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Mound police report: summer calls up, new K‑9 Onyx to be sworn in July, council hears concerns over e‑bikes and off‑road motorcycles
Summary
Police reported higher call volumes for warm weather and said a new K‑9, Onyx, will be sworn in July; council and residents urged increased enforcement and an ordinance to restrict motorized vehicles in parks after complaints about dirt bikes and e‑bikes.
MOUND CITY — The city’s police representative told the council on June 24 that calls for service have increased with summer activity and introduced a new K‑9 program: Officer Braden Sherman presented Onyx, a year‑and‑a‑half‑old German shepherd certified in tracking, narcotics detection and evidence collection; the dog will be sworn in July 14.
The police update also included calls for stepped‑up attention to motorized bikes and dirt bikes riding in Surfside Park and on local trails. Residents described riders popping wheelies on grass and sidewalks, and at least one resident said the vehicles are frequently unhelmeted, travel at high speed and cause safety and property‑damage concerns.
Officer Braden Sherman, who identified himself as an officer with Orono who will handle the K‑9, said Onyx is “certified in evidence collection, tracking, narcotics detection, obedience” and is finishing a 12‑week training academy. He noted Onyx’s official swearing in will include a paw‑print ceremony in July.
Why it matters: Councilmembers said the problems with electric bikes and off‑road dirt bikes in parks and on sidewalks — and related fear among seniors and families — warrant focused enforcement and possible new park ordinances restricting motorized vehicles. Several councilmembers recommended discussing fines and enforcement tools at the police commission.
Resident complaints and council response: At least one resident, Charles Warren, urged the council to take action on unrelated public‑safety concerns earlier in the meeting; during the police report several residents and councilmembers pressed police staff to pursue an ordinance or stricter enforcement for motorized vehicles in city parks. Councilmember Castellano suggested starting with warnings and escalating fines; another councilmember suggested combining education with enforcement, including school‑year outreach.
Other updates: The department reported more daytime activity, boat and lakeside calls and routine staffing announcements; the department also announced a new officer, Colton Beck, to start July 7 from the cadet program and that bike patrols are active for the summer.
Ending: Council asked the police commission to review possible ordinance language restricting motorized vehicles from public parks and to prepare an education plan for the coming school year; the council did not take immediate legislative action at the June 24 meeting.
Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the meeting transcript and attributed below.
