DURANGO POLICE DEPARTMENT
CONTACT US: EMERGENCIES: 911 NON-EMERGENCIES: (970) 385-2900
2018 ANNUAL REPORT
EMAIL: PDADMIN@DURANGOGOV.ORG FACEBOOK.COM/DURANGOPOLICE
TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Interim Chief _________________________________________ 1 Mission Statement & Vision Statement ___________________________________ 2 Durango Police Facts _________________________________________________ 3 Core Values ________________________________________________________ 4 Organizational Chart _________________________________________________ 5 Social Media________________________________________________________ 6 Crime Statistics _____________________________________________________ 7 Traffic Statistics _____________________________________________________ 8 Detective Bureau and Notable Investigations ____________________________ 9-10 Strategic Planning __________________________________________________ 11 Community Engagement _____________________________________________ 12 Community Engagement Team (CET) ___________________________________ 13 Transportation Safety ________________________________________________ 14 Training & Technology _______________________________________________ 15 Crime Prevention & Control ___________________________________________ 16 Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) _________________________________________ 17 SWAT ____________________________________________________________ 18 School Resource Officers (SRO) _____________________________________ 19-20 Emergency Management _____________________________________________ 21 Citizens Police Academy (CPA) ________________________________________ 22 K-9 Program _______________________________________________________ 23 Body Worn Cameras ________________________________________________ 24
MESSAGE FROM THE INTERIM POLICE CHIEF The Durango Police Department is proud to present our annual report for 2018. An annual report is a compilation of activities performed by the police department in service to our community. The report highlights information such as crime in 2018, our efforts to address the trends and highlights, and the work performed by the men and women of the Durango Police Department. 2018 was another challenging, but rewarding year for the Durango Police Department. Our community was drastically affected by a series of wildfires, floods, and drought. Each of these challenges were unique and required unity amongst multiple partners from the local to the federal level. Members of the Durango Police department integrated flawlessly with these partners and continued to provide high levels of service amid disaster. We continued to implement our strategic management plan and achieved many successes in the foundational principles: service to the community, commitment to innovation, excellence in building and supporting teams, commitment to collaboration, partnerships and teamwork, and valuing the core democratic values of our society. Law enforcement is a noble profession, and as the stewards of our community, it is our responsibility to establish and maintain trust with our community, and trust is built upon service. 2018 continued to see a reduction FBI indexed part I offenses. Policing has never been easy, but today, with the ever-increasing responsibilities and threats, it requires the balancing and understanding of multiple complex elements. Success rests in the ability to influence others with a result of effecting positive change. The Durango Police Department is committed to service. In order to build a sustainable agency, which can continue to effectively serve our community far into the future, we need invest and promote in our people and infrastructure to ensure the confidence of the public through the continued delivery of professional police services. Your Humble Servant, Robert Brammer, Interim Police Chief Page 1
MISSION & VISION STATEMENT
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DURANGO POLICE FACTS
CITY OF DURANGO POPULATION
18,465 SQUARE MILES
13.98 ELEVATION
6,512 DURANGO POLICE SWORN STAFF
55 DURANGO POLICE NON-SWORN STAFF
11 DISPATCHED CALLS FOR SERVICE
16,275 Page 3
CORE VALUES
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ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
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SOCIAL MEDIA The Durango Police Department launched a Facebook page in 2017 (www.facebook.com/DurangoPolice). Through social media, the Durango Police Department relays news, safety tips, department promotions, upcoming events, and the services we offer to our community. With our community’s involvement on our social media page, they have helped the Durango Police Department solve crimes, find criminals, and locate missing and endangered people. We also receive necessary feedback from our community via social media.
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CRIME STATISTICS
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TRAFFIC STATISTICS
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DETECTIVE BUREAU
Pictured (from left to right): Crime Analyst Tessa Reinhart, Detective Corporal Josh Newman, Detective Terry Brookins, Detective Sergeant Robert Taylor, Detective Kathleen O’Toole, Commander Ray Shupe, Detective Corporal Brad Roach.
The Durango Police Department’s Detective Bureau is staffed by one Sergeant, two Corporals, two Detectives and one Crime Analyst. The Detective Bureau is tasked with investigating all major felonies that occur within the City of Durango. Additionally, the bureau conducts follow-up investigations on all felonies where potential leads or suspects may develop.
