2019 Flagstaff Police Department Annual Report
Project Manager Jennifer Brown
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS Mission Statement ................................................................................................................................................... 2 Message from the Chief ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Command Staff Organizational Chart ...................................................................................................................... 7 Vision Statement ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Organizational Goals ................................................................................................................................................ 9 Office of Professional Standards ............................................................................................................................ 11 Awards and Recognitions ....................................................................................................................................... 14 Personnel Demographics ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Police Employees per 1,000 Citizens ...................................................................................................................... 34 Field Operations – Patrol Division .......................................................................................................................... 35 Traffic Enforcement ............................................................................................................................................... 51 Emergency Services ............................................................................................................................................... 57 Criminal Investigations........................................................................................................................................... 61 Part One Crime Statistics ...................................................................................................................................... 63 Street Crime Task Force ......................................................................................................................................... 73 Community Relations ............................................................................................................................................. 75 Support Services Organizational Chart .................................................................................................................. 83 Emergency Communications ................................................................................................................................. 84 Records .................................................................................................................................................................. 88 Special Services ...................................................................................................................................................... 91 Promotions ............................................................................................................................................................ 93 Retired Employees ................................................................................................................................................. 94
Flagstaff Police Department Websites http://www.flagstaff.az.gov/422/Police-Department http://www.fpdtransparency.com/ https://www.facebook.com/FlagstaffPoliceDepartment/ Next Door Neighbor Page 1
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
The mission of the Flagstaff Police Department is to protect and preserve life, property, public order and the rights of the individual, by providing exemplary service through the establishment of a partnership of shared responsibility, support and trust with law-abiding members of the community.
We value life - preserving life is our highest priority. We value the Constitution - it provides equal and enforceable standards for all. We value integrity – we recognize integrity as the basis for mutual respect and trust. We value service - by providing exemplary service we enhance our credibility and establish trust with the community. We value quality of life - We value our role in promoting an environment that enables people to preserve or enhance their quality of life through a partnership of shared responsibility and trust.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 It is with pleasure and pride that I present the 2019 Flagstaff Police Department Annual Report. This past year has been a year of great progress for the Flagstaff Police Department and our service to the community. The Department once again relied heavily on our strategic plan, accomplishing the vast majority of short and mid-term goals identified by our staff. Progress was also made on many of the longterm goals outlined in the plan. As is usually the case, many of these goals identify ways the Department can strengthen and enhance new and existing partnerships and enhance trust and transparency in our community. In 2019, we again invested in projects enhancing our community policing initiatives. With support from the Flagstaff City Manager’s Office, in December, we contracted with Fair and Impartial Policing, LLC to present their 8-hour course on Fair & Impartial Policing: A Science-Based Perspective to all Officers on the Flagstaff Police Department. This course was very well received and culminated in a four-hour community presentation and discussion on the topic of implicit bias held on January 9, 2020. In 2019, we also introduced “Coffee with a Cop” to our community, hosting two events, one in October and another in November. Both events were well attended and generated excellent conversation between members of our community and uniformed officers. We also developed an “e-watch” online program allowing citizens to place close patrols on their residence when out of town via the internet. In November, we hosted our first ever High School recruitment fair with students from both Flagstaff HS and Coconino HS meeting directly with our officers to explore a future career in law enforcement. In 2019, we partnered with Axon, the vendor supplying the department with body cameras to beta test a program allowing supervisors to randomly select officer video to audit their performance in the field. We also continued to strengthen our Citizens Liaison Committee by hosting monthly meetings with this group throughout the year and sponsoring quarterly community presentations on a variety of topics. Officers continued to sponsor community support meetings throughout 2019, holding 347 such meetings, averaging nearly one per day last year. Officers continued to attend various block watch meetings throughout the community and participate in dozens of Boards and Commissions to support our many partners. Also, in 2019, we held two well attended and critically acclaimed citizen police academies, hosted the best attended National Night Out in the Department’s history, and served more families during our annual Christmas Toy Drive than ever before. Our Department maintained a strong social media presence throughout the year, updating our Facebook page and website often with helpful information for the public, and perhaps most importantly, continued our use of the Flagstaff PD Transparency.com website to post police reports, policies and body camera video immediately following critical incidents in our community. In April, the Flagstaff Police Department celebrated the opening of the Dream Court at Cogdill Recreation Center where the Boys and Girls Club is housed. This Dream Court was a two-year initiative between the Department, the Nancy Lieberman Charity and the Bridge Church to install a 40-year, $40,000 basketball court for the youth of our community. Last year, we continued our popular “Night Court” program at Hal Jensen and brought a similar program during daylight hours to the new Dream Court. Officers were also equipped with basketballs and encouraged to randomly stop on patrol and play a game of hoops with local youth in our community, donating the ball when the opportunity presented itself. The Flagstaff Police Department works closely with all law enforcement agencies in the region. There is no finer example of this collaboration than the Northern Arizona Street Crimes Task Force. This is a multiagency, street crimes and narcotics task force that has been in existence for over thirty years. The Flagstaff Police Department Page 3
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 supports this initiative by providing office space, and employing an administrative assistant, unit Sergeant, two officers/agents and a Lieutenant who oversees the operation. In mid-2019, this unit completed a yearlong narcotics investigation, which will culminate in 67 arrests/indictments for individuals involved in narcotics trafficking in Flagstaff. This task force has also been involved in prostitution and human trafficking interdiction operations in 2019. To best allocate our limited resources, the Flagstaff Police Department employs the CompStat program. This program entails an indepth study of crime trends every month, with a supervisory meeting monthly to discuss crime and hot spots in the community. Goals for numbers of arrests are replaced with crime reduction goals and operations and projects are formulated using data that reflects where crime is occurring, who is committing it and the root problem of the criminal activity. These tactics resulted in the Department achieving many of its goals in reducing criminal activity in 2019. The community benefitted from reductions in robberies, burglaries, larceny theft and shoplifting incidents last year. Property crime fell 3% in Flagstaff in 2019, with a 3% reduction in crime overall. The Department is monitoring a couple of concerning trends. The community experienced an increase in sexual assaults in 2019 (eight more cases representing a 30% increase). Four of these cases are late reported (the incident happened in previous years), but it is a trend we are monitoring carefully, and will continue to work with our partners (NAU, Northern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault-NACASA, Victim Witness and others) as we enter 2020. This single category was almost entirely responsible for a 2% increase in violent crime in 2019. We also monitored a significant increase in reported domestic violence cases throughout 2019. The year ended with a 21% increase in DV. We have experienced a 25% decrease in DV in Flagstaff cumulatively over the past five years, so this was a complete reversal of that trend. Our analysis shows at least one third of these incidents involve non-intimate partners, with increases in sibling and parent/child incidents pronounced. Additionally, with the influx of student housing in Flagstaff, it is important to note that per statute, the DV classification is placed on all incidents involving roommates living under the same roof. We will once again work closely with our partners (victim witness, the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, the Coordinated Community Response Team and others) to continue to monitor and address this trend. In closing, 2019 was a very successful year for the Flagstaff Police Department in terms of hiring and retaining qualified personnel. In 2019, we hired 18 police officers, 20 civilian employees and 2 interns. We conducted 70 background investigations on prospective applicants. After nearly a decade of difficulties recruiting qualified people for the law enforcement profession, (a nationwide trend), in 2020, the Flagstaff Police Department is excited to announce that on paper, all vacancies in patrol are currently filled. While we are still operating at 20% below our authorized strength due to officers in the Academy or in Field training, we are finally in a position where our patrol force can start to fill vacant slots and ensure minimum staffing requirements are met without incurring overtime. As we begin 2020, we are filling some valuable vacant specialty positions such as an officer assigned to the US Marshall Fugitive detail. We are also filling slots on our Selective Enforcement Squad which will allow us to better address quality of life issues through highly visible proactive directed patrol efforts in various parts of the City. These new resources should significantly enhance our officer’s ability to make self-initiated traffic stops and conduct field interviews and close patrols- all activities inherent in preventing crime and keeping our motoring public safe. I am very proud of the hard work and dedication of the fine men and women of the Flagstaff Police Department. With the achievements made in 2019 and the anticipation of even more progress in 2020, we look forward to the future secure in the knowledge the City we serve is supportive of our efforts to keep Flagstaff safe, and will continue to partner with us in keeping it that way. Kevin Treadway Chief, Flagstaff Police Department
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
The Flagstaff Police Department will be a model public safety agency, committed to public service first, through professional, effective and equitable enforcement of federal, state and local laws. To fulfill this vision, the Flagstaff Police Department is dedicated to providing a quality work environment and to the development of its members through effective training and leadership, and to ensure its members are cared for both physically and mentally. Through this mission and vision we achieve our Department Motto of “Ad Honorem,”
meaning “in honorable service of others, without expectation of personal gain.”
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Property Crime: Improve security for the citizens of Flagstaff by addressing the high rate of property crimes. 2019 Goal: Reduce property crimes to be within 20% of the National Benchmark in CY 18. The 2018 National Benchmark is at 27.33 property crimes per 1,000 residents. 2019 Actual: CY 19 consisted of 35 property crimes reported and investigated per 1,000 residents, a decrease from the 36 in CY 18. We will continue to work toward achieving the National Benchmark. 2019 Goal: Maintain the current outstanding clearance rate for property crimes in comparison to the 2019 National Benchmark of 19.7% by identifying and aggressively pursuing prosecution of repeat offenders while maximizing the use of Property Crimes Detectives to employ intelligenceled policing. 2019 Actual: In CY 19 our property crime clearance rate was 40%, which is 103% higher than the National Benchmark of 19.7%. Goals to Enhance Quality of Life: Enhance the quality of life for Flagstaff’s citizens by expanding our community policing philosophy of promoting partnerships of shared responsibility, support, and trust with law-abiding members of the community. 2019 Goal: A 5% increase in participation in all community policing programs from CY 18. 2019 Actual: In 2019, we conducted 347 community support meetings resulting in a 7% decrease. 2019 Goal: A 5% reduction in public intoxicant contacts from CY 18 (3440). 2019 Actual: In CY 19 we contacted 3,058 public intoxicants, a decrease of 11%. 2019 Goal: Maintain Part II drug arrests to exceed the National Benchmark of 4.8 arrests per 1,000 residents. 2019 Actual: Arrests for Part II drug offenses resulted in 10.7 arrests per 1,000 residents.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
PUBLIC SAFETY GOALS Community Safety: Improve community safety by collaborating with agency partners and the community, while fully utilizing all investigating resources, prosecution, and disposition of all Part I crimes and domestic violence cases. 2019 Goal: Maintain a clearance rate for Part I violent crimes to meet the 2019 National Benchmark of 48% for CY 19. 2019 Actual: Our clearance rate for Part I violent crime in CY 19 was 93%. 2019 Goal: Reduce Part I violent crimes to meet the 2019 National Benchmark of 3.68 per 1,000 residents through increased enforcement activities by patrol officers. 2019 Actual: CY 19 our community experienced 301 violent crimes, for a rate of 4.13 per 1,000 residents slightly higher than the National Benchmark. CY 19 had a 1% increase from CY 18. CY 18 violent crimes were 297. 2019 Goal: Reduce domestic violence incidents by 5% from CY 18. 2019 Actual: In CY 19 - 1,809 domestic violence incidents were investigated, an increase of 21%.
Goals to Reduce Collisions: Collision Reduction: Promote traffic safety on Flagstaff’s streets by identifying and targeting the causes of motor vehicle collisions and providing highly visible deterrents. 2019 Goal: Reduce collisions by 5% from CY 08 (3,129 collisions) and maintain this number through CY 19. 2019 Actual: In 2019 - we investigated 2,843 traffic collisions which are a 9% reduction from CY 08 numbers. 2019 Goal: Maintain a level of DUI arrests to exceed the Benchmark of 3.5 DUI arrests per 1,000 residents. 2019 Actual: In CY 19 – we made 488 DUI arrests for an arrest rate of 6.6 per 1,000 residents.
Responsiveness: 2019 Goal: Assure response time to priority one calls remain below the National Benchmark of 5.52 minutes. 2019 Actual: In CY 19 our average response time to priority one calls was 4.48 minutes.
