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These are just some of the things you can do to help safeguard your person and property from becoming a victim of crime.  If you have any information regarding any criminal activity in this community, please contact the Duluth Township Police Department at 218-525-5705 or e-mail us at PoliceOffice@duluthtownship.org. 

The members of the Duluth Township Police Department are as follows:

Chief Shawn Padden, Mike Peterson, Steve Peterson

The members of the Duluth Township Police Department patrol the County, State and Township roads within Duluth Township, as well as conduct business and residence checks on a routine basis and respond to calls for service as allowed by the Town Electorate for a total of 160 hours per month on a part-time employee status.

I wanted to send you all some safety tips while out and about this Holiday Season and while driving in what appears to be an early winter this year. The Duluth Township Police hope all of your seasonal adventures are safe and enjoyable and that you have a very Merry Christmas.


While shopping or running errands-

• Park in a well lighted area
• Do not leave packages or other items of value(camera's, purse, money) in plain view in your vehicle. Put them in the trunk or cover with a blanket.
• Do not flash a large amount of cash at the check out.
• Have your keys in your hand and ready when returning to your car.(they make a great weapon if you are attacked)
• Do a visual scan of the area around your car before leaving the building if possible. Do not approach your car if you see a person just standing nearby loitering around. Have a security person or other employee accompany you.
• Look inside your car prior to getting in. (back seat included)
• Lock your doors immediately upon getting in your car.

While driving-

• DO NOT pick up hitchhikers
• Keep your doors locked.
• Know where you are.(sounds silly but you would be surprised how many people can't  explain their location when calling for help)
• Carry a cell phone.
• Make sure your car is in good mechanical condition to help prevent breakdowns.
• Equip your car with some survival gear. (Heavy jacket, boots, gloves, hat, candy, flashlight, cell phone charger, "call police" sign for front or rear window.)
• Let someone know your travel plans and routes of travel. Make sure your teen tells you who they are with, where they are going, what route they are taking to get there, how long they will be there, and when they are expected to return.
• If you break down, stay in your car.
• If someone approaches to help, roll down window less than an inch and ask them to call a wrecker or police to assist you.( if you have forgotten your cell phone)
• Activate your cars emergency flashers if they still operate.
• Do not accept a ride from ANYONE you do not know.
• Fight with every ounce of strength you have if someone attempts to forcibly take you. Utilize any self-defense training you have ever had.  Your chances of survival are much better in your environment than it would be in your attackers' environment.

Remember that the best way to protect your body is to use your head.


In an attempt to help from becoming a victim of a property crime, here are a few steps you can take as well.

• Lock your garage, house and vehicle doors and windows while away or while sleeping.
• Utilize exterior security motion lights.
• Install an alarm system.
• Install a gun safe or locker
• Notify police and/or trusted neighbor while on vacation.
  (Our police department has Vacation Watch forms on the web site at  Home Watch Request Form)
• Install decorative bars on "out of sight" basement windows. Many burglars use those basement windows at the rear of the house to make entrance.
• Video tape and/or take photos of the valuable contents of your home.(a picture is worth a 1000 words)
• Record serial numbers of guns, televisions, VCR's, DVD players, video game players and any other items of value you can.
• Engrave items of value in a conspicuous location with initials or numbers to help identify the item if the bad guys remove the serial numbers.
• Download important information once a month from your computer onto a disc, which is kept in a secure location in case your computer is stolen.
• Keep money and jewelry out of sight and in a secure location.
• Dust your home regularly. (This is not my favorite thing to do either but it is much easier for police to detect and collect as evidence a fingerprint left behind on a smooth clean surface than it is a fingerprint left on an inch of dust.)
• Do not leave the spare house key under the doormat. The "Leave it to Beaver" days are over folks. Bad guys actually look there for the key, and sometimes find it.
• Retain owner manuals for future reference to serial and model numbers and descriptions.

Some additional things to remember are:

• Report suspicious persons, vehicles or activities that are just simply "not normal" to the area's they are occurring  in. We have had many reports of door-to-door sales people in the area lately and I encourage you to call us when these people are in the area so that we can check to make sure they are conducting a  legitimate activity. I am assuming this type of activity will increase due to the activation of the "Do Not Call list".
  
• Record license plate numbers of cars parked along a roadway where there should not be one parked.
  
• Note descriptions of persons and vehicles that come to your home to ask for directions. You may not wish to call this type of activity in to the police at the time, but if you discover your neighbor has been burglarized sometime that day, you will have the information to share with police when we canvas the area asking about suspicious persons.
  
• If you believe you are witnessing a crime in progress, call 911 immediately and take appropriate steps to witness such from a safe distance or simply leave the area altogether. I.e.. Do not approach someone that is burglarizing your home or that of your neighbor. The burglars we have been dealing with lately have more than likely committed  those crimes while under the influence of drugs and should be considered dangerous if confronted. Protecting your property or that of another is not worth  risking your safety for.