

Sunday:

• 3:35am, East Main Street, accident
• 9:36am, East Avenue, accident
• 9:59am, 23 Holland Ave., larceny
• 12:51pm, 278 Bank St., trespass
• 3:50pm, 50 Chandler Ave., larceny
• 7:36pm, 27 Central Ave., harassment

(Received in a fax from the police department): Cynthia S. Hopkins, 25, of Silver Lake, was charged with driving while intoxicated early Sunday, city police said. Hopkins allegedly hit another vehicle at East Main and Swan streets and left the scene. She was also ticketed with failure to yield right of way and leaving the scene.

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.

Longtime veteran of the city police force, Randy Baker, has been named the new chief of police. City Manager Jason Molino announced the appointment this morning.

Chief Baker is a 27 year veteran of the Batavia Police Department.  During his 27 year career with Batavia Police Department, he is credited as serving as a patrol officer (1981-1992), K-9 officer, youth detective (1992-2008) and patrol sergeant (2008) as well as being a member of the Emergency Response Team.

“I am very pleased with the selection process and the appointment of Randy Baker as Batavia’s new Police Chief, [said Molino]. We had a field of exceptional candidates for the position which made the final selection a very difficult decision. Chief Baker is an outstanding choice for the leader of our department. I have every confidence that Randy will quickly acclimate himself to his new responsibilities within the organization and continue his strong standing reputation for serving the needs of the community. He brings 27 years of Batavia history and community leadership, a characteristic that is invaluable. He will be a great addition to the management team, and I look forward to working with him in the future."

Molino went on to thank Lt. Eugene Jankowski who has served as acting chief since the retirement of former police chief Daryl Sehm in March.

Chief Baker lives in Oakfield with his wife, Kyle, and they have two children: Joshua, age 26 and Katie, age 23. His starting annual salary will be $75,192.

Baker will assume the position tomorrow, Tuesday. He could not be reached for comment today.

When Batavia police found out that a 15-year-old boy was meeting men online, then in person to have sex, Det. Todd Crossett went undercover, posing as a 14-year-old to catch two of the suspects. The second of those men, Rochester resident Anthony Sloan, pleaded guilty earlier this week. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Det. Crossett sat down with us earlier today to talk about his undercover experience and give some advice for parents of younger children.

(Note: Det. Crosset couldn't talk in too much detail about the chat sessions with the men for fear of alerting other potential suspects to his and other investigators' methods.)

Police Blotter for Thursday, June 5:

• 9:01am, 208 Elm St., aggravated harassment
• 12:04pm, 10 Jefferson Square, counterfeiting

Note: We don't include noise complaints, domestic disputes and routine police business.