2019 Goal: Achieve a 5% reduction in sustained complaints from CY 09 (13 sustained complaints). 2019 Actual: In CY19, 9 complaints were sustained. A 76% decrease from 2009. 2019 Goal: Maintain CY 08 positive customer service survey rates that exceed the National Benchmark of 77%. 2019 Actual: In CY 19, our positive response rate on customer service surveys was 93%.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 The Office of Professional Standards is staffed with one Sergeant. The Sergeant works directly for the Chief of Police, this Sergeant is responsible for coordinating and overseeing professional standards investigations, shooting investigations, audits, and inspections, pre-employment background investigations, drug screening policies, administrative research projects and review of the use of force reports. Hiring Over 70 applications were accepted for sworn officer positions, including recruits and lateral positions. Seventy pre-employment background investigations were conducted resulting in the hiring of 18 police officers. Qualified applicants proceeded through the application process which includes a written examination, physical agility test, oral board interviews, and extensive background investigations. Over 80 applications for civilian positions were accepted. Twenty-five background investigations were conducted resulting in the hiring a total of twenty dispatchers and administrative specialists. We also hired two interns and one volunteer to join our team. Pre-Academy, Academy and Post-Academy orientation were conducted in 2019 resulting in over 9,648 hours of police officer training. The orientations provide information on what to expect as a recruit in the police academy, successfully complete the academy and post training. It is coordinated by the Office of Professional Standards Sergeant with the assistance of Training Officers. Internal Affairs The Office of Professional Standards Sergeant accepts, assigns, tracks and investigates external and internal complaints regarding alleged employee misconduct. The department thoroughly investigates all complaints involving employees to preserve public and enhance trust in the police. All investigations are conducted in accordance with applicable department standards and the law. In most cases, the supervisor of the employee conducts the investigations into the alleged misconduct. The Office of Professional Standards investigates allegations of serious misconduct and those that are complex in nature. The command staff, including the Chief, reviews all citizen complaints and internal affairs investigations to approve the findings. All complainants are contacted at the end of the investigation.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 DISPOSITION OF CITIZEN COMPLAINTS Disposition
Number
Percent
9 3
16% 5.4%
36 5 3 0 0 56
64.2% 9% 5.4% 0% 0% 100%
Sustained Partially Sustained Unfounded Exonerated Not Sustained Policy Failure Withdrawn Total
Citizen Complaints by Ethnic Origin of Complainant Caucasian 61%
Unknown 7% Asian 0%
Caucasian Hispanic African American Native American
Native American 12% African American 9%
Hispanic 11%
Asian Unknown
Citizen Complaints by Ethnic Origin of Complainant Caucasian
34
61%
Hispanic
6
11%
African American
5
9%
Native American
7
12%
Asian
0
0%
Unknown
4
7%
Total
56
100%
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 DISPOSITION OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION COMPLAINTS Disposition
Number
Sustained
11
78.6%
Partially Sustained
0
0%
Not Sustained
0
0%
Unfounded
3
21.4%
14
100%
Total
Percent
Disposition of Internal Affairs Investigation Complaints Unfounded, 3, 21% Partially Sustained, 0, 0%
Sustained, 11, 79%
Not Sustained, 0, 0% Sustained
Partially Sustained
Not Sustained
Unfounded
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
ANNUAL AWARDS
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2019 Flagstaff Police Department Officer of the Year Dustin Eberhardt Det. Eberhardt has been with the Flagstaff Police Department for over Seven (7) years. During that time he served several years on patrol and has served the last two (2) years as a detective with the Northern Arizona Metro Narcotics Task Force. Early in his career Det. Eberhardt was hand selected by Lt. Lasiewicki and Sgt. Van Ooteghem to be a field training officer. They realized early on that Det. Eberhardt had the leadership qualities they wanted in a field training officer. As he honed his leadership skills he became known as one of the “go to” training officers when there was an Officer in Training (OIT) who needed extra attention. His leadership style and communications skills allowed him to connect with OIT’s in a positive way allowing them to learn in situations where other trainers were not as successful. Det. Eberhardt showed leadership on a daily basis aside from training. On scenes, no matter how hectic, Eberhardt was always able to maintain a calm demeanor and communicate with people on multiple levels. His peers learned from this tactic and employed it themselves, proof of Eberhardt’s ability to lead by example. Eberhardt consistently held numbers of high self initiated activity, almost always leading his squads in activity, usually having more felony arrests than the rest of the squad combined. This activty encouraged his peers to follow suit. His leadership skills continued to advance once he was assigned to the METRO unit. He has been tasked with training new detectives in Metro, where again he was highly successful. As many know the Metro unit is small, and with an intense workload. Det. Eberhadt was able to maintain his workload while successfully training new detectives. When we think of qualities we want to see in a leader, one of the most important ones is of a show of respect. Almost on a daily basis does a patrol officer get some Eberhardt wisdom. Eberhardt answers a lot of these mentoring phone calls while off duty at home with his family. Detective Eberhardt was chosen as a team leader during Operation Riptide (a recent drug offender round up). Eberhardt was given a target list and a group of officers from a multitude of agencies. He was tasked with investigating his targets locations, putting together target packets, assigning team member responsibilities, and organzing an operational briefing. Eberhardt stood tall as a leader in his group and was able to organize and carry out the operation flawlessly.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 In another leadership example, Eberhardt saw what he thought could be an improved defensive tactics program at the Flagstaff Police Department. He came to me enthousiatically asking if he could go to defensive tactics instructor school, because he wanted our officers to be safer. Since then he and Detective Hutchinson have taken over the post academy Defensive Tactics class, improving it drastically. He also added a much needed section on officer mental health and how to positivley deal with stress. While on patrol Eberhardt had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a juvenile suicide. Every year since that day Eberhardt has taken his personal time to meet with the juveniles family and they are still very appreciative of him. Eberhardt gives this kind of attention to everyone he encounters in the community. For his committment to leadership, our agency, and our community, we are happy to announce Dustin Eberhardt as the Flasgstaff Police Officer of the year.
2019 Civilian Employee of the Year Val Hernandez Excellence Award Jen Brown Mrs. Jennifer Brown is an essential piece of our Leadership team at the Flagstaff Police Department. Seldom does a day go by when we do not hear someone thanking Jen for something she has done or an improvement which she helped make happen. Jen is an effective communicator; she keeps lines of communication open with her staff and other employees. She regularly puts out emails and training bulletins to keep our employees in the know. Jen can often be found rallying employees in support of their own health and wellness as well as in support of many charitable events. She coordinates blood drives, food drives, and book drives as well as actively participates in the Special Olympics organization. Jen has been involved in almost every major operational project we have done this past year to include: upgrade to body worn cameras, purchasing basketballs for Dream Court, purchasing a new evidence freezer and fail-safe alarm, purchasing two E-bikes and equipment for our E-Bike Patrol program, and the On-Call Records management system upgrade. Jen comes to work with a positive attitude, her working relationships with employees of the Department, City, and members of the public are second to none. She is always willing to help employees out and go the extra mile to solve their issues. She expresses herself in a positive manner and always speaks highly of our organization. For these reasons and the many more that are outstanding but often go unnoticed we feel she is most deserving of the Val Hernandez Memorial (Civilian of the Year) award.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2019 Exchange Club Officer of the Year Sgt. Charles Hernandez II Sergeant Charles Hernandez II has been employed at the City of Flagstaff since 2005. He attended the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy in Phoenix Arizona. During his time as an officer, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Grand Canyon University and is currently on obtaining a master’s degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Criminal Law. Throughout his 15 years with the Flagstaff Police many have witnessed Sgt. Hernandez’s selfless commitment to the department and to the community. This summer Sgt. Hernandez took it upon himself to organize a group of officers to build a ramp for a former volunteer of the department when he realized she was having difficulty getting up and down the stairs of her residence. The officers led by Sgt. Hernandez, worked on the weekends and on their time off until the project was completed. Sgt. Hernandez was recently assigned as the Public Information Sergeant for the Police Department and he did not waste any time getting involved in community events and making improvements to community programs that had already been established. He oversaw organizing National Night Out and it was one of the best attended events of the many that have been hosted. There was an excellent community turnout and it received positive reviews from all that attended. Sgt. Hernandez has worked to improve the curriculum of the Citizens Police Academy to include other sections of the department and other agencies. This allows citizens to have a full idea of how every section of the department can work together to provide quality service to the citizens. These are just a few of many examples of the work Sgt. Hernandez is doing to improve community relations with the Police Department. There is no one more deserving of this honor than Sgt. Hernandez. Sgt. Hernandez is always polite, compassionate, caring and consistent when performing his duties. This is important, as treating another with respect, is the goal of building trust within the community. His actions of exemplary service are in line with the mission of the Flagstaff Police Department.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2019 Eric J. Lindstrom Leadership Award Sgt. Collin Seay Collin Seay was hired by the Flagstaff Police department in July of 2006. He hit the ground running and has never stopped. He is described as mission driven and goal oriented. He inspires those officers who have worked for him and those in his chain of command. As a long-time member of the SWAT team, Collin inspires meaningful training and appropriate professionalism and performance in a very high stress environment. He often coordinates trainings and seeks out webinars and de-briefs to bring back to the SWAT team. He helped coordinate active shooter trainings for multiple departments at a vacant school. This highly realistic training was put on by Collin and some peers who trained over 100 local law enforcement officers on active shooter response. Collin has done an exemplary job this past year in the area of recruiting and hiring qualified applicants in both dispatch hand patrol. For the first time in about 30 years our officer ranks in patrol are fully staffed. Collin does not stop working with the recruits once they are hired. Collin attends police academy graduations and sets the stage to continue to mentor our new recruits through their formative years, letting them know he is only a call away for any needed advice. Collin is part of the daily champion building work out sessions which take place over the lunch hour at the Flagstaff Police Department gym. He is always rallying new and existing employees to join in the fun (a high intensity workout session or two). Collin pontificates that keeping fit is the best way to help combat fatigue and stress. In his most recent role as Professional Standards Sergeant, Collin has done a better job than most of breaking down the barriers between line level staff and his office, he is approachable and affable. Collin is easy to talk with but demanding of professionalism and ethical behavior. Collin’s file is full of letters and commendations which represent the type of service-oriented leader he is. The Eric J. Lindstrom Leadership Award should be presented to an officer who demonstrates exceptional leadership among their peers. They should daily present themselves in a pristine uniform and carry out their duties with the utmost professionalism. This officer should routinely present their peers with useful in-service training whether simple or complex. They should be an officer who is sought for advice in any situation from simple investigations to the most dynamic of police matters. This officer should strive to maintain the highest levels of teamwork and demonstrate this to their peers. Above all, this officer should be known as someone who will help their fellow officers in any situation whether on or off duty. We feel Sgt. Collin Seay exemplifies the requirements for this award.
Page 18 Army Staff Sergeant Eric Lindstrom, a former Flagstaff Police Officer was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan.
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2019 VFW Officer of the Year Eric Tomperi Officer Tomperi has been with the Flagstaff Police Department for six years. During his career with the Flagstaff Police Department, he has become a General Instructor, Field Training Officer and Mobile Field Force Instructor. Officer Tomperi has also spent most of his patrol career as the city-wide roving officer, which is a position held by the officer on the squad with the most experience, skills, and work ethic. Officer Tomperi constantly shows leadership on his squad both on and off patrol. Aside from excelling in his day to day activities, he volunteers to jump calls for squad mates and provides backup to officers even if they don' t request it. Tomperi takes time to coach and debrief with other officers after calls to promote leaning and growth for the officers around him. Tomperi often does in-service trainings for his squad to further teach and encourage them. Tomperi understands the stress that being a peace officer can bring and the harsh consequences that can come when the pressures of the job compound. He understands that high morale is essential for officers to provide excellent service to the community and have successful lives outside of work. He makes a huge effort to maintain a sense of light-heartedness and comic relief to his squad when things are feeling tense. He is quick with a joke, showing off the latest dance move, or making snow angels. Tomperi's leadership also expands outside of the formal structure. He understands the importance of morale and squad cohesiveness. To implement these things, he promotes physical fitness and squad comradery by working out with his squad members daily. He also makes it a point to spend time with his squad mates outside of a work environment. He has arranged out of work activities such as squad movie nights and planned out of town trips with his team. He was voted the “MVP� after the Police department beat the fire department in a rib eating contest benefitting charities. Officer Tomperi has a firm understanding of policing and the importance of where policing is heading. He chose to become a Field Training Officer and General Instructor. He has volunteered to train seven new officers this past year, which accounts for over six months of training. He instills ethics, hard work, and a guardian-servant mindset in all the officers he trains. He teaches the importance of speaking to those he encounters respect and dignity, all while assuring officer safety. Tomperi is a prominent figure in the community, standing six feet seven inches tall and weighing 275 pounds. Despite his intimidating stature and ability to physically dominate most situations, he makes it an emphasis to act and speak calmly and always strives to deescalate tense situations. He makes this a pillar in his training. Tomperi teaches his trainees the true value of community policing and the skills to accompany community policing. He encourages his trainees to get to know bar security, convenience store clerks and other known community members by name. By doing this, his trainees have learned the value of creating a shared partnership with the community to prevent crime and improve quality of life. Officer Tomperi is a regular on the Flagstaff Police Department Facebook page and is often found on YouTube entertaining and building connections with the public. He dressed up in a Santa hat and festive tie and went and Page 19
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 sang Christmas carols at local elementary schools to promote toy donations. He has volunteered every year to do "Shop with a Cop" where he volunteers his time making sure underprivileged children receive time and attention with him, along with Christmas gifts. Officer Tomperi is an exemplary and truly professional officer on the road and within the walls of the police department, but he does not let his impact stop there. Officer Tomperi is an ambassador of the Flagstaff Police Department to the Flagstaff Community. He takes time on a normal basis on shift and off shift to build a bridge between the police and the community. We are excited to have him selected as the Veterans of foreign wars officer of the year.
2019 Flagstaff Law Enforcement Association Officer of the Year Officer Drew Emanuel Over the last year, Ofc. Emanuel has displayed a level of commitment to the Flagstaff Police Department above all others. In 2017, Ofc. Emanuel was hit with a blow to his physical health causing him to move from his full-time patrol duties to a light duty capacity. For over a year, Ofc. Emanuel struggled with the unknown related to medical issues without end or a diagnosis in sight. He continued to work at the Police Department in a light duty capacity, working the station desk and talking calls for service from the office over the phone. Ofc. Emanuel continued to work hard, identifying several issues related to Patrol and Criminal Investigations in which he made suggestions to better various processes in each field. His passion for the job was unwavering, even being put into the dullest role at the department, Ofc. Emanuel stayed positive and focused all his effort into the time he was at work. Over the next several months, Ofc. Emanuel continued to prioritize his work, constantly citing the fact that if he did not do the job, no one would. This was unfortunately very true. Even when told he could take it easy and do much less than expected in his physical state, Ofc. Emanuel continued to lead the department in documented reports taken, cases resolved and closed, and endlessly assisted his fellow patrol officers with tying up their cases and conducting in-depth follow up, without being asked. He streamlined the attachments process, essentially eliminating the need for individual officers to have to file and document their paperwork afterhours. Ofc. Emanuel took it upon himself to constantly take on additional duties that officers were often tasked with at the end of their shift, such as booking and documenting evidence, booking safekeeping and labeling data. Ofc. Emanuel also took it upon himself to streamline and update the procedures for submitting Case Reviews to the City and County Attorney’s Offices, working directly with the City Attorney to ensure that Officers were submitting requests correctly, and also filtered through the several hundred requests, updating cases that had fallen by the wayside to ensure their disposition was updated accordingly in the reports management system so that cases would not be left unattended. During his streamlining process, Ofc. Emanuel identified several instances where case reviews were being submitted incorrectly and took it upon himself to communicate the issues to the Administration and conducted several Page 20
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 in service trainings to all Patrol Squads to ensure everyone in the organization was up to date on the correct processes, ultimately fixing the problems that had been associated with the submitting of poorly written charging requests and order of protection violations over the last several years. In addition to these tasks, Ofc. Emanuel took it upon himself to clear out the pending cases log, single handedly going through over 1400+ pending cases, conducting follow up and closing the cases based on various dispositions to ensure that the cases did not fall to the wayside. He put his time and effort into other Officers’ work, including Officers who are no longer employed at the department, or are on leave themselves, in order to ease their duties so they could focus on what they were dealing with at hand in their active duty capacities. Administrative staff, patrol supervisors and fellow patrol officers have commended and thanked Ofc. Emanuel daily for assisting with their pending cases. Ofc. Emanuel not only dedicated himself to working the desk and handling primarily station and telephonic calls for service, but he routinely and repeatedly would check pending calls for service for patrol road officers and handle several calls from the desk position. By doing this, Ofc. Emanuel was able to clear multiple calls for service that would require an on-road officer to respond to; and by doing such, patrol officers were able to dedicate more of their shift to proactive work and initiatives set forth by the Flagstaff Police Department. Ofc. Emanuel typically handles 25-30 calls for services a shift, often ending with multiple departmental or supplemental reports, but that did not deter him from taking more reports to assist his fellow squad mates and officers in general. During his time on light duty, Ofc. Emanuel did not simply rest and do the bare minimum, as is often done by others who are in a similar diminished capacity. Ofc. Emanuel instead took it upon himself to attend the Terrorism Liaison Officer Course in early 2019 where he honed his skills as an investigator, obtained several new tools and resources that he has applied to assist FPD officers on the daily, to include, facial recognition analysis requests, license plate reader requests/research, LexisNexis information searches, and coordinating with the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center to obtain updated information on active cases which resulted in the identification and arrest of several high profile suspects. By using his expanded skills from the office, Ofc. Emanuel acted as the patrol division’s own Intelligence Analyst, assisting in the identification and apprehension of several high-profile felony cases to include the apprehension of two individuals involved in a multi-case theft ring, which began with a theft of an individual’s luggage in Winslow, Arizona. Ofc. Emanuel was able to track the credit card use in Winslow and Flagstaff, identifying the suspects who were later caught in several incidents shoplifting and trafficking stolen property to further their drug habit. A separate case involved in-depth follow up investigation into an individual who was abusing his ex-girlfriend, which culminated in the attempted homicide of the girlfriend. Ofc. Emanuel’s investigation uncovered further felony crimes associated to the suspect, and ultimately police were able to charge several hefty felony charges against him. Additionally, Ofc. Emanuel assisted with closing several ongoing cases involving an individual who was targeting and terrorizing a local police partner and Loss Prevention (LP) agent, in which other officers had conducted incomplete or minimal investigations, leaving the problem unaddressed. Upon Ofc. Emanuel’s involvement, he took the several individual cases, combined them, and was able to ascertain the suspects’ identity, and successfully closed the multiple cases that had been previously closed without any leads. He took it upon himself to fully investigate an ongoing problem that had been treated as a minor issue, ultimately culminating in several felony charges against the suspect and ending the ongoing abuse of the LP agent. Ofc. Emanuel most recently, utilized his information analysis skills to identify a current location for an aggravated assault suspect and attempted homicide suspect, by utilizing online tools to identify Page 21
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 local information and directing officers to a current address, allowing patrol officers to locate, interview and arrest the suspect of a brutal assault involving a hatchet that took place on a local urban trail. The above-mentioned incidents are simply a handful of cases orchestrated by Ofc. Emanuel. There were several more cases of varying magnitude that were commended and should not go unnoticed. Without Ofc. Emanuel’s perseverance and dedication to his calling, putting all his effort into his work, the Flagstaff Police Department would notice the void that would be the commitment Ofc. Emanuel has to his duties. Ofc. Emanuel’s extreme effort to ensure that others have to work less, indicates his passion for the work, even when undergoing several shortfalls which would set a normal person into a reduced capacity. Ofc. Emanuel has proven that, even in a reduced capacity, he was able to work harder and more constructively than 75% of the current patrol division. Without his influence at the department, even in a light duty capacity, the Flagstaff Police Department patrol division would have seen an increase in work needing to be completed and an added stress on officers already struggling to do the basic tasks their job requires. Ofc. Emanuel is a true asset and is committed to the success of the Flagstaff Police Department. His dedication to the FPD’s Mission and Values, is obvious in everything he does. It is for this reason, that he is especially deserving of being acknowledged as the Flagstaff Law Enforcement Association Officer of the Year for 2019.
