Day: October 31, 2014

The following images contain the newest Megan’s Law Sex Offender Notifications for the City of Dover.  If there any questions or concerns, please contact the Dover Police Sex Offender Enforcement Unit.

Click on images to enlarge

Summary:
The Dover Police Department responded to 13 shoplifting calls between Noon on October 23rd and Noon on October 30th. One of those calls was unfounded, bringing the total number of shoplifting cases to 12 for the week.  This is a decrease of 4 cases from last week’s post.  Of those 12 shoplifting complaints, a merchant declined prosecution in one, three are still under investigation, and arrests were made or warrants obtained in 8 cases. A total of 8 adults were arrested or are currently wanted.

Officer releasing this information:
Cpl. Mark Hoffman
Public Information Officer

With the upcoming Halloween events around the City of Dover, the Dover Police Department would like to remind parents, children, and motorists to remain alert and keep safety a top priority during this Halloween season.  While we will have extra officers on the streets and in our neighborhoods on Halloween Night, it is important to take note of the safety tips we have provided below.

Trick or Treat Date/Times:

• Friday, October 31st 6:00PM-8:00PM

Motorist Safety Tips:

• Motorists are asked to drive with an abundance of caution and travel at a reduced speed in residential areas.
• Many children and adults will be walking through residential areas and depending on the availability of sidewalks, may be near or on the roadway.
• Be aware of children inadvertently darting across the street in the path of vehicles.

Trick or Treating Safety Tips:

• Children should NEVER go Trick or Treating alone.  They should be with a parent/guardian, or a group of friends at all times.
• Stay off of main roadways.
• Costumes should fit properly, with no loose/hanging items.
• Consider face paint instead of masks as they can obstruct a child’s vision.
• Trick or Treaters should carry a flashlight at all times.
• Utilize glow sticks and/or reflective tape/material attached to costumes and bags for added visibility.
• Before crossing the street, always look in both directions twice to make sure no vehicles are coming.
• Inspect all candy to ensure it is not tampered with, prior to consuming it.

Sex Offender Ordinance for Halloween Festivities:

The Dover Police Department Sex Offender Enforcement Unit would like to remind all offenders living within the City of Dover of the ordinance in regards to Halloween/Holiday festivities.  The Dover Police Department will have extra officers on duty to ensure that offenders comply with the new ordinance, and be on the lookout for suspicious/unsafe activity. If there are any questions or concerns, or you would like to report a non-compliant offender, please notify the Dover Police Department at 302-736-7111.

70-7  Registered Sex Offenders

e)  Prohibited activities for sexual offenders.

(1)  It is unlawful for any sexual offender to participate in a holiday event or practice involving children under 18 years of age, such as distributing candy or other items to children on Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, or any other holiday or event. Participation is to be defined as attendance at, or taking part of, or cooperation with an event.

(2)  It is unlawful for any sexual offender to wear costumes for the primary purpose of entertaining, attracting, or encouraging interaction with children.

(3)Any person designated a sexual offender shall be required on October thirty-first of each year or any other day upon which Halloween is celebrated to:

a.  Avoid all Halloween related contact with children;

b.  Post a sign at his/her residence stating, “No candy or treats at this residence.” Such signs shall be in letters at least two inches high and shall be legible from the street or road adjacent to the residence;

c.  Except for lighting provided on a year round basis by a sexual offender or the owner or manager of a multi-family residential unit for the purpose of security or walkway or hallway illumination, all outside residential lighting shall be off during the evening hours after 5:00 p.m., and no exterior holiday decorations shall be exhibited on the sexual offender’s residence or on the property upon which the residence is located.

(4)  Holiday events or practices in which the sexual offender is the parent or guardian of the child or children involved, and where no non-familial children are present, are exempt from this section.

 Officer releasing this information:
Cpl. Mark Hoffman
Public Information Officer

Incident #: 50-14-29346  Date/Time:  October 23rd-October 30th

Location: Long Point Road, Dover, DE

Narrative:
On Thursday, October 30th, just before 12:00PM, the Dover Police Department responded to the McDonald’s located at 879 North DuPont Highway for a suspicious note left on the women’s bathroom wall.  The note, written in makeup, suggested that the writer was the victim of kidnapping and was being held against her will since October 23rd, by her estranged husband, Brandon Turner (28).  Detectives from the Dover Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit were able to obtain video surveillance from the McDonald’s and neighboring businesses.

Based on the footage, officers searched the area, believing they were on foot at the time based on the clothing the suspect and victim were wearing.  Approximately 3 hours after the initial call to McDonald’s, detectives located the pair outside of the Dover Mall and took Turner into custody without incident.  The victim, a 25-year-old female, transported to the Dover Police Department for further investigation.  The investigation revealed that on Thursday, October 23rd, Brandon Turner kidnapped the victim from the area of North Little Creek Road.  Turner then took the victim to a residence on Long Point Road, where he duct taped her to a bed and proceeded to rape her multiple times.  Turner had held the victim against her will until police discovered the note on the restroom wall, and located the pair on Thursday, October 30th.  The victim had a no-contact order on file against Brandon Turner since August 4, 2014 from a previous incident.  It was also learned that Turner was riding a green Kawasaki motorcycle, which was reported stolen from Delaware State Police Troop 9.  Turner is currently being held on $651,500 Cash bond at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center.

Officer releasing this information:
Cpl. Mark Hoffman
Public Information Officer