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NOTABLE INVESTIGATIONS Homicides In April of 2018, Officers responded to an apartment complex for a report of an unconscious / non-responsive male. Responding officers discovered a deceased male inside his apartment. Investigators determined the male had been involved in a physical fight with an acquaintance a few days earlier and succumbed to injuries received during the altercation. This case was submitted to the Office of the District Attorney for consideration of charges. In June of 2018, the partially buried and badly decomposed body of a male was discovered by a local resident on the mountainside near a homeless community campsite. The cause of death was a result of blunt force trauma. The body was eventually identified through dental records. After numerous interviews, no suspects have been identified at this time. Armed Robbery In August of 2018, a male individual approached a group of females behind a local hotel, produced a handgun and demanded they hand over their purses. The females refused and told the robber to leave, which he did. The suspect and his vehicle were caught on surveillance video from nearby businesses. Detectives were able to identify the suspect. A warrant for the suspect arrest was obtained and he was eventually arrested in New Mexico. Escapees In August of 2018, a male inmate from the La Plata County Jail walked away from a work detail. After numerous sighting the inmate continued to evade capture. The following day another sighting was reported. Detectives responded to assist with setting up a perimeter and searching for the escapee. The escapee was located hiding in a yard of a residence and then taken into custody by the detectives. In April of 2018, inmates from the Robert Denier Youth Detention Facility escaped by cutting a hole in the perimeter fence and fleeing in a vehicle being operated by an accomplice. The vehicle and suspected accomplices were identified. After a high-speed pursuit that traveled through multiple jurisdictions all five inmates were captured, along with their accomplices.
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STRATEGIC PLANNING 2018 saw three quarters of implementation of strategic management goals and objectives being addressed throughout the Durango Police Department and in our community. The new Mission Statement and Vision Statement guided these goals in four key areas: Community Engagement, Crime Prevention and Control, Transportation Safety, and Enhancement of Infrastructure. The Strategic Plan continues to guide the personnel of the Durango Police Department as we fulfill our responsibilities to the community. The everchanging nature of policing and service continue to evolve the strategies of this living document to meet the needs of those we serve.
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The Durango Police Department is committed to community engagement and our goal is to forge partnerships with stakeholders to enable all vested parties to participate in developing a collective vision while continually improving policing for the City of Durango. The Durango Police Department partnered with our community and local businesses for many events and programs in 2018: Safety Town, Bike Rodeo for children, Police Car & Fire Truck Show & Tell with the Durango Public Library and Durango Fire & Rescue, Cones with Cops at the police department, Law Enforcement Memorial River Walk, National Night Out, Durango Police Department's Citizens’ Police Academy, Durango Harley-Davidson First Responders event, Community Input Town Hall Meeting, Three Springs Fall Festival, Halloween Spooktacular in the Central Business District, Coffee with a Cop, Tip a Cop at the Palace Restaurant, No Shave November for Special Olympics Colorado, Special Olympics Summer Games, Noel Night, Shop with a Cop, and a Winter Clothing Drive for the Southwest Safe House and the local homeless shelter.
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM (C.E.T.)
The Durango Police Department’s Community Engagement Team’s main purpose is to reduce the number of incidences of crime and to improve the quality of life in the City of Durango by making it a place where all people can live safely without fear. They achieve their mission by engaging with the citizens of Durango in a collaborative effort to address public safety issues through problem-solving policing. The Community Engagement Team (C.E.T.) was heavily involved in liquor compliance checks in 2018 with all businesses possessing a liquor license. They also engaged in multiple training activities with the liquor establishments. The results of their efforts were the reduction in the number of calls for service related to alcohol consumption. In 2018, C.E.T. engaged with a disabled veteran and worked with local businesses and the Veterans Affairs Office to repair his recreational vehicle, which became disabled near a local park in Durango. This enabled the veteran to pursue other opportunities.
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TRANSPORTATION SAFETY The Durango Police Department focuses on Transportation Safety to promote, encourage, and maintain safe movement of people and vehicles throughout the City of Durango through education and enforcement efforts.