Victim Witness Services Heart of Gold Award/ Officer of the Year Detective Melissa Seay Detective Melissa Seay was selected by Victim Witness Services for Coconino County as The Flagstaff Police Department Heart of Gold Officer of the Year. Detective Seay was nominated by those who serve as advocates for victims of crime. Detective Seay’s compassion is evident in her calm demeanor and her willingness, at times selflessly, to see that victims and others are taken care of. Police officers are often required to interact with people, who may not be having their best day or are captured in a set of unfortunate circumstances. Detective Seay works to ensure victims and the people she speaks with are treated with dignity and respect, while tending to their needs, whether it is emotional by lending an ear to listen, or comfort in offering solutions to help individuals feel safe and less anxious. Detective Melissa Seay was hired by the Flagstaff Police Department in 2002, and has worked in our Records, Dispatch, and Patrol sections. In 2016 after a competitive process she promoted into our criminal investigations Section. Detective Seay works tirelessly to ensure her investigations are conducted in a manner to solidify justice for the victim. Her empathy while interviewing victims allow them to feel safe and re-assure them their victimization was not their fault. She works to gain the trust of the victims she speaks with so that they continue through the adjudication process, knowing that their voice matters. Detective Seay works daily with citizens and victims alike with compassion and empathy, which is demonstrative of her “Heart of Gold”.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2019 City Manager Award Robert Soucie On February 11th, 2020, Mr. Robert Soucie was an honored recipient of a City Managers Excellence Aspen Award. In 2019, Mr. Robert Soucie continued with his legacy of going above and beyond his daily job requirements, to help design and improve multiple processes for the Flagstaff Police Department Evidence section, as well as other sections within the police department. Robert's razor-sharp critical thinking skills are responsible for the design and implementation of our current Sex Assault Kit Tracking platform. We also have Mr. Soucie to thank for the current process utilized by our Training Coordinator, to track and manage the thousands of hours of training and hundreds of firearms qualifications, racked up annually by our police officers. He also played a significant role in the successful training of our Police Aides, a new Evidence Volunteer, and overhaul of our Evidence/ Property destruction process. He is innovative and helps keep our agency apprised of current trends, best practices and projected issues or challenges we will inevitably face. It is not only important to recognize what quality is, but what creates quality. William Foster, a United States Marine and recipient of the Medal of Honor, is quoted as saying "Quality means doing it right when no one is looking. Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives". Mr. Soucie has the impressive ability to recognize, develop, assess and evaluate what options or alternatives there are to accomplish a goal and how those are likely to impact a project or process. After an initial trial or when necessary, he then continues to design, evaluate and re-develop, until the result is of the highest utmost quality.
2019 City Manager Award Brian Cooke On February 11th, 2020, Officer Brian Cooke was an honored recipient of a City Managers Excellence Aspen Award. On 11-5-2019, Ofc. Cooke responded to Super Pawn located at 2916 E. Route 66 for a late reported theft of a wheelchair. During the investigation it was learned that the victim had his wheelchair in the bed of a pickup truck and it was stolen while he was sitting in the truck as his wife was inside of the store. Unfortunately, the victim did not see anyone come to the truck and steal the wheelchair and the security footage from the store did not capture that portion of the parking lot and thus no suspect information was developed at that time. It was learned throughout the investigation that the victim was a disabled Vietnam War Veteran who had his foot amputated due to injuries sustained during the war. Furthermore, the victim needed the wheelchair to ambulate around and he would not have the finances to obtain a new chair for quite some time. Ofc. Cooke, knowing that this theft would have a stark impact on the quality of life for Shonnie and acting out of pure compassion for a law abiding citizen of Flagstaff, took it upon himself to go to the pawn shop and purchase a mobility scooter with his own money so that the victim would be able to move until he was able to purchase a new chair. This sole kind and compassionate act is in line with the Flagstaff Police Departments Mission of providing exemplary service. Page 23
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2019 City Manager Award Emergency Communications Specialist Supervisors Sara Byerrum, Kylee Coons, Jessica Hallett, and Tammy Pugh
On February 11th, 2020, Dispatch Supervisors Sara Byerrum, Kylee Coons, Jessica Hallett, and Tammy Pugh were honored as recipients of the City Managers Excellence Aspen Award. During 2019, the Flagstaff Police Department Dispatch Center ,faced several challenges. High turnover rates and vacancies along with two of the supervisors being out on extended FMLA leave were huge challenges. Jessica, Tammy, Sara and Kylee doubled up on job duties while making sure there was enough staffing, that new employees had training schedules, and that the daily needs of internal and external customers were met. Throughout the year they worked split shifts, double back shifts and hundreds of hours of overtime. They were often the ones training new employees while working on administrative duties and maintaining our mission of providing exceptional customer service. They came to work every day with a great attitude and ready to take on any challenge. These four supervisors worked a total of 789 overtime hours from July through December of 2019. Jessica, Tammy, Sara and Kylee have worked through several large-scale incidents. Two of the incidents where they excelled as a team together were the Museum Fire and the 2019 Thanksgiving snowstorm that left several hunters stranded in harsh winter conditions. During the Museum Fire they worked together to make sure that there was enough staffing to answer the telephones and that each incoming shift had up to date information to give-to the public. They provided excellent service to the thousands of concerned citizens calling about the fire and possible flooding. They were able to keep up on administrative duties and handle short-staffing issues during this time as well. They provided the same high level of service during the snow- storm that occurred over Thanksgiving. There were many calls for search and rescues during the storm and the Communications Center was inundated with calls for service for people that were stranded. They worked together as a team to make sure everyone that needed assistance received it. Working in an Emergency Communications Center is stressful by nature. These four ladies have taken on double administrative duties while two of their peers were out on FMLA leave, they have worked long hours, strange hours, split shifts, double back shifts and never complained about having to work so much. They were able to provide the same exceptional service expected of them even though they were stretched so thin. They made sure their subordinates were taken care of before they took care of themselves. They lived the very definition of servant leadership.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2019 City Manager Award LT. Lance Roberts Lance Roberts began his service with our agency in January of 1982. There are over 60 commendations and thank you letters in his file for his outstanding service. The first one was from the Du Beau Motel Fire in September of 1983, where Roberts was the first on scene to a hotel fire. Without hesitating, he entered the burning hotel to wake guests who were sleeping, preventing injury and death to several occupants by helping them climb out a rear window. His level of service and sacrifice has not waivered during his 38 years of dedication to the community. Roberts is well respected by his subordinates and is appreciated by his superiors for his commitment to hard work and initiative. Lieutenant Roberts understands our mission and keeps his employees and his section working towards our goals. He appropriately uses humor to lighten the mood and help folks see the bigger picture. He has been involved in almost every major event or project that we have done over the last 30 years. He has been incident commander on officer involved shootings making sure to take care of our officers. When running a special event command post (parades, Tequila Sunrise and July 4th), he often purchases food out of his own pocket for all officers and staff. He has helped pursue numerous morale boosters and efficiencies for our department to include: DC 2 handwritten reports, training videos featuring our own police actors, call notes reporting, taking staff members to spring training games, offering his home to be used for memorial events, recruiting efforts within our community, and running the shift bid by seniority. Roberts oversees several special details/projects for the Department. He is the supervisor of the Terrorism Liaison Officers, our local contact with the Arizona Counter Terrorism Center, tracks protests and intelligence related to fringe groups. He oversees submission and expenditure of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Grants. He tracks and follows up on our missing report program, cancelled citations and military exercises. Despite all he does ne is never too busy to offer assistance when he sees someone struggling.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
2019 Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award Officer Nick Oliver The Flagstaff Police Department’s 2019 MADD officer of the year is Officer Nick Oliver. Nick was born and raised in Reno, Nevada and attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ, where he achieved a bachelor’s degree in Global Security and Intelligence and a Minor in Spanish. He was a Collegiate Wrestler and All – American in 2017. He was hired by the Flagstaff Police Department in July of 2017 and attended the Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy. Officer Nick Oliver has aided in reducing the DUI problem within the city by first becoming a certified HGN technician, assisting with his investigations of suspected impaired operators of vehicles. During 2018 alone, he was responsible for making 24 impaired driver arrests. His dedication to impaired driver enforcement is evident by this feat being accomplished during his first year on solo status as a probationary officer. Officer Oliver conducts thorough investigations and detailed reports ensuring his DUI cases are successfully prosecuted, to ensure a behavioral change among arrestees. Nick’s dedication to removing impaired drivers is in support of our mission to protect and preserve life.
Lifesaving Award Officers Tyler Romney and Cody Roberts
On April 14th, 2019, Officers Tyler Romney and Cody Roberts responded to a third-party report of a suicidal subject at 1201 E Ponderosa Parkway #132. Dispatch received information that a female subject had contacted the suicide hotline reference suicidal ideation. Both officers responded and met with one another at the apartment complex. Information in the call indicated the subject had a firearm and my attempt suicide with such firearm. Ofc. Roberts’s was able to reach the subject by phone however she was not directly answering Ofc. Roberts’s questions. During the call, Ofc. Roberts became alerted to her suspicious behavior and both Officers began walking towards the subject’s apartment. The subject commented, “I F---- Up” and Ofc. Roberts immediately indicated he could hear what sounded like a gurgling noise on the phone. Ofc. Romney also could hear what sounded like a commotion coming from inside the apartment. Page 26
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Both officers felt it was urgent that entry was made to check the welfare of the subject or anyone else that might be inside the apartment. Romney checked the front door which was unlocked and both officers entered the apartment and began calling for the subject by name, but there was no answer. Romney and Roberts located the subject hanging by a belt within her room and quickly made efforts to release her. Upon removing the belt from the door, she immediately grasped for air and it was apparent she was attempting to hang and or strangle herself in a suicide attempt. Flagstaff Fire, Guardian and Terros arrived on scene to assist with further medical aid. Romney and Roberts’s response in this encounter was decisive in action and upheld the mission statement of the Flagstaff Police Department. Quick actions by both officers resulted in life saving aid and further medical attention being provided which ultimately saved a life. Officer Tyler Romney and Officer Cody Roberts are hereby awarded the Lifesaving Award for their actions April 14 th, 2019, for keeping with the highest standards of Flagstaff Police Department’s Mission and Core Values!
