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Major cases keep Bainbridge police busy
(by Joan Demirjian - December 09, 2009)
Major cases keep Bainbridge police busy
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
With some major cases to deal with, the Bainbridge Police Department is keeping busy with investigations.
There is an increase in the caseload, Police Chief James Jimison said. They involve more time than incidents such as shoplifting and other thefts, he said.
"It's what other departments deal with too," he said. "We just got hit heavy in the last year."
The department has been investigating the Aug. 16 death of Bainbridge resident Dr. Peter Franklin as a result of a stabbing. His wife, Sandra, has been charged in the death.
In another incident, William T. Miralia, of Bainbridge, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular assault in an accident May 5 in which his vehicle struck pedestrian Linda Kupiec. She is recuperating from her injuries.
Mr. Miralia was texting on a cellular telephone while driving at the time of the incident, according to police.
Police also are investigating a case last July involving the cutting of a brake line on a fire department vehicle.
In the most recent incident, Geraldine Kanieski was arrested Nov. 20 in connection with theft of nearly $135,000 from the Kenston School District. Mrs. Kanieski, assistant treasurer of the district, has been charged with aggravated financial theft and is out on bond.
Police also have been investigating a case in which numerous shots were fired into a condominium Oct. 1 in the Tanglewood Lake subdivision. Bainbridge resident Joseph Bial Jr. was charged in the case.
"There's a lot going on," Mr. Jimison said. The department is handling calls that require weeks and months of investigation to make sure they are properly handled so the Geauga County Prosecutor's Office will be successful in prosecuting and convictions, he said.
Many of the complex cases require interacting with the prosecutor's office and a crime laboratory, according to Mr. Jimison.
A homicide takes many hours, he said. Most people, unless they are directly impacted, are not aware of the time and involvement the cases take, he said.
"The department's two detectives work long hours and with some of the more serious cases, several officers are involved, including myself and the department lieutenant," Mr. Jimison said.
"Everybody chips in and works together," he said. "We had four or five people working on the homicide every day, along with the prosecutor's office, gathering and processing evidence, making phone calls and taking statements."
And there is still work being done on the case, he said of the stabbing incident. "We continue to work right up to the trial," Mr. Jimison said.
"We discuss the more serious cases daily," Mr. Jimison said. "You want to make sure you have the right answers and evidence to support a case," he said.
"It's a lot of responsibility. We try to divide up the work and if someone is off, another officer works on it," he said.
"We meet with the prosecutor and decide what has to be done and who will do it," Mr. Jimison said. "We're constantly reviewing it."
"Our two detectives do the bulk of the work and if there is a serious crime, they pull in others from the department with specific expertise," Mr. Jimison said.
And if there are many people to interview, it has to be spread out, because many need to be done on different shifts, he said. "We count on all officers to help out," he said. "It's something all departments deal with, and I think when a big case is concluded successfully, everyone feels gratified."
In the meantime, the department must carry on its everyday work of patrolling and responding to the day-to-day calls.
Bainbridge has 19 people available with one part-time person. Most of the time, there are three people on a shift. They take two days off a week and take vacation time. "Its not a lot of manpower in when there are a lot of cases to deal with," Mr. Jimison said.
While most people think that is a lot of people, it is not when something really serious happens, Mr. Jimison said.
"And we depend on dispatch center," he said. "The dispatch center is critical, and we're constantly calling them when we're on a call. We have a good group of people.
"It's a team effort when serious things happen in the community," Mr. Jimison said. "Everyone works hard on these investigations."
"The average person doesn't understand everything that goes into it and the complexity," he said. "It isn't resolved in 30 minutes or an hour, like on TV. And it's not as glamorous."
He said the Franklin case is headed to the Geauga County grand jury. In the texting case, a sentencing hearing for Mr. Miralia is set for Jan. 8 in Geauga County Common Pleas Court.
In the case of the gunshots at the Tanglewood condominiums, a trial has been set for Dec. 29 in Geauga County Common Pleas Court before Judge David Fuhry.
Police still are waiting for a break in the case of the tampering with the fire department vehicle. There is a $3,500 reward and that could be increased.
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