The Durango Police Department’s Traffic Unit focuses on the following areas of Transportation Safety: TIMS (Traffic Incident Management System): The purpose is to ensure the safety of the first responders and the victims of an incident on the roads and to clear the incident scene to allow free and safe movement of traffic. Traffic / Speed Survey: The use of speed trailers to monitor and record the amount of traffic and speeds for a specific location. This information is used to determine the need and type of enforcement for the location. School Zone Enforcement: Enforcement of school zone speed limits during school times to ensure the safety of students walking to and from school. Red Light Enforcement: Enforcement of intersections’ red lights Speed Enforcement: Enforcement of the posted speed limits Crash Investigations: Investigations of minor to fatal crashes within the City limits Parking Enforcement: Enforcement of the Municipal parking ordinances Assisting the City of Durango with city functions such as parades, traffic directions, preparing parade routes, and other city events.
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TRAINING & TECHNOLOGY The Durango Police Department strives to provide team members with resources, equipment, and training essential to increase their capacity to perform their duties to the best of their abilities.
Members of the Durango Police Department received 7,080 hours of training in 2018.
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CRIME PREVENTION & CONTROL The Durango Police Department is committed to Crime Prevention and Control. We strive to maintain community safety by implementing strategies that protect life, property and preserving order by responding to emergencies, conducting thorough investigations, and providing education to our community through online public service announcements and meetings.
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CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM (C.I.T.) The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program is a community partnership of law enforcement, behavioral health professionals, and behavioral health consumers, families and advocates. The goal of the program is to help persons with mental health or substance use disorder issues access medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system due to illness related behaviors. Since 2003, Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) of Southwest Colorado has been providing police officers with new tools for identifying, preventing and de-escalating crisis situations. Actively utilizing these new skills, CIT officers can successfully prevent or de-escalate volatile crisis situations that may threaten both officer and citizens. Thirty of our Patrol Officers have attended the CIT training. The officers participated in 40 hours of classroom training, involving education on mental health and substance use disorder signs and symptoms, appropriate medications and side effects, use of verbal deescalation skills, active listening skills, and improved tactical responses. The highlight of the training was 11 hours of role-play practice with a specially trained troupe of professional actors who specialize in law enforcement training. To learn more about CIT of Southwest Colorado or to provide support for the program, please contact Linda Lute, Training Coordinator at 970-946-6465 or linda@lifepathdurango.com
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S.W.A.T. S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons and Tactics) officers tackle situations beyond the capability of Patrol. S.W.A.T. Officers are called in when an incident presents significant risk to the public or to law enforcement officers.
The Durango Police Department’s S.W.A.T. members include twelve Operators, four Snipers, and six Hostage Crisis Negotiators.
Each S.W.A.T. team member had 100 hours of ongoing training throughout the year. S.W.A.T. members also attended outside training, including: Team Leader Development, N.T.O.A. basic S.W.A.T., N.T.O.A. Chemical Munitions, N.T.O.A. Tactical Conference, and 40 Hour basic S.W.A.T.
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SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
The Durango Police Department is very active in all of our city schools. The Durango Police Department deploys School Resource Officers at the schools throughout the City of Durango. These officers teach in the classroom and are on campus to assist with security needs. The School Resource Officers offer open lines of communication between the Durango Police Department, students, and school staff. In 2018, the Durango Police Department added a School Resource Corporal and the department is working with the 9R School District to add additional School Resource Officers in the future. Our School Resource Officers oversee many community outreach programs, including Safety Town. Safety Town is a program that teaches various safety subjects to children between the ages of five and seven years of age. The program begins at the conclusion of the school year.
In 2018, the School Resource Officers: Gave approximately 270 hours in presentations. Participated in approximately 21 events with students & 9R staff. Received 245 hours of training. Page 19
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
The Durango Police Department is very involved in the Safe2Tell Colorado program, which ensures that every student, parent, teacher and community member has access to a safe and anonymous way to report any concerns about their safety or the safety of others. An anonymous report can be made any time by downloading the Safe2Tell Colorado mobile app, completing a web report online at the safe2tellco.org website, or by calling 1-877-5427233 (SAFE). School officials and law enforcement who receive a Safe2Tell Colorado tip report are required to inform the program of the results and outcomes of the tip, ensuring accountability and follow-up on each and every tip received.