Lifesaving Award Officer Luke Million On 05/08/2019, a call was toned over the radio for a vehicle versus a pedestrian injury collision at E Route 66 and N Fanning Dr. Ofc Million was already in the area and was so close that he did not need to have an emergency response. Without hesitation, Ofc Million got to the scene, exited his patrol vehicle, and went directly to the pedestrian that had been struck. Million recognized that the male was breathing but was unresponsive. He also noticed that the victim had a laceration to his side. Million recognized that the injury was possibly more important at the time and began to cut off the subjects' clothes with his knife. During all this, Million was able to recognize that the male victim had stopped breathing during this process. Million then instantly began CPR on the male victim. Million began compressions and noticed the victim started to have fluids come out of his mouth, causing the victim to choke. He recognized that he needed to clear the subject's airway and did so. Million directed citizen bystanders to aid him with holding the victims head. Million continued chest compressions until the victim began breathing again. Million ceased the chest compressions and stayed with the victim, keeping him awake, until medical personnel arrived on scene. The victim was then transported to Flagstaff Medical Center in critical condition. The victim was treated as the hospital was later declared in stable condition. Million's quick actions, attention to his previous trainings, attention to detail, and his readiness to react to the situation saved the victim’s life. Million’s actions are in line with our mission and highest value of protecting and preserving life. He is hereby awarded the department’s lifesaving medal.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Lifesaving Award Officers Jordan Schiffman and Denton Schneider
On 05/19/2019 at approximately 2343 hours, Officer Schneider was dispatched to a call for service involving a request for a welfare check on a male subject who was walking home from the Greyhound Station toward his residence. The reporting party advised that Darren Thomas, was possibly walking along Kaibab Lane, about halfway home and sounded out of breath and struggling. The reporting party requested officers attempt to locate Thomas in the area. Officer Schneider arrived on scene and found a male subject matching the description, lying in the middle of the road, who appeared unresponsive. Ofc. Schneider immediately recognized that the subject was unresponsive and appeared to have “popping or crackling sounds” coming from him while breathing. Schneider called out to Thomas several times, identifying himself and aiding Thomas. He then began shaking him to wake him with no response. Next, he recognized that Thomas’ clothing might be restricting his breathing. Schneider retrieved a pair of medical shears, cutting away a backpack and clothing surrounding Thomas’ neck and chest, while continuing to wake Thomas. Schneider then noticed that Thomas was no longer breathing and pulled him from the middle of the roadway to the side for their safety and began CPR. Schneider requested medics respond to the emergency, recognizing that the situation had turned for the worse. Schneider continued several rounds of CPR, until Ofc. Schiffman arrived on scene. Schiffman took over CPR, administering chest compressions. Thomas however still appeared unresponsive and not breathing. After medical personnel arrive on scene, Thomas appeared to finally react to the several rounds of CPR and began breathing and slightly opened his eyes as if in a daze. Medical personnel then take over for the officers and Thomas was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Schneider followed up with the reporting party and family of Thomas to advise them of his condition. In the end, it is clear and evident that Ofc. Schneider’s quick assessment of Thomas, recognizing that he was not conscious and stopped breathing led to life saving efforts. Schiffman’s fast response to the scene to aid in providing CPR assisted in the lifesaving efforts Both Ofc. Schneider and Ofc. Schiffman’s dedication to preserving life in our community embodies the mission of the Flagstaff Police Department. They are hereby awarded the Lifesaving medal, as without their swift actions on the night of May 19th, 2019, Thomas may have died.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2019 Volunteer of the Year Award Bill Haney Bill Haney has been a chaplain for our department for a few years now but his dedication to our department goes far beyond just being a chaplain. During this year, Bill has been instrumental in the Crisis Incident Stress Management (CISM) program for our department by offering his counseling and companionship to officers and dispatchers who have been involved in critical incidents. Bill will often go on ride-alongs with officers to build relationships before there is a crisis, so he is a familiar face when they need him. During this year we have personally seen Bill go on several of these ride-alongs. Bill goes above and beyond what a normal police chaplain is supposed to do, such as attending most of the recruit graduations with command staff. Bill introduces himself to the recruit and recruits’ family, always offering a bible and his services. Bill attends and gives the benediction and closing prayers for all the department’s award and promotional ceremonies. He is always on call and willing to assist at a moment’s notice. He shows up and supports all our extra-curricular events, the Tyler Stewart annual memorial ceremony, the moose run, the high country stand down, and retirements. Bill was instrumental in working with the PRAY group which stands for Police Rally Around Youth. This group was able to get a basketball court built and donated for the local community and he was able to get basketballs donated for officers to hand out to the youth. Bill is at our department close to five days a week when he is in town and dedicates a lot of his time to our department and our employees. Bill is very outgoing will often come to the department and make a point to walk around to all the divisions and sections just to say hello to our employees. These are but a few of the many examples of what Bill does for our department. His dedication to our department should not go unrecognized and he is absolutely deserving of this award.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Demographics for Sworn & Civilian Personnel
Page 30
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 DEMOGRAPHICS – SWORN AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL
Sworn and Civilian Race 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
American Indian/Native Middle Eastern American
Asian
Hispanic
Sworn
2
14
3
Civilian
0
6
4
Other
White
1
0
94
0
1
37
Sworn and Civilian Age 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
21-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60+
Sworn
45
38
25
10
0
Civilian
16
14
7
5
5
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 DEMOGRAPHICS
Sworn and Civilian Years of Service 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
0-3 Years
4-6 Years
7-9 Years
10-15 Years
16-19 Years
20+ Years
Sworn
48
17
5
18
11
15
Civilian
21
11
4
5
3
4
Sworn and Civilian Education 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
High School
Some College
Associate
Bachelors
Graduate
Sworn
6
35
5
62
6
Civilian
5
14
5
20
4
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 DEMOGRAPHICS
Civilian Personnel 9, 19%
Male Female
39, 81%
Sworn Personnel 6, 5%
Male Female
108, 95%
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Employees per 1,000 Citizens
Police Employees per 1,000 Citizens Data derived from 2018 FBI Uniform Crime Report
Flagstaff
Avondale
Buckeye
Casa Grande
Goodyear
Lake Havasu City
Arizona
Cities 50K to 99K
National
Civilian Index
0.6
0.7
0.5
0.4
0.5
0.7
1.3
0.4
1.0
Sworn Index
1.6
1.4
1.3
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.8
1.5
2.3
Numbers are for 2018 as the data for 2019 Numbers have not been published.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Deputy Chief Walt Miller
Criminal Investigation Lt. Scott Mansfield
Criminal Investigations Street Crimes Task Force
Patrol Lieutenants Lt. Frank Higgins
Patrol Lieutenants
Patrol Lieutenants
Lt. Lance Roberts
Lt. Paul Lasiewicki
2 Patrol Squads
2 Patrol Squads
King Squad
Special Enforcement Squad
Traffic Unit
2 Patrol Squads 3 Police Aides
Emergency Services Tactical Operations Explosives Disposal Hostage Negotiations
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Deputy Chief Walt Miller
The Operations Division is made up of our Patrol and Criminal Investigations Divisions and they are committed to providing the citizens of Flagstaff with exemplary service. While each of the two sections has unique roles and responsibilities, they collaborate as a team to prevent crime, solve cases and keep our city safe. The Patrol Division, the largest unit within the Police Department, is most often associated with uniformed police officers in marked patrol cars, on bicycles or on foot patrol. The men and women of the Patrol Section work around the clock every day of the year, providing professional and courteous service to the Flagstaff Community. Other units that fall under the leadership of the Operations Division include the highly trained and well-equipped (ESRT) Emergency Services Response Teams. ESRT is comprised of the Northern Regional SWAT Team, the Negotiations Team and the Bomb Squad. Also falling within the Operations Division is the Street Crimes Task Force (METRO), which investigates drug-related crimes. The Operations Division also has a Department Training Coordinator and a Criminal Analyst. The Patrol Division has six patrol squads comprised of approximately six to eight officers, one special enforcement squad, a traffic squad, and one squad consisting of a Sergeant and four officers assigned to the Sunnyside neighborhood. The patrol squads are supervised by a Sergeant and a Corporal. When not actively responding to citizen-initiated calls for service, patrol officers conduct proactive enforcement and education in neighborhoods and business areas to reduce crime and improve quality of life. The typical duties of a police officer include crime prevention, maintaining order, traffic enforcement, crime and collision investigation, responding to calls for service, and engaging in community policing projects to build partnerships with the community. Three Patrol Lieutenants oversee the activities of our Patrol Division. One Lieutenant is assigned to duty during nighttime hours to assure greater communication between command staff and line officers. The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) consists of twelve highly trained Detectives who investigate all reported felony crimes. They also provide valuable internal and external training and investigative insights to our patrol officers. The Criminal Investigations Division is overseen by two Detective Sergeants and one Lieutenant
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 PATROL ACTIVITY Activity
2018
2019
% Change
Part One Crimes
297
301
1%
Part One Crimes Cleared
259
280
93%
2,436
2,352
-3%
17,609
19,689
11.8%
6,712
6,798
1.3%
78,994
80,419
1.8%
Domestic Violence Incidents
1,490
1,809
21.4%
Public Assist
7,246
7,235
-0.15%
Presentations & Media Releases
1,228
1,551
26.3%
373
347
-7.0%
101,150
108,565
6.2%
Training Hours
25,672
24,862
-3.2%
Field Interviews
12,800
12,106
-5.4%
Public Intoxicants
3,440
3,058
-11.1%
Animal Control Calls for Service
2,712
3,082
13.6%
Part Two Crimes* Reports Taken Arrests Total Calls for Service
Community Support Meetings Patrol Hours in Field
*includes unfounded crimes Page 37
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 TWO YEAR COMPARISON OF ARRESTS BY OFFENSE CLASSIFICATION CLASSIFICATION
ADULT
JUVENILE
2019 TOTAL
2018 TOTAL
% CHANGE
HOMICIDE
2
0
2
2
0%
FORCIBLE RAPE
6
1
7
3
133%
13
0
13
10
30%
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT
249
10
259
230
12%
BURGLARY LARCENY AUTO THEFT
8 644 11
11 43 0
19 687 11
15 651 7
MISDEMEANOR ASSAULT ARSON FORGERY/COUNTERFEITING
636 6 15
52 0 1
688 6 16
651 17 13
26% 5% 57% 5% -64% 23%
EMBEZZLEMENT
2
0
2
1
100%
FRAUD POSSESSION STOLEN PROPERTY
1 5
0 0
1 5
5 5
-80%
255
27
282
170
65%
21
2
23
24
-4%
PROSTITUTION
0
0
0
1
-100%
SEX OFFENSES
108
6
114
119
-4%
25
5
30
54
657
100
757
796
0 26
0 4
0 30
0 21
DWI LIQUOR VIOLATIONS
378 548
3 43
381 591
385 599
DISORDERLY CONDUCT
877
47
924
726
ALL OTHER EXCEPT TRAFFIC CURFEW VIOLATIONS RUNAWAYS
880 0 0
15 4 3
895 4 3
884 5 0
5373
377
5748
5394
ROBBERY
VANDALISM WEAPONS VIOLATION
SALE/MANUFACTURE DRUGS POSSESSION DRUGS GAMBLING FAMILY OFFENSES
TOTAL
0%
-44% -4% 0% 42% -1% -1% 27% 1% -20% 100%
*Count represents the number of charges, not the number of persons arrested
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Police Calls Holding Ten Year Comparison 2010-2019 12 10
Axis Title
8 6 4 2 0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
20 Minute Calls Holding
6.7
6.6
7.4
8.3
9.7
7.7
7.8
7.5
7
10
60 Minute Calls Holding
1.9
1.6
0.9
0.7
1.4
0.8
1.4
1.1
0.8
1.7
Axis Title
Police Calls For Service and Reports Taken Ten Year Comparison 2010-2019 50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Police Calls 41,791 40,568 43,304 47,508 44,447 42,403 46,707 45,403 42,859 43,401 Reports
24,586 23,719 24,490 21,439 20,145 17,527 19,402 18,628 17,609 19,689
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 2019 ARREST BY RACE
DUI
381
157
42
215
56
African American 9
AGG ASSAULT
254
146
57
97
38
10
4
1
1
ASSAULT
603
332
56
247
41
21
2
3
1
DISORDERLY COND
761
423
56
306
40
31
4
1
0
DV
829
423
51
381
46
20
3
5
0
PUBLIC CONSUMP.
398
348
87
44
11
6
2
0
0
7
2
29
5
71
0
0
0
0
444
242
55
172
39
28
6
2
1
Total
Charge
SEXUAL ASSAULT SHOPLIFTING
NATIVE
%
Caucasian
%
% 2
0
0
Asian
%
2019 Arrest by Offender Age TOTAL
100%
55 and over 50 to 54 45 to 49 40 to 44 35 to 39 30 to 34 25 to 29 21 to 24 18 to 20 15 to 17 13 to 14 12 and under
8% 6% 8% 10% 13% 15% 16% 11% 7% 5% 2% 1% 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Felony and Misdemeanor Arrests 2019 Felony
Misdemeanor
4697
444 1131 102 Adult Juvenile
2019 Arrests by Race/Ethnicity of Offender HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER, 3, 0%
ASIAN, 15, 0%
CAUCASIAN, 2080, 35%
NATIVE AMERICAN, 3094, 52%
HISPANIC, 534, 9% AFRICAN AMERICAN, 210, 4% CAUCASIAN
HISPANIC
AFRICAN AMERICAN
NATIVE AMERICAN
HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER
ASIAN
Page 41
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
HOMELAND SECURITY The Flagstaff Police Department always remains vigilant for suspicious subjects and activities. Officers patrol critical infrastructure targets during random times day and night. Officers maintain a presence at all city council meetings and other public meetings or events as necessary. The Flagstaff Police Department maintains perimeter patrols and patrol of all airport facilities as mandated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The Flagstaff Police Department trains and equips its officers to effectively respond to terrorist threats and maintain homeland security. The Police Department has a regional Bomb Squad and a multiagency regional SWAT Team for incident response throughout Northern Arizona. These specialty units are the primary responders for all major infrastructure in Coconino County including the Glenn Canyon Dam located in Page, Arizona. The Police Department continues to explore grant opportunities for both training and needed equipment. The Flagstaff Police Department maintains a close working relationship with our federal law enforcement partners.
COMPSTAT PROGRAM 2019 marks the twelfth full year of the Department’s use of the CompStat Policing Model. CompStat calls for a multifaceted, dynamic approach to crime reduction and resource allocation. Data is collected, disseminated and analyzed on a regular basis so effective strategies and tactics can be developed to prevent or solve crimes. Using these strategies, the Flagstaff Police Department and its resources are rapidly deployed to most effectively reduce crime and protect property. The final principle of CompStat is relentless follow-up and assessment to ensure results are achieved. One of the many benefits to CompStat is through constant assessment, follow-up and intelligence gathering we can define specific crime trends and deploy resources to prevent crime before it occurs. Police Sergeants and Corporals are responsible for analyzing data, developing and implementing crime reduction strategies for specific geographic areas or specific times of the day based on the CompStat report. Weekly crime bulletins provided by the Crime Analyst and monthly CompStat meetings allow the Chief of Police and his Command Staff to collaborate with the Sergeants and other supervisors to review and refine these strategies and hold each member of the Police Department team accountable for effective results. We have also instituted leadership training once every quarter to include training on police professionalism, liability issues, current events, new policies and to increase employee engagement with the leaders of our department.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 ACCOMPLISHMENTS The mission of the Police Division is to protect and preserve life, property, the rights of the individual and public order. This is accomplished through a process of collaboration and teamwork with individuals and organizations in our community. We believe protecting life and property, preserving the peace, and upholding the rights of individuals are among our highest priorities. We accomplish our mission using community policing programs, data-driven decision making, intelligence-led policing and other proactive tactics to suppress crime, apprehend criminal offenders and help hold them accountable. The uniformed patrol division, criminal investigations division and various special assignments and task force operations comprise the operational units of the Flagstaff Police Department. We revised CompStat by introducing a strategic management system to allow for more timely information sharing and pre-emptive policing to help prevent crime. Staff conducted an analysis of CompStat data to determine the most frequent location and the root cause of intersection-related collisions. The Crime Analyst worked to compile a monthly list of Flagstaff’s “Most Dangerous Intersections.” Using monthly CompStat meetings to share timely information about high-risk traffic areas allowed patrol supervisors to direct their officers to proactively address unsafe driving behavior through enforcement. We continued to improve and enhance the Body Worn Camera program as we recently introduced the second generation of Axon Body Worn Camera, known as the Flex-2. The use of body cameras increases transparency and enhances effective prosecution. The cameras assist with citizen complaint investigations and the review of the use of force incidents, and/or misconduct and provide training to officers. All uniformed officers on the Flagstaff Police Department are equipped with body cameras. We conducted 347 community support meetings in addition to neighborhood related Block Watch meetings. Educational items included information on immigration enforcement, search and seizure, suicide prevention, identity theft, medical marijuana, and property crime, etc. We continue to utilize our civilian volunteers who contributed 1,525 hours of service to our community in 2019. We started accepting credit card payments in our records section and can have citizens request reports online using the City of Flagstaff Police Department website and continue to add services to our online portal to make services easily accessible online for our citizens such as E-watch. We continued to purchase all-wheel drive patrol vehicles, so staff time is not lost putting chains on rear wheel drive cars, and response times are less impacted by winter weather. This year we were able to rotate out additional rear wheel drive cars with the purchase of five (5) Ford Police Interceptor Hybrid AWD Utility vehicles. We increased the skill and confidence level of our officers by providing training. In 2019, we provided 5,366 hours of advanced officer training. We strengthened the Department’s informal and formal counseling abilities through the expansion of additional training for the CISM (Crisis Incident Stress Management) teams and the Departments Peer Mentoring Program. We created our Police Awareness Support Services Program also known as PASS. This program is helped to break the stigma of getting Page 43
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 help our our officers and civilian employees and families. One recent initiative created was bringing in house a licensed counselor to be available to staff one a month. These appointments have been booked every time the counselor is on site. We plan to continue to grow this program into 2020 and continue to help our employees with mental and physical health.
