We could all use joy & happiness in our lives, so let's start with the party . . . EVENT #1: MADISON POLICE DEPARTMENT-WEST DISTRICT APPRECIATION PARTY / OPEN HOUSE It's an opportunity to mingle with police officers, thank them for their good work, greet neighbors, and fill up on good food. Yes, food. We have even *more* yummies on the menu this year . . . * Pizza pies delivered fresh on the hour. Donated by Rosati's on Mineral Point Road. * Brats grilled on site. Donated by Metcalfe's. * Two snack trays. Donated by Blue Plate Catering. * Professionally-designed sheet cake (remember the one they made last year?), floral arrangement, cookies, and bottled water. Donated by Pic n Save (Junction Road & McKee Road locations). * Desserts. Donated by Silly Yak Bakery. * Cookies. Donated by Chick-fil-A. * Because of a generous $500 donation from MidWest Family Broadcasting, we'll also have salad, individual bags of chips (to accompany the brats), cheesecake, gourmet coffee, ice tea, and soda. Money is also being used to buy party supplies. Yowza. This year I invited Capital K9s & Madison Mounted to attend - both will have volunteers on hand. Learn more about their work and purchase a cool stuffed K9 toy. The event is completely free of charge because of the generosity of our donors. You are welcome to make a small (or large) donation to Capital K9s & Madison Mounted if you feel moved. You're by no means obligated - and we want you at the event whether or not you donate - but I wanted to put it out there. They're good people doing good work. (I'm also lucky to have a kick-butt group of volunteers who will be assisting me on the day of the event. Thank you!) The event is next Tuesday, May 16, 2:00 to 6:00PM (during National Police Week) at the west district at 1710 McKenna Boulevard. It's open-house style, so come and go as you please. The officers will be thrilled even if you stop by for a few minutes. If you're an officer or civilian employee, please be sure to bring your loved ones. This is a time to celebrate and we'd love it if they could share this time with you. Even if you don't work in the west district, you & your loved ones are most welcome to attend. EVENT #2: ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING Captain Cory Nelson of the west district asked me to share this with you. The following comes directly from MPD staff. This e-mail is to invite you, your friends and family to a free training event provided by the City of Madison Police Department. This training is open to all members of the Madison community, although this is a mature topic and the presentation provides candid information that may not be suitable for children under the age of 10. Class Description: It is unfortunate that sudden violence perpetrated by an individual bent on killing innocent people is a reality in modern American communities. The good news is the likelihood of finding yourself under fire by an active shooter is roughly equivalent to being struck by lightning. However, as you can lessen your chances of being struck by lightning, there are simple things you can do to respond effectively if you ever find yourself in this unthinkable situation. The Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) class is a statistically based training program for all members of the Madison community interested in demystifying these frightening events. The training will include: A statistical breakdown of active shooter events, historical case studies & behavioral tools to maximize your chances of survival, table-top scenario discussions & Q&A session w/MPD active shooter experts. The upcoming dates for this training are Thursday May 11, August 10, November 9, 2017 and February 8, 2018 from 6pm – 8pm. Feel free to pass this information along to anyone who you believe may be interested in learning this important information. Training is free and is held in the auditorium at: The City of Madison Police Training Center 5702 Femrite Dr. Madison, WI 53718 Please contact me with any questions. Police Officer Matthew Magolan #4009 City of Madison Police Department Crime Prevention Gang Unit 211 S. Carroll St. Madison, WI 53703 Office: (608) 261-9292 e-mail: mmagolan@cityofmadison.com All the best. --Paula Fitzsimmons ADDED: Check out news on the Wisconsin license plate program that will benefit the families of fallen officers. Steve worked with Rep. David Steffen on this important project. http://fox11online.com/news/fox-11-investigates/fox-11-investigates-wisconsin-law-enforcement-memorial-license-plate-plan