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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Local governments are expected to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to a variety of potential emergency situations from severe weather to domestic terrorism. When an emergency occurs, they are ready to meet the critical needs of the community as a whole. The City of Durango has a well-defined Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and all City Departments have a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). The Emergency Manager manages the development and implementation of emergency management and hazard mitigation programs and policies.
Terry Hoecker has served as the City of Durango Emergency Operations Coordinator since January of 2007. His title changed in March of 2017 to City of Durango Emergency Manager. He is a certified Planning Section Chief for the State of Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, a board member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, the recipient of the 2012 Public Safety Award for Civilian of the Year, and the recipient of the 2013 Southwest Region Emergency Manager of the Year Award. Local governments are expected to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to a variety of potential emergency situations from severe weather to domestic terrorism. When an emergency occurs, they are ready to meet the critical needs of the community as a whole. The City of Durango has a well-defined Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and all City Departments have a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). The Emergency Manager manages the development and implementation of emergency management and hazard mitigation programs and policies. Citizens play a big part in emergency situations and therefore are relied upon to remain calm and think clearly with the assurance that they are supported by reliable and well trained emergency response personnel. For additional information, refer to www.durangogov.org, or if you have suggestions, contact the Emergency Manager, Terry Hoecker, at (970) 375-4739.
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CITIZENS’ POLICE ACADEMY The Citizens’ Police Academy is a 12-week program designed to provide residents of La Plata County, firsthand information on how the Durango Police Department works. The Department seeks to fill each program with a cross-section of community representation. Participation in the Academy requires a commitment of one night a week. The Academy is designed to increase understanding, through education, between citizens and police. Our intent is to acquaint citizens with law enforcement’s role in the criminal justice system, and to provide an increased understanding and overview of police work. As a caution, the Academy is not designed to make its participants certified police officers. The contents of the program are of an informative nature only and it is not intended that the participants have the authority of, or act as police officers. Instructors include a variety of members from the Durango Police Department, who bring years of experience and training to the classroom. The sessions include information about domestic violence, gangs, patrol operations, traffic, community policing, tactical response and investigations, as well as a little history about where we have been, where we are at, and where we are going. In one of the electives, participants will have the option of firing several different weapons. Each participant will “ride along” in a patrol car to see firsthand what officers see and hear, and what they are trained to do in a variety of circumstances. Participants may spend time observing in the Central Communications Center (Dispatch) and hear actual calls for service, as well as the dispatching of officers to those calls. Throughout the Academy, participants are encouraged to ask questions and discuss topics with members of the Department. Apply online at: durangogov.org/citizensacademy. If you have questions, please call 970375-4701. You will be notified if you are selected for the next program. There is no fee for the Academy.
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K-9 PROGRAM In June of 2018, K-9 Betty joined the Durango Police Department. Betty’s handler, Officer Justin Moore, trains with Betty weekly. Betty is trained as a dual purposed narcotics detection and patrol K-9 and she is certified through the NPCA. For narcotics work, Betty is trained to alert to heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA. For Patrol work, Betty is trained for building searches, area searches for evidence and/or people, tracking, criminal apprehension, and handler protection. Since Betty started with the Durango Police Department, she has helped us seize a great deal of narcotics and she has assisted with searches for us and for other agencies. The Durango Police Department hopes to expand our K-9 division with a second K-9 and handler in the future.
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BODY-WORN CAMERAS
The Durango Police Department is committed to utilizing the latest technology to enhance public safety and to ensure that Durango Police Officers maintain the high standards of professionalism by the department. The Durango Police Department has utilized in-car cameras in the field for the past ten years. The department took another step in expanding recording capabilities by implementing the use of body-worn cameras at the end of 2018. Policy was implemented based off of the best practices throughout the nation, researching other police departments, input from our citizens via a Town Hall meeting and an online survey, input from the District Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office, as well as input from the Sexual Assault Services Organization and Victim Advocate Services. A pilot group of Durango Police officers were equipped with the cameras at the end of 2018. The pilot group was used to evaluate the workload that would be placed on our Property Technicians and our Records Technicians, including the capturing and storing of additional digital media. All Durango Police Patrol Officers will be equipped with the body-worn cameras in 2019. The in car-cameras are also being replaced with the same software as the body-worn cameras in 2019.
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