OTHER INITIATIVES THE DEPARTMENT HAS ACCOMPLISHED OR UNDERTAKEN OVER THE PAST YEAR: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Several employees enrolled in college classes taking advantage of the tuition reimbursement program Put an RTO at the Police academy to help protect our new recruits. Hired lateral officers (Custer and Coules in 2019) (Darias, Williams, Perez and Oliver in 2018) Received a merit increase of 1- 3%. Kept our three (3) Police Aides Completed a specialty assignment survey Filled A Gitem Vacancy Had motors work a night shift (June and July) Held drivers training again at the Airport Sent trainers to Florida For Mobile Field Force training Purchased and Deployed E-Bikes Transitioned to 9mm Firearms Platform Created permanent Airport positions Re-established the Marshals task force Held Officer Beckwith memorial event Hosted remembrance event for Holly Vargas, victim witness advocate Officer Romney Officer Involved Shooting with suspect Russell Harold at TGC (February 2019) Officer Rubey Officer Involved shooting event with suspect Matthew Dearing (April 2019) Officer Involved Shooting with suspect Jose Padilla in Sept 2019 (all posted on FPD Transparency) Won the rib eating contest versus the Fire Department Hosted Multiple Blood Drives throughout the year Dream Court Grant received Held Night Court held on multiple evenings to connect with youth through basketball
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Support Services Accomplishments: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
•
Facilitated two Citizen Police Academies, both with increased enrollment Held a grand opening event for the Dream Court Re-energized night court and help a south side day court Hosted the first Coffee with a Cop event Coordinated Arizona Leadership Education and Development (ALEAD) activities at FPD Hosted two Law Enforcement Career Days for High schools Hosted the Law enforcement Toy Drive for Holiday Held multiple testing process and promoted two new Dispatch Supervisors Promoted a 911 Coordinator. Upgraded our computer monitors Completed quarterly map rolls in the Communications Center Completed the grant application for 911 billing Purchased new backup evidence freezer with impact fees Set up alarm and generator back up at Warehouse Implemented Police Awareness support Services counseling Received one seizure vehicle and requested two additional seizure vehicles Purchased IA Pro Blue team Planned Runge and Sauers retirement parties. Designed and ordered new patrol baseball caps Created patches for the Police Aide Uniforms Added Tip soft link to our Facebook Page Wrote and received at $80,000 GOHS grant for AZ TRaCS program.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Innovative Initiatives • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Continued to use www.FPDTRANSPARENCY.com website to increase awareness and transparency with high profile cases Successfully applied and were awarded multiple Governor’s Office of Highway Safety grants Continued the merits of predictive policing and use of crime analytics Provided Active Shooter/ Negotiations training for dispatch Continued annual drug screens for employees Continued use of Bair Analytics for CompStat Hosted a well-attended National Night Out in August Set up and worked the County Fair with officers and volunteers Coordinated the Northern Arizona Toy Drive Conducted numerous media releases throughout the year Sponsored Crisis Intervention Team Mental Health related talks (academy and at other agencies) Held a well-attended and professional Awards Ceremony and employee banquet Held training for employees to be part of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM)
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT COFFEE WITH A COP DAY
DREAM COURT BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB CEREMONY
Selective Enforcement Squad The selective enforcement squad is designed to increase departmental flexibility by assigning officers to special events, incidents, or targeted criminal activity. Squad members provide walking patrols in the downtown area, bicycle patrols and foot patrols in high crime areas. They are also responsible for providing security at Pulliam Airport. In 2019, 75 Repeat Offender arrests were made by the Special Enforcement Squad. A total of 100 camps were contacted on Woods Watch patrols during the fire season in the Flagstaff City limits. Several specialty patrols were conducted in 2019. As weather and staffing permitted, four motorcycle officers were deployed in areas with frequent speed, red light and following too closely violations, or to serve as safe driving reminders to prevent collisions in high accident locations. We also continued the “Safe Streets Program” by enforcing traffic laws in specific areas in response to citizen complaints and feedback from the Traffic Commission. Beat officers worked in specific areas using the Targeted Radar Advisory Program (TRAP). The Department’s two radar trailers and a “decoy car” proved effective in reducing speed in problem areas. The Department continued the Sunnyside Initiative in 2019 to improve quality of life for residents and reduce crime through partnerships. The Flagstaff Police Department assigned a Sergeant and officer (when available) specifically to the Sunnyside and Fourth Street areas. The officers used proactive patrol efforts and citizen tips to gather intelligence on criminal activity and to enforce the law. The officers used bicycle patrols to enhance their presence in the Sunnyside neighborhood and surrounding parks. They attended monthly Sunnyside Neighborhood Association meetings in which issues and problems were addressed with the community. The officers helped open the Sunnyside Substation on Fourth Page 47
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Street in 2009 and continue to utilize it in their daily operations. Officers attended and provided security for several community gatherings and conducted crime prevention outreach. The officers also attended a monthly “Night Court” with youth and played basketball on scheduled Friday nights. Several DUI task force operations enhanced both public education and enforcement efforts. Many of these programs were funded through the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grants. The DUI Task Force Van was used on a regular basis to set up during high DUI times. In keeping with our emphasis on excellence, officers are encouraged to obtain specialized skills and training in areas such as lifesaving, firearms, self-defense, ethics, defensive driving, search and seizure, interviewing, phlebotomy, and applicable new State and Federal laws. Through training and experience, patrol officers had the tools necessary to provide the highest quality service to the citizens of Flagstaff.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Department continued to conduct training and explore other concepts of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program. These methods led to less recidivism and decriminalization of our severely mentally ill. Out of the 218 documented contacts with mental health consumers by Flagstaff Police Department in 2018, 53 were handled by CIT officers. The Crisis Intervention Team combined with the availability of mental health services any time of the day or night, gave officers additional options other than full-custody arrests when dealing with individuals with serious mental illness. Flagstaff continues to experience an increase in criminal activity related to public intoxicants. In response, officers conducted directed patrols to work in cooperation with local businesses to strictly enforce alcohol violations, trespassing, disorderly conduct, loitering, and other offenses which impact the quality of life. Officers met with the City Attorney’s Office to seek enhanced prosecution for repeat offenders as part of our ROPE program. In 2018, 271 alcohol and Operation 40 related arrests were made by the Special Enforcement squad. They contacted 210 camps during Woods Watch patrol in the fire season as well. Throughout the summer, officers patrolled the wooded areas in the urban forest interface, enforcing criminal and federal codes pertaining to camping and fires. Department of Public Safety helicopters and the Coconino County fixedwing airplane assisted in locating illegal campfires with officers on board. This assisted in dispatching officers to take enforcement action. • • • • •
Officers also coordinated with the Adult Probation work crew to remove abandoned transient camps and refer occupants to the appropriate social services. Coordinated directed patrols to address quality of life issues as well as help prevent victimization and perpetration of crimes by serial inebriates. Coordinated with Homeland Security during assigned duties at the Airport. Provided Walking beat officer presence downtown for 7 days a week Officers continued to provide security at City Council meetings and provide police presence during other community meetings. Page 48
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Flagstaff Police Department also provided extra patrol and community policing efforts such as: The Flagstaff Unified School District “Grad Night” in addition to numerous events. Fourth of July Parade & Pyrotechnics Show High School Homecoming Parades NAU Homecoming/Tequila Sunrise Services Northern Lights Parade Annual Celtic Festival New Year’s Eve Pinecone Drop Pride in the Pines Event Cinco De Mayo Celebration First Friday Art Walk Heritage Square Events Several First Amendment Assemblies
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Assisting with a Wildland Fire Special Olympics Event
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT Maintaining safe roadways for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians is a high priority for the Flagstaff Police Department. Patrol officers are directed to conduct traffic enforcement for the causal factors of collisions at the locations where crashes occur most frequently. There were 2,843 total collisions in 2019; of those 2,438 were non-injury collisions, representing an increase of 2% from the previous year. In 2019, there were 403 injury collisions and four (4) collisions which resulted in fatalities. Injury collisions were up 1%, but fatalities remained the same when compared to the 2018 totals. In 2019, officers issued 6,143 citations for traffic related offenses such as speeding and red-light violations. This is a decrease of 14% from the number of traffic citations issued in 2018. Our department issued 8,548 warnings in 2019, which is an increase of 7% from the year prior. In 2019, our department arrested 488 impaired drivers. This is a 2% decrease from the year prior. Total traffic stops were down by 7%, from 18,692 stops in 2018 to 17,343 stops in 2019. The members of the Traffic Unit were responsible for issuing 27% of the department's citation total in 2019. Members of the Traffic Unit are Sergeant Jeff James, Corporal Nick Almendarez, Officer Kevin Rueb, Officer Mike Priest, and Officer Ben Beebe. All members of the Traffic Unit are certified Police Motorcycle Officers. Officers utilize police motorcycles as weather and staffing permits. The motorcycle units are most effective providing enforcement in congested areas where patrol cars are ineffective. In 2019, our department conducted several traffic safety projects. These projects were: Safe Stops (school buses) Campaign, Traffic Safety around Railroads, and a Safe Speeds Campaign. Each campaign is several months long and includes a public education component followed by an emphasis on enforcement. All officers at the department participate and they receive training prior to the start of each traffic safety project. The Traffic Unit receives input from citizens regarding specific traffic problems and aggressively works these citizen complaint zones. Citizens can report traffic complaints either by calling the police department or utilizing the online traffic complaint form. All online traffic complaint forms are forwarded to the Traffic Unit. A Traffic Officer is assigned to work each traffic complaint. The online collision form was introduced by the Traffic Unit in 2017. This service is offered to citizens that want to file their crash report on-line in lieu of having an officer respond to the scene. Officers will still respond to a scene anytime a citizen request it. Use of the online form keeps officers available for other calls for service as well as it decreases police response time. All online collision reports are forwarded to the Traffic Unit. As a result, the Traffic Unit is assigned many collision investigations. Traffic officers investigated 38% of the total collisions which occurred in our city during 2019. Traffic officers have duties and assignments other than traffic enforcement and collision investigation. Traffic Officers also provide traffic control, conduct funeral escorts, assist with disabled vehicles and roadway obstructions, and act as back up for patrol officers. The Traffic Unit is regularly assigned to work special events, including: NAU Homecoming/Tequila Sunrise, New Year’s Eve, Holiday Lights Parade, Fourth of July Parade, Downtown Mile, Armed Forces Day Parade, Run for the Wall, Patriot Riders, Homecoming parades for each of the local high schools, National Night Out, and other community events. Members of the Traffic Unit regularly promote traffic safety at various community meetings.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Collision Reconstruction Team The Flagstaff Police Department Collision Reconstruction Team (CRT) is composed of officers from varying divisions of the Police Department. These officers have received advanced training in collision investigations to include crash reconstruction, scene preservation and evidence collection, vehicle and pedestrian dynamics, and other advanced topics. The CRT team is supervised by Detective Wotasik. The rest of the team members are Sergeant Ryan Turley, Detective Shawn Knott, Detective Joseph Gilbert, Detective Matt Schmidt, Officer Jason Blair, Corporal Michael Hansen, and Officer Jarrett Shughart. These team members are responsible for reconstructing fatal and serious injury collisions and complete follow-up interviews, detailed case reports, and diagrams of these collisions. All team members meet on a regular basis to review past and present investigations and conduct training on topics related to collision investigations and equipment use. The CRT utilizes the Leica P20 scanning equipment, which is shared with other Northern Arizona agencies and was obtained with drug seizure funds for use in crash reconstruction and serious crime scenes. In 2019, the team conducted four (4) collision reconstruction investigations, with three (3) of those investigations being fatal collisions. In addition, numerous team members responded to assist detectives with the 3D mapping of homicide scenes and other serious crime scenes, as well as assisting other agency partners such as the Northern Arizona Police Department.
