The Lander Police Department has announced plans for 2019 include stepping up law enforcement in school zones and attempting to crack down on shoplifters.
The City of Lander announced LPD’s 2019 goals Monday morning via their Facebook page:
Making extra patrols for shoplifting
Consistently have extra patrols and Law Enforcement presence in schools
Continue to provide business and community training sessions on relevant issues.
And by Smiling and Waving! Give them a wave!
Lander’s new Police Chief, Thomas Shroyer, was unanimously approved by the Lander City Council earlier this year. His promotion came after Bob Cercele announced his retirement at the end of 2018.
LPD dealt with several shoplifting cases in 2018, which Lander Police Department Public Information Officer Duane Kaiser told us wasn’t necessarily new for the department. “Shoplifting is always happening but the stores now are paying more attention to suspicious activity an observing more inside the store and contacting us,” Kaiser told County 10.
In late August 2018, County Attorney Patrick LeBrun announced publicly that he thought Fremont County needed to take a stronger stance on shoplifters. “I am thinking it might be time for our Legislature to consider a “habitual shoplifter” statute. In Wyoming, it matters not how many times a person is convicted of shoplifting. As long as a person steals less than $1,000 it will always be a misdemeanor punishable by no more than 6 months in county jail. Sadly there are people in our community that simply see jail as a mere business cost associated with their shoplifting enterprises” LeBrun said.
Lander Police have always enforced school zones heavily, but are re-emphasizing that it should be a very high priority this school year. In fall 2018, several calls were recorded all across Fremont County in which motorists were violating school zone speed limits and traffic laws around stopped school buses. Riverton Police also announced a plan to step up enforcement because of the school-related traffic violations.