Police Aides In 2019, the Flagstaff Police Department hired Police Aides for the first time. Each of the three Aides went through a Police Aide training academy. That academy was conducted at the Flagstaff Police Department over the course of two weeks. Training included physical conditioning, defensive tactics, and classroom education. All Police Aides then successfully completed a four-week on-the-job training under the individual supervision of a Traffic Officer. Police Aides provide assistance with a variety of calls. These calls include, but are not limited to found property, lost property, public assists, subpoena service, parking problems, funeral escorts, disabled vehicles, traffic control, and vehicle tows. Police Aides also assist the Traffic Squad with the aforementioned list of special events. Police Aides provide supportive services which frees up time for our patrol officers.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 TRAFFIC ACTIVITY Incident Type
2018
2019
% Change
Non-Injury Collisions
2398
2438
1.7%
399
401
0.5%
4
4
0.0%
89
79
-8.1%
498
488
-2%
Traffic Citations
7134
6143
-13.9%
Warnings
7994
8548
6.9%
754
1251
65%
Injury Collisions Fatal Collisions DUI Related Collisions
DUI Arrests
Motorist Assists
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
TEN YEAR SUMMARY OF COLLISIONS
2600
500 450
2500
Non-Injury Collisions
2400
350 300
2300
250 2200
200 150
2100
Injury/Fatal Collisions
400
100 2000 1900
50 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Non Injury
2361 2150 2231 2199 2128 2426 2551 2418 2398 2438
Injury/Fatal
374
384
401
352
411
427
411
442
399
0
401
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Summary of 2019
300
Collisions by Month
250 200 150 100 50 0
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
NON-INJURY
182
263
176
170
157
179
180
214
211
245
216
245
INJURY/FATAL
29
35
28
39
36
31
25
41
41
40
27
33
Most Frequent Location of Intersection Related Collisions Three Year Comparison Intersection
2017
2018
2019
E Route 66/ N Fanning Dr
15
22
37
W. Butler Avenue / S. Milton RD
30
29
31
E Marketplace Dr/ N highway 89
23
33
28
S Milton Rd/ W University Ave
22
32
25
N. Country Club/ N. Hwy 89
29
36
24
N Fourth St/ E Route 66
22
22
23
S Milton Rd/ W Forest Meadows
22
22
23
S Beulah Blvd/ W Forest Meadows
17
18
22
E Ponderosa Pkwy/ E Route 66
34
33
21
S. Milton RD / S. Plaza Way
20
21
20
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (SWAT) The Emergency Services Response Team, comprised of officers with primary assignments in various sections of the department, handles the containment and apprehension of armed barricaded persons, hostage incidents, found explosives and other potentially volatile situations. The Emergency Services Response Team consists of three units, the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), Negotiations, and the Explosives Ordinance Disposal Team (Bomb Squad). Officers take great pride in their equipment, training, and professionalism during crisis incidents. The SWAT Team, with membership in the National Tactical Officers Association, consists of officers from the Flagstaff Police Department, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, and seven Flagstaff Firefighters who serve as team medics. In addition to receiving training, SWAT officers bring training back to their individual squads to better equip fellow officers with their daily duties. In 2019, SWAT officers received national level training in the areas of basic SWAT tactics and movement and Long-Range Precision Marksmanship. SWAT Officers continued to train in Active Shooter Preparedness, Zone-Based Movement, Open Field Movement and Nighttime operations using Night Vision devices and Firearms.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS SWAT Officers deployed as a team to eight callouts this year. Several of the call outs involved armed or suspected to be armed barricaded subjects. In January, SWAT was called out for a subject barricaded in his vehicle in Williams at the Safeway grocery store. The subject was wanted in connection to a kidnapping and was armed with a handgun. The suspect tried to flee the scene and the Tactical Operations Rescue Vehicle was used to ram the vehicle and prevent his escape. Negotiations were initiated and during that time the suspect shot himself in the leg, exited the vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident. In June, SWAT responded to a remote area near Ashfork regarding a fight between two males that resulted in shots being fired. Upon arrival SWAT aided in securing the area and secured both individuals, resulting in no further violent activity. In August, SWAT responded to an Officer involved shooting in the Parks area. A subject had fired shots at neighbors and Deputies and had barricaded in his home. Upon arrival SWAT arrested the suspect in the street and cleared the residence. In September, SWAT responded to a call of an armed suspect barricaded in a Conex box located behind a local restaurant. SWAT set a perimeter and during negotiations the suspect fired rounds at officers and was wounded with return fire and taken into custody. In October, SWAT responded to a subject who was barricaded inside an 18-wheeler on I-40 who had been involved in a lengthy pursuit with DPS. The suspect had driven the wrong way on the freeway and lethal force had been used to stop the semi. SWAT arrived and provided armed support as the suspect was taken into custody. Throughout the year, SWAT Officers assisted the Flagstaff METRO Narcotics Squad by covering undercover buys, executing buy/busts and other dynamic types of arrests.
.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
CRISIS NEGOTIATIONS TEAM Incidents involving barricaded subjects, hostage takers, or persons threatening suicide are stressful moments for law enforcement personnel who respond to them. Officers responding to these scenes quickly assess the totality of the situation, secure the area, gauge the threat to hostages or bystanders, and request additional resources, as appropriate. Crisis negotiators must establish contact with subjects; identify their demands and work to resolve these tense and volatile standoffs without loss of life. The five members of the Crisis Negotiations Team are on call to diffuse volatile situations through verbal communications with suspects. Officers assigned to this team are trained to work closely with the Tactical Operations Team and with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Department Crisis Response Team.
Accomplishments The Crisis Negotiations Team responded to five (5) calls in 2019. During the month of January, the team responded to an armed barricade in Williams that ended with the subject shooting himself in the leg in an attempt not to be taken into custody. Also, in 2019, the CNT was called out to an armed subject that had barricaded in a local business. The armed subject refused to cooperate and began shooting at officers and SWAT members. The situation was resolved when officers returned fired and injured the subject. The CNT was used several times in suicidal subject calls in which the on-duty supervisor and team member could convince the subject to surrender prior to the SWAT team being called to the scene. Team members have also participated in a joint SWAT team training simulating hostage and suicidal barricades. The Negotiations team worked much of 2019 with only three negotiators because of two members leaving for retirement. Two new members were added in December when they attended the FBI basic negotiations class.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
EXPLOSIVE DISPOSAL TEAM The primary mission of the Explosive Disposal Team is to ensure the safety and well-being of residents in the City as well as the safety of all public safety personnel who may be first responders to an explosive-related incident. The Flagstaff Police Department Explosive Disposal Team has been serving the residents of Flagstaff since 1970. The team is comprised of five highly trained bomb technicians who are responsible for handling, transportation and rendering safe all explosive items located within the City and Coconino County. This responsibility extends to the proper handling of abandoned explosives and chemicals that have outlived their life expectancy. The team also assists other local agencies with explosives and the SWAT and Hostage Negotiations Teams with barricaded suspects.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS In 2019, the Explosives Disposal Team responded to approximately ten calls for service both inside and outside the City. These included suspicious packages calls, found explosives or devices, hoax devices, protective sweeps, threat calls, and assisting SWAT. In addition, members of the team conducted numerous explosive destructions and inspections, security assignments and dignitary protection details. In 2019, the Explosives Disposal Team completed demonstrations for the Citizen’s Police Academies, Touch-a-Truck, National Night Out, Flagstaff Leadership Program, ALEAD, and bomb threats class for the public and police academy. The members of the Explosives Disposal Team are required to complete 16 hours a month of proficiency training, one 40-hour class a year and recertify every three years to maintain their certification. Members also attended multiple recertification and advance training courses. Officer Murray completed a 6-week Hazardous Device Certification Course in Huntsville, AL, making him the newest certified member of the Squad. The Explosives Disposal Team held a new tech testing process, which was awarded to Det. Wotasik, who is pending a Certification course in 2020. Sergeant Hernandez attended a National Commanders Conference, as well as an Improvised Explosive course, both in Huntsville AL. Sergeant Kelly and Brockman attended a Radiation Stabilization course in Phoenix AZ.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
The men and women of the Criminal Investigations Division combat crime by conducting prompt, efficient and diligent investigations. Detectives use all available technological resources and traditional investigative methods to solve crimes, identify and apprehend suspects, locate missing persons and recover stolen property. By adhering to a community policing philosophy, members of the division form a partnership with crime victims and law-abiding citizens to improve the quality of life in our community and interdict crime and disorder. The Criminal Investigations Division comprised of a Lieutenant, two Sergeants, and 11 Detectives is responsible for investigating felony crimes, deaths and missing persons. The department also has a Crime Analyst assigned to the section. The Crime Analyst tracks crime trends within the City and produces a weekly Intelligence Bulletin showing these trends. This assists the Department in allocating resources to these affected areas to combat and reduce crime. Detectives were assigned 3,265 cases in 2018 which is a 0% increase or decrease from last year. The Criminal Investigation Section had an overall clearance rate of 67.7% in 2018 which is down 1.3% from the previous year. The National Clearance Benchmark rate is 48.1%. Reducing the number of pending cases, while maintaining quality customer service, continued to be an important focus for the Criminal Investigations Division.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
2010-2019 350
TEN YEAR COMPARISON OF PART ONE CRIMES
3000
300
2500
250
2000
200
1500
150
1000
100
500
50
0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Property Crimes
2962
3019
2834
2867
3008
2623
2816
2710
2436
2352
Violent Crimes
269
265
262
245
262
246
251
290
297
301
Violent Crimes
Property Crimes
3500
0
DISPOSITION OF CASES ASSIGNED TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS 2019 PENDING 6%
Referred to Other Agency 2%
CLEARED ARREST 36%
EARLY CASE CLOSURE 30%
CLEARED EXCEPTIONAL 5% UNFOUNDED 3% INFORMATION ONLY 15%
PROSECUTION DECLINED 3% Page 62
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Part One Crimes and Property Crimes Crime Type
Actual
% Change
Cleared
Cleared
2017
2018
2019
2019
2019
2018
7
3
4
33%
4
3
Rape
33
27
35
30%
26
25
Robbery
52
40
35
-13%
11
11
Aggravated Assault
198
227
227
0%
239
220
Burglary
159
165
165
-17%
39
28
2472
2220
2160
-3%
889
807
79
51
55
8%
16
16
Total Violent
290
297
301
1%
280
259
Total Property
2710
2436
2352
-3%
944
851
Grand Total
3000
2733
2653
-3%
1224
1110
6
15
1
-93%
1
1
Homicide
Larceny Theft GTA
Arson
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 DETECTIVE MAJOR CRIME CASES Officer Inv olved Shoot Team During 2019, the Multi-Agency Officer Involved Shoot Team investigated five officer involved shootings. There were two officer involved shootings involving Flagstaff Police Officers, two officer involved shootings involving deputies with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, and one officer involved shooting involving an officer with the Page Police Department. The shoot team is comprised of detectives/officers from three agencies to include the Flagstaff Police Department. There are currently seven members of the Flagstaff Police Department who participate in the Multi-Agency Officer Involved Shoot Team. Homicides Detectives were called out to a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. Once on scene, it was learned the driver of the vehicle was traveling on Lake Mary Road and struck and killed a pedestrian who was on the side of the roadway. The driver displayed signs and symptoms of impairment and was processed for DUI. The driver of the vehicle was arrested and indicted for Manslaughter. Detectives were called out to an altercation involving two subjects at the 3400 block of E. Route 66. Through their investigation and processing of the scene, it was learned the two individuals were engaged in an altercation and the suspect stabbed the victim multiple times. The suspect was arrested and indicted for second degree murder. Attempted Homicide The victim was sitting in his parked vehicle at an east side apartment complex when a vehicle drove past him. As the vehicle approached the victim in his vehicle, the suspect stopped and fired multiple rounds into the vehicle and at the victim. The suspect fled the area in his vehicle. Detectives responded to the scene, processing the evidence at the scene and interviewing multiple people. A suspect was developed, and a search warrant was executed at his house. During the service of the search warrant, a gun was located. Through forensic testing, the gun was determined to be the gun used in the shooting. The suspect was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder. Aggravated Assault The victim was attending a party and during the party he was involved in an altercation with another guest. During the altercation, the suspect produced a knife and stabbed in the victim in the back. A neighbor drove the victim to the hospital and left him at the front of the emergency department. Detectives responded and began interviewing people and were able to locate the crime scene. The detectives processed the crime scene and continued with more leads and interviews. The suspect was ultimately identified and arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Child Abuse Detectives were notified of infant that was receiving medical care at the hospital and it was suspected the infant’s injuries were non-accidental trauma. The medical staff determined the injuries to the infant were consistent with Page 64
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 shaken baby trauma. Detectives began conducting their investigation by conducting several interviews of family members and medical staff. Detectives wrote and executed a search warrant on the house in which they processed it for evidence. A suspect was identified and interviewed. At the conclusion of the interview, the suspect was arrested and indicted for child abuse. Underage Sex Sting Operation Detectives conducted an undercover sex sting operation targeting suspects who were attempting to engage in and pay for sexual acts with underage people. Detectives worked this operation with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, and Prescott Valley Police Department. The Flagstaff Police Department also worked in partnership with Flagstaff Initiative Against Human Trafficking. Arson Detectives were called to out to an arson at a local Walmart. Upon their arrival they learned the suspect entered the Walmart and set several items of merchandise on fire in attempts to create a diversion so he could steal other items. Detectives processed the scene and conducted interviews. The suspect was arrested and charged with Arson. The estimated damages and loss to the Walmart are substantial.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS Detectives continue to use CompStat methods to assist in crime mapping and conduct proactive property crime investigations. Detectives started and maintained monthly community meetings, which are called FRAPA (Flagstaff Retail Asset Protection Association). During these meetings, approximately 15 loss prevention agents and store managers from local retail stores share information with detectives to identify and apprehend frequent suspects in shoplifting cases. Through this partnership, we can reduce property crimes that occur at local retail shops and through collaborative efforts several arrests have been made. Currently, one detective and one detective sergeant are assigned to the department’s SWAT Team and one detective sergeant is assigned to the Negotiations Team. Another detective is assigned to the departmental Accident Reconstruction Team and another is assigned to the department’s Bomb Squad. Three detectives participate in the Coconino County Coordinated Community Response Team for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Three detectives are also phlebotomists for the Department. Detectives taught at the Citizen’s Police Academy and continue to participate in the “Challenge Program” at the two local high schools. Several detectives are involved in a pool to provide educational presentations on a variety of topics at monthly community meetings. As a result, several presentations were given through the city on several topics including internet safety, identity theft, and crime scene investigations.
TRAINING Detectives have received training in interview and interrogation, police-involved shootings, suicide awareness prevention, computer forensics, death investigation, and intelligence gathering. Several detectives also received numerous hours of instruction in child abductions and how to respond to them.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Silent Witness Silent Witness is a non-profit program created to give citizens the opportunity to assist law enforcement in solving crimes. Citizens remain completely anonymous and are paid rewards of up to $1000 when the information provided leads to an arrest or indictment. Silent Witness maintains the website at www.coconinosilentwitness.org. The website is used to provide general contact information and allows tips to be submitted online. Unsolved crimes are also highlighted on the website for the public to view. During 2019, Silent Witness received 87 calls. The Silent Witness Board approved $2,500 in awards to be paid to callers. The Silent Witness program “Tips Soft” is a web-based service that allows law enforcement agencies to communicate anonymously with the public regarding crimes, fugitives, and amber alerts. This service allows tips to be sent anonymously through different types of media. Tips can now be texted to 274637 (CRIMES) by initiating the text with “FLAGTIP” or visit the Silentwitness.org website and follow the link to submit a tip online.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 LOCATION OF ROBBERIES 2019
Highway/Street, 11
Other, 20 Commercial 11% Gas or Service Station, 0
Bank, 1
Convenience Store, Residence, 3 1
FREQUENCY OF THEFT TYPES 2019
Pocket Picking, 3
Purse-Snatching, 23
Other, 787 Shoplifting, 899
Theft from Coin Machine, 11 Theft From Vehicle, 157 Theft from Building, 163
Bicycles, 88
Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts/Accessories, 41
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Five Year Comparison of Residential Burglaries 120 100
Number of Burglaries
80 60 40 20 0 Daytime Nighttime
2015 52
2016 105
2017 105
2018 45
2019 21
19
61
55
64
21
Five Year Comparison of Business Burglaries 45 40
Number of Burglaries
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Daytime Nighttime
2015 26
2016 45
2017 5
2018 36
2019 3
19
27
23
16
12
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Property Crimes and Values
Number of Incidents THEFT VALUE
Dollar Value
2017
2018
2019
$200 and Over
659
648
$50 to $200
539
Under $50 TOTAL
% Change
2017
2018
2019
624
804,358
1,043,243
1,472,786
467
486
58,240
49,695
51,587
1291
1125
1062
15,945
13,316
12,700
2489
2240
2172
878,543
1,106,254
1,537,073
1044
897
899
85,017
67,289
87,228
199
220
157
99,964
129,570
119,648
46
49
41
29,320
38,464
10,547
159
125
88
104,823
70,943
50,831
15
11
11
2,260
935
5,443
878
734
787
493,883
589,201
1,078,501
2489
2036
1983
1,373,426
896,402
1,352,198
% Change
THEFT TYPE Shoplifting From Vehicles From Vehicle Parts Bicycles From Coin Machines All Other Thefts TOTAL
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
7 Year Trend for Flagstaff Police Department 3500
3400 3007
3000
3350
2816
2867
3328
2659
3336 2710 3300
2436
2500 3262
2352 3262
3250
2000 3209
3200
3193
Property Crime Part 1 Crimes
1500 3150 3136
Cases Assigned
1000 3100 500 245
261
247
251
290
297
301
0
3050
3000 2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Property Crime -18% Decrease Part 1 Crimes - 23% Increase Cases Assigned – 4% Increase
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
350
Violent Crimes Per 100,000 Inhabitants Data derived from 2018 FBI Uniform Crime Report
300
CRIMES PER 100,000
328
312
265
247
250 200
106
150 86
100 48
50
5
91
48
43
48 5
51
5
5
0 Flagstaff index
National
Murder
Rape
Western States
Robbery
Arizona
Agg Assault
***Part One Crime per 100,000 Inhabitant’s – Numbers are for 2018 as the UCR data for 2019 is not published.
Property Crimes Per 100,000 Inhabitants Data derived from 2018 FBI Uniform Crime Report 3500 2965
CRIMES PER 100,000
3000 2500
1,970
2000
1,737
1,595
1500 1000 500
229 432
376 188
366
440
267
75
0 Flagstaff index
National Burglary
Larceny Theft
Western States
Arizona
Vehicle Theft
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Street Crimes Task Force METRO
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
The Flagstaff Police Department has partnered with other local law enforcement agencies to form the Northern Arizona Street Crimes Task Force Metro unit, commonly known as Metro. The unit has been in place since 1987 and is housed in the Flagstaff Police Department. The primary objectives of the task force are to investigate, arrest and prosecute Fentanyl disguised as Oxycodone narcotic traffickers in and around Northern Arizona. Metro Narcotics is comprised of three Detectives and a Sergeant that work for the Flagstaff Police Department and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office. They work with ATF, FBI, HSI, DEA, GIITEM, Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and the US Marshalls on a regular basis and completed over 200 controlled purchases of drugs and firearms in 2019. They work drug crimes and dangerous felony warrants on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations in Northern Arizona with the FBI as part of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. All the Metro detectives at FBI Task Force Officers. During the early stage of past year Metro Narcotics targeted street level and large level methamphetamine and heroin dealers as well as other known career criminals in the Flagstaff area in an operation termed “Riptide”. During the multiple undercover operations Metro Narcotics purchased drugs and firearms from more than 69 of Flagstaff’s local career criminals. Some large quantity dealers from the Phoenix Metro area were also targeted as they supplied drugs to Flagstaff. Metro purchased 1,082 grams of meth, 273 grams of cocaine, 15 grams of crack cocaine, 4.5 grams of heroin, 7 tabs of acid, and illegal firearms. Those cases are currently pending plea agreements and trials. During these controlled purchases, Metro Narcotics worked with FBI, GIITTEM, and HSI who all contributed in several ways such as equipment, manpower, and funding. While conducting this investigation in the greater Flagstaff area Metro and FBI conducted a simultaneous investigation in Tuba City on the Navajo Reservation. That investigation yielded 20 defendants with 36 illicit purchases. They seized 1,296 grams of meth, 43 grams of cocaine, 4 oxy/fentanyl pills, and one homicide suspect. Metro Narcotics worked on disrupting drug trafficking organizations to include Mexican Drug Cartels which operated within Coconino County and the I-40 corridor, some of these arrests were with the assistance of HSI. During these investigations over 111 lbs. of methamphetamine ($1.500,000 street value) and 21 lbs. of heroin ($1,000,000 street value) were seized. Most recently Metro detectives did undercover purchases of counterfeit Oxycodone pills that contain fentanyl, 750 pills have been purchased. These pills are an epidemic across our community and the country.
Page 74 34 pounds of liquid meth and 2.75 pounds of heroin.
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
COMMUNITY RELATIONS The Community Relations Office includes one Sergeant, two Animal Control Officers, a Housing Authority Officer, a Training Coordinator, and two School Resource Officers. The Community Relations Office is dedicated to the Flagstaff Police Department’s Mission of Community Policing by promoting positive community relations and providing excellent customer service through community engagement activities throughout the year. The Community Relations Sergeant serves as the Flagstaff Police Department’s Public Information Officer. This assignment entails addressing the immediate need to facilitate and provide accurate information for release to the press and regulates our social media outlets. This effort includes timely and accurate dissemination of information on criminal activity and public safety through a cooperative partnership with local, state and national news outlets. In 2019, 1,551 public speaking presentations, media releases, radio, and television interviews were completed. Additionally, the Public Information Officer is responsible for the Police Department’s use of social media primarily using Facebook, Instagram, and Next Door while collaborating with other support staff to effectively use the Department’s website to disseminate information and communicate with the public. The Animal Control Officers (2) are responsible for addressing the many needs of our pet community; which includes animal impounds, answering questions, and presenting information for on various wildlife in the area. The Housing Officer works directly with the City of Flagstaff Housing Authority which includes Siler, Brannen, and Clark Homes. This directed effort was established to maintain healthy relationships and improve the quality of life by working with a variety of families in these areas. This assignment is responsible for assisting the property managers in providing a safe and healthy environment for the tenants and to provide a direct means of communication from the tenants to the Police Department for areas of information including crime trends, social services, and general assistance. Our Training Coordinator is responsible for maintaining and facilitating the continuing education requirements for all sworn and civilian personnel within the Department. The Training Coordinator also facilitates and supervises the Department’s Volunteer Program. The School Resource Officers (2) provide a cadre of services to the youth of our community, beginning with presenting the “Project Alert” program to the Middle and High School age youth in our city. The “Project Alert” program aims to reduce the risks of drug and alcohol abuse of our adolescents by providing them with knowledge and skills needed to make healthy decisions. The School Resource Officers present information to our community’s youth on topics like bullying, peer pressure, honesty, gun safety, domestic violence, and the proper use of 911. The School Resource Officers are regularly available to handle school calls for service and work with families they have built relationships with who are often at risk. This work with schools and families helps reduce juvenile referrals into the court system; positively impacting the students, their family, and the school by correcting behavior without court action.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 National Night Out Approximately 1,000 community members took a stand against crime in our community and attended the eighteenth annual Northern Arizona National Night Out celebration held at Bushmaster Park. Target, The Peaks Assisted Living Facility, Findlay Toyota, the Flagstaff Community Band and many other local nonprofit organizations partnered to sponsor and participate in this successful and upbeat event. The community enjoyed a meal with their local law enforcement and first responders working in the community. Businesses and other community partners provided games, activities, and other helpful resources and information at the variety of tables and displays. In addition, the Flagstaff Police Department’s Motor Squad provided the community with a variety of hands-on demonstrations. Entertainment was provided by the Flagstaff Community Band with the Mayor and Council in attendance as well. This was one of the largest community gatherings in recent history.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT MEETINGS The Community Relations Office tracked the Police Department’s community support meetings involving outreach efforts with partnering organization and groups in the community. The Flagstaff Police Department conducted 373 community outreach and support meetings in 2019.
Citizen’s Police Academy The Community Relations Office conducted two Citizen’s Police Academies teaching residents on various topics in and around policing. Approximately 55 people attended the academy in 2019. During these classes, many individuals learned about the criminal justice system and participated in many tours and events such as an explosives and firearms demonstration and tours of the County Jail and the DPS Crime Lab.
Community Volunteer Program As competition for city funding becomes more intense, the Police Department is becoming more dependent on volunteers to assist both sworn and civilian staff. Community volunteers donated 1,525 hours in 2019, providing pawn tracking, evidence/ property services, records, public relations, sex offender notifications, and assisting the Criminal Investigations Division. Volunteers were essential in the success of the Northern Arizona Law Enforcement Toy Drive which provides families, shelters, and community centers with toys.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 College Internship Program The Flagstaff Police Department has partnered this year with Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona on multiple internships in the Community Relations Section and the Criminal Investigations Division. This partnership allows students to gain work experience while the agency can complete additional projects and tasks with the assistance of the students.
Northern Arizona Law Enforcement Toy Drive The Community Relations Section led the way again with this year’s Northern Arizona Law Enforcement Toy Drive in partnership with Wal-Mart, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Williams Police Department, Arizona Rangers, Northern Arizona University, and the Shadows Foundation. Volunteers, law enforcement, and non-profit organizations such as the Flagstaff Law Enforcement Association and the Shadows Foundation collected donations and distributed toys to 704 children throughout Northern Arizona who likely would not have received gifts for Christmas if not for this program. The annual Shop with a Cop was a success as well with the children being treated to a breakfast at the Horsemen’s Lodge prior to shopping.
Better Bucks Program The Better Bucks program received assistance from the Community Relations office. This program is a collaborative effort to address the panhandling problem in Flagstaff. Together with patrol and the Shadows Foundation, our volunteers and officers assisted in providing community education as well as distributing flyers, booklets, and providing various media releases regarding the program.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Drug Drop / Shred-a-Thon 2019 The Community Relations section partnered with the Drug Enforcement Agency and the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Division this year to collect and properly dispose of drugs from the community twice two times this past year. This event also hosts a shred-a-thon event for protected personal information and documents and hazardous waste collection.
Arizona Leadership Education and Development Academy (ALEAD) Officers participated with the FBI National Academy Associates to provide training for this youth leadership academy. Classes taught include Decision-making, and the MILO Simulator. The students also saw a presentation on the SWAT and BOMB teams.
Woods Watch Staff and volunteers participated in the Woods Watch program with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Forest Service throughout the summer months to protect our community against the threat of forest fires. Training was also provided at the Flagstaff Police Department for those volunteers participating in the program.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Special Olympics The Flagstaff Police Department has been a strong supporter of the Special Olympics programs in Northern Arizona. In February members of the Flagstaff Police Department including School Resource Officer George Schorman, Public Information Officer Sgt. Charles Hernandez II, Support Services Manager Jen Brown, Administrative Specialists Jen Brevik and Allison Hughes participated in the annual Special Olympics “Polar Plunge�. In April 2019 Flagstaff Police Officers helped hand out award medals to Special Olympics local participants. In May 2019, members of the Flagstaff Police Department participated in the Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run.
Coffee with a Cop This year we introduced our own version of Coffee with a Cop. This program began in Hawthorne, California and has quickly become a community engagement program to help jump start conversations between citizens and police in a meaningful manner with no agendas or speeches; just conversation about community issues impacting all community members. This program will promote transparency and foster trust while sharing a cup of coffee together.
Dream Court Opening The Dream Court was completed and opened in April 2019. The Flagstaff Police Department partnered with Parks and Recreation, the Boys and Girls Club Flagstaff, Bridge Church, and the Nancy Lieberman Foundation to bring a Dream Court to Flagstaff. Nancy Lieberman, Chief Treadway, the Mayor and Council all attended the ribbon cutting ceremony. Pine Canyon donated leather basketballs etched with the Flagstaff Police Department patch logo to place in patrol vehicles and hand out to kids at the Dream Court.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Touch-a-Truck The Community Relations section and the Flagstaff Police Department’s Bomb Team participated in this year’s touch-a-truck event hosted by the City of Flagstaff’s Parks and Recreation Division at the Flagstaff Aquaplex.
Badges 4 Baseball The Boys and Girls Club Flagstaff partnered with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and the Flagstaff Police Department to bring the inaugural program Badges 4 Baseball program to the club. This program entailed officers spending an hour a week providing baseball skills instruction while adhering to a life skills curriculum provided by the Foundation. The Flagstaff Law Enforcement Association provided jerseys to the kids and the Cal Ripken Sr Foundation provided personalized gloves for each kid.
Training The Community Relations Office Training division was responsible for providing and documenting 24,862 total training hours which translates to approximately 221 hours of training per certified police officer.
Housing The Housing Officer has assisted in the foot and vehicular patrols in designated areas such as Siler Homes, Brannen Homes, and Clark Homes as well as 20 + properties assigned through the City’s Housing program. This position is also responsible for supporting patrol in addressing crimes and calls for service in these areas, as well as providing a liaisontype relationship with property managers and tenants. The Housing Officer regularly patrols each of the Flagstaff Housing Authority neighborhoods and is familiar with the off-site properties as well. The Housing Officer works closely with the Section 8 program and provides information to the Housing Authority. The Housing Officer also attends monthly meetings and provides a link of information to the board of directors regarding community policing initiatives. Page 81
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Project Alert Project Alert and the School Resource Officer (SRO’s) programs were implemented in August of 2012 with the Flagstaff Unified School District. Our agency has 118 sworn officers; two officers are assigned as SROs which represents a 1.7% of our sworn officers working primarily in this assignment. Both officers regularly handle patrol calls as well as their schedules allow. The SRO’s were able to present the Project Alert instruction to approximately 1000 students in the middle school grade range.
Animal Control The Community Relations Office had two Animal Control Officers for the City of Flagstaff in 2019. ACO Bigler and ACO Marciniak work diligently to ensure public health was managed through their animal enforcement activity as well as proactive presentations. These officers were responsible for impounding 673 animals, issuing 48 citations, and participating in 25 educational outreach events throughout the year. Officer Marciniak participated at the High-Country Humane outreach event and the Coconino County Fair.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
SUPPORT SERVICES
Deputy Chief Dan Musselman Support Services
Communications Manager
Support Services Manager
Community Relations
911 Communications Center
Jen Brown
SGT. Hernandez
1 911 Training Coordinator
1 Special Services Supervisor
2 SRO Officers
5 Supervisors
2 Evidence Technicians
1 Housing Officer
23 Dispatchers
1 Property Control Coordinator
1 Training Coordinator
Katie Brandis
2 Call Takers
1 Parking Control Officer
2 Animal Control Officers
RECORDS 1 Supervisor 10 Administrative Specialist 2 Administrative Specialists from the Chiefs Office
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Members of the Consolidated City and County 911 Communications Center provide law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical dispatch to an immense geographic area. By combining quality people with modern technology, the Flagstaff 911 Communications Center maintains a consistently high level of service. The Intergraph Public Safety Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system combines mapping and agency unit identification in a dispatching format that enhances public safety agency response types and times. This new generation of CAD also allows dispatchers to "see" via computer where police and fire units are in the field. Staff access state and national computerized databases for law enforcement purposes. The Center is a model for state-of-the-art technology and interagency cooperation, so we host numerous tours and site visits from local groups and outside agencies interested in our consolidation model and technological solutions.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Accomplishments In 2019, the Communications Center hired ten and continued training eleven Emergency Communications Specialists (ECS). Staff answered a total of 298,476 calls from the public. This included 66,159 calls that were received via 911 and 232,317 non-emergency incoming calls. Staff dispatched 80,419 calls for service to law enforcement and fire units. Personnel was able to keep fire response time from receipt of call to dispatch at or under one minute, (0.22 seconds) a National Fire Protection Agency best practice. Additionally, the Center maintained a 12-month average patrol response time of 4.01 minutes, from receipt of call to arrival of the first unit on the scene of priority one calls, better than the national benchmark and in line with our goal of under five minutes. City and County staff continued to work with our onsite Geographic Information Systems (GIS) employees on regular updates of the CAD and Vela maps. These maps are utilized to assist communications personnel to direct public safety responders who respond to 911 and all other call activity as they travel to the location of an incident. Map enhancement is an ongoing priority to maintain maximum efficiency and accuracy of call responses. On medical calls, while emergency services are physically responding, communications personnel perform Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD). An emergency medical dispatcher is a certified telecommunicator, tasked with the gathering of information related to medical emergencies, and offering assistance and pre-arrival medical instructions by voice prior to the arrival of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The term Emergency Medical Dispatcher is also a certification level and a professional designation, certified through the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch. In 2019, 15,768 Emergency Medical calls were received by the Flagstaff 911 Communications Center and EMD was attempted or performed 81% of the time where EMD was possible. In 2019, all Emergency Communications Specialists completed monthly training from Police Legal Services, an online training tool used to strengthen the professional skills of Emergency Communication Specialists by reinforcing classroom training and supplementing agency-specific practices. Many of the Emergency Communications Specialist Supervisors (ECSS) attended several of the “Investing in you” (IIU) training offered by the City of Flagstaff. ECSS also attended leadership training and completed several courses through Fred Pryor. The hiring process was updated in 2014 using the CritiCall screening program. “CritiCall”, a pre-employment multitasking testing program assists in identifying candidates who have the multi-tasking skills to be outstanding team members in an emergency communications center. Staff from each 911 Center in Coconino County, the Arizona State 911 Office, and City and County GIS groups met regularly in 2019 for information sharing, planning and problem-solving. Semi-annual Communications Users Group meetings continued in 2019. This group is comprised of stakeholders from all public safety agencies in our county who assist the current and long-range planning process. The Flagstaff Police Department in conjunction with the Flagstaff Fire Department, members of Coconino County, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Flagstaff’s GIS teams, continue to work on a Route Based Dispatching project. This is a Global Positioning System (GPS) program within the CAD system that will recommend the closest fire Page 85
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 apparatus and the safest route for the Flagstaff Fire Department to respond to fire and medical emergencies. The Communications Center is also responsible for the dispatching of fire and EMS incidents for Pinewood, Blue Ridge, Forest Lakes, Highlands, and Summit Fire Departments. The Flagstaff 9-1-1 Communications continues to process and respond to wireless 9-1-1 calls using Wireless 911 Phase II. The enhancement provides the latitude/longitude of either the wireless tower (Phase I) and/or the wireless caller’s approximate location (Phase II) depending on the service. Also, Phase II provides the telephone number of the caller. The program is maintained by the 911 Coordinator who works under the Flagstaff 911 Communications Manager and in conjunction with the Communications Managers from Grand Canyon, Page, and Williams Police Departments. In 2019, the 911 Communications Center received 54,156 wireless calls. In 2019, the Communications Center started utilizing a program called RapidSoS. The program gives each ECS access to accurate and additional information from a smartphone when it calls 911. It provides accurate GPS information, medical alert information, and information from Uber. It can also show if a 911 caller is moving providing historical GPS data. The State 911 Office is in the process of upgrading statewide Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to the next generation 911 (NG911) platform. Implementing NG911 Network services will enable our PSAP to migrate to NG9-1-1 ready call-handling systems and a full feature Emergency Services IP Network. This will open the door to future possibilities of text to 9-1-1, pictures, and video capabilities. The Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Page and Williams PSAP’s have moved forward with the upgrade and look forward to implementing Text to 9-1-1 in 2020. In 2019, the radio system and logging recorder were upgraded with new software and hardware. The completion of the new 800 MHz P25 digital public safety and city operations radio system that occurred in 2012 continues to be very beneficial. The old radio system’s two-tower antenna array made it vulnerable to extreme weather conditions on Mount Elden that caused partial outages and reliance on one tower for city-wide as well as NAU coverage. The current four tower antenna array has built-in redundancy which makes it highly resistant to weather-related disruptions in service. The radio system has dual band capability in the VHF spectrum so that public safety employees in Police and Fire Divisions can communicate directly with Sheriff’s Deputies as well as personnel from outlying Fire Departments. The 800 MHz system has assured secure and dependable emergency communications among all public safety personnel including Flagstaff and the surrounding vicinity. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office updated the Flagstaff and Sedona Districts to a simulcast “channel two” microwave/UHF/VHF radio system. The radio repeater at the Sedona Airport was changed to the simulcast channel two from channel one and has improved the radio communication between the Flagstaff 911 Communications Center and deputies working in the Flagstaff, Sedona, and Oak Creek Canyon vicinities.
The old analog radio repeaters at Phinger Point and Jacob’s Lake radio sites were changed to digital P25 compatible radio repeaters which improve radio communications in the Page and the Grand Canyon North Rim vicinities. In 2019, the Communications Center was approved funds for a CAD upgrade. The project should be underway in 2020!
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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RECORDS SECTION RECORDS SECTION The Consolidated Flagstaff Police Department/Coconino County Sheriff’s Department Records Division is an essential component of the Police Department. The section is staffed by 10 Administrative Records Specialists and one Records Supervisor. It continues to be the central repository where all City Police, Coconino County Sheriff and Coconino Detention Facility reports are received, stored, and disseminated in both paper and electronic formats. Information is entered into the Intergraph Public Safety Records Management System and hard copy documents electronically scanned and attached to allow both on and off-site criminal justice staff to view or reproduce reports from their local workstations. Detailed electronic information is now available on over 3,407,295 Calls for service, over 582,513 Incident and crime reports, 345,011 Vehicles, 312,950 Arrests, and 238,976 Jail Bookings. The Records Staff continues to become more familiar with updated technology and more accustomed to managing electronic documents. Records staff reviews and conducts the final approval process for all incidents, arrests and citations electronically submitted by officers through the Records Management System. Our Records Management System (RMS) software is shared with numerous Northern Arizona law enforcement agencies, including Northern Arizona University Police Department, Coconino County Sheriff’s Department and Coconino County Detention Facility. Staff from these and many other local criminal justice agencies (i.e. City Court and Prosecutor, Adult Probation, Gang Intelligence and Team Enforcement Mission (GITEM) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) have immediate electronic access to the RMS/I-Leads system. Records staff produce monthly statistical reports for agency staff, private citizens and FBI crime reporting. The Support Services Manager is designated as the department’s System Security Officer (SSO), responsible to ensure that the Police Department’s network and personnel are in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures governing the numerous national criminal justice information databases. The Flagstaff Police Department is committed to ensuring that the source data we submit for the Central State Repository and for FBI Uniform Crime Reporting is accurate and comprehensive.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Flagstaff Police Department utilizes Intergraph Public Safety’s Records Management System, known as I/Leads. I/Leads-RMS stores and retrieves information on incidents, arrests, warrants, property, case management, field interviews, and many other types of information required to manage a public safety agency. This system possesses enhancements which include support for 64 bit servers which helps make the application run faster and be more efficient, the ability to associate property and evidence to an accident record, the ability for calls for service records to be attached to multiple incidents and accidents, and expanded abilities to transfer data from one module to another, such as from accidents to citations, from arrests to citations and from citations to arrests. Additionally, officers in the field are able to use Intergraph’s Page 89
FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Field Reporting program that allows them to access Intergraph’s Records Management software, report incidents, and accidents, and transfer queries and responses using wireless technology. This promotes more efficient use of time by enabling officers to complete reporting tasks in the field instead of at the station. Hours of service for Records were changed on the weekends to bring the section more into line with operating schedules of other departments around the state. The section is now open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed to the public on Saturday and Sunday except for vehicle releases and those picking up property from the safekeeping room. Records handled 24,277 Police and Sheriff’s reports and 6,966 Jail booking records in 2019. Over 27,000 Reports were entered into the computer database and approximately 33,992 copies of reports were disseminated to the public and criminal justice agencies. Cop Link Since October 2010, the Flagstaff Police Department has been using Cop Link. Cop Link is a software program that organizes and rapidly analyzes vast quantities of structured and seemingly unrelated data, currently housed in various incompatible records management systems, over a highly secure intranet-based platform. Groups of law enforcement agencies can consolidate, share and identify valuable information from each other’s databases and criminal records. Cop Link allows officers and detectives to quickly and easily view the results of sophisticated analyses from complex data searches that uncover hidden relationships and associations across multiple database sources. Crime Reports CrimeReports.com is an internet-based service which is free to the public and allows citizens to access a website and view crime locations and general crime trends within their community. CrimeReports.com publishes incident-level crime data provided by the Flagstaff Police Department and makes that information searchable by area, date, and crime type. The service also includes a basic analytics component, giving both law enforcement agencies and the public an easy-to-read snapshot of crime at the neighborhood level. Users may sign up to receive e-mail alerts on specific crime types within a certain geographic area. Online Services Formerly, the Flagstaff Police Department utilized outside vendors to provide services for customers to purchase reports online and to file simple police reports online. In 2017, the department created its own online portal, through the City of Flagstaff website, from which citizens can request police reports and background checks and apply to participate in a ride-along with an officer. Requests for police reports also continue to be requested by fax and mail as well as in person at the Records Section. Private property hit and run accidents and other simple reports can also be reported online through the police department portal.
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Another new enhancement added to the department is the acceptance of credit card payments in addition to accepting cash and checks for payment of services and products. Customers can use their credit/debit card to pay in person or online through the Point and Pay system implemented throughout the City of Flagstaff. LIVESCAN FINGERPRINT MACHINE The Flagstaff Police Department utilizes the Live Scan ID 500 fingerprint system, eliminating the need to do fingerprints manually by rolling a person’s fingertips on an ink pad. Quality checks within the equipment provide immediate feedback to the user regarding the quality of the fingerprints eliminating rejections when the fingerprints are sent to the FBI or the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The equipment sits on a desktop in conjunction with a laptop computer. The system automatically senses the placement of the finger, capturing the image only if it meets predetermined quality criteria, all without manual intervention and additional steps or keystrokes. Records Section personnel are available to provide fingerprinting services Monday through Friday.
SPECIAL SERVICES EVIDENCE In 2019, the Evidence Section received and processed 11,331 pieces of evidence, which were logged in by officers, agents, and detectives for case investigation and prosecution. In addition to items of evidence, our technicians handle individual’s property, retained for safekeeping and processed a total of 282 bicycles, which were abandoned, stolen or a combination of the two. A total of 973 items were returned to owners and 5,117 items were destroyed. There were 812 articles of evidence that met the criteria to be submitted to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (Northern Arizona Crime Laboratory) for scientific analysis. This section continues to house and manage over 100,000 items of evidence.
PARKING CONTROL The Flagstaff Police Department works in conjunction with ParkFlag to help support the mission and vision of the City of Flagstaff and its community members. Officers continue to remain vigilant enforcing parking violations, primarily outside of the downtown area. Officers also continue to identify and remove junk or abandoned vehicles. In 2019, the department received 438 calls for service regarding abandoned or junked vehicles, of which, 141 were tagged and reported as such. Ultimately, over 50 of these identified vehicles remained in violation of the city ordinance and required removal via tow. We are excited to continue our work with ParkFlag to promote safe and lawful parking throughout Flagstaff!
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FLAGSTAFF POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2019 PROPERTY CONTROL The Flagstaff Police Department employs one Property Control Coordinator. This non-sworn employee actively supports and upholds the City’s stated mission and values. They also perform non-commissioned police support duties associated with the maintenance of over 90 police, administrative and specialty vehicles. This includes scheduling and coordinating the service and repairs of these vehicles to ensure fleet preparedness. Additionally, they manage and stock necessary equipment and specialty components to keep the Department functioning at its highest level.
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MICHAEL HANSEN CORPORAL 2-3-2019
NICHOLAS ALMENDAREZ CORPORAL 8-25-2019
MORGAN MURRAY CORPORAL 8-25-2019
08-28-16
POLICE TRAINING COORDINATOR
POLICE TRAINING COORDINATOR
POLICE TRAINING COORDINATOR
MICHAEL LAVELLE
DUSTIN KUHNS
SERGEANT 8-21-2019
SERGEANT 8-25-2019
09-26-17
POLICE TRAINING COORDINATOR
SARA BYERRUM EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SUPERVISOR
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Corporal David Saurer In January of 1997 Dave joined the Flagstaff Police Department. After finishing the police academy and field training, Dave reported to Sgt. Tarr to be a member of Edward Squad. Dave’s enthusiasm on Edward squad earned him nicknames, like “Crash” and “Mr. Furious.” For example, when he was a brand-new solo officer, Dave responded to a domestic fight at 1385 University. After arriving on scene, Dave called out a 9-9-9 (law enforcement’s most urgent call for assistance- typically a life-or-death situation). When the cavalry arrived, they found Dave safely peering in through the apartment window while the apartment’s occupants were arguing inside. Thinking that Dave was in danger and seeing he wasn’t, the responding officers asked Dave why he called out a 9-9-9. Dave replied, “What? 9-9-9 means ‘officer needs assistance, right? I needed assistance.” Dave served as an Honor Guard, a driving instructor, and served as a Motor officer since 2000. Dave’s friend and supervisor made note that Dave has the distinction of writing the second most tickets in FPD history.
Sergeant Cory Runge Prior to his law enforcement career, Cory Runge served a four-year tour of duty in the United States Marine Corps. He was the recipient of several medals, ribbons and badges for his service. He began his law enforcement career with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office in 1999. He left Yavapai and served with the NAU Police Department from 20012003, completing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology during his tenure. In 2003 he was hired on at the Flagstaff Police Department. He immediately put his degree to work and became instrumental in developing our Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), to help those suffering from mental health issues. Cory was promoted to the rank of Corporal/Detective in 2006. In this role he was instrumental in investigating felony crimes and missing persons. He was promoted to sergeant in 2010 and he served as the Public Information Sergeant for two (2) separate tours. During this time, he completed a master’s degree in Applied Sociology. Cory’s file is full of awards and commendations from his many roles as a police officer. He is a past recipient of the departments Meritorious Service Award, David’s Hope Achievement Award, the City Managers Award and Cory is a recognized Mental Health/CIT Subject Matter Expert.
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Daniel Beckwith EOW March 12, 2019 Page 96
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