Street Crime Task Force

Street Crimes Task Force

METRO

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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 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 are FBI Task Force Officers. During the early stage of the past year, Metro Narcotics targeted street level and large level Methamphetamine, Heroin, Cocaine, and M30 Fentanyl pill dealers as well as other known career criminals in the Flagstaff area. During the multiple undercover operations, Metro Narcotics purchased drugs from more than 42 of Flagstaff’s local criminals. Some large quantity dealers from the Phoenix Metro area were also targeted as they supplied drugs to Flagstaff. Metro purchased 642.936 grams of Methamphetamine, 291.98 grams of Cocaine, 17.35 grams of Heroin, 414 M30 Fentanyl pills, 20 Xanax bars, and 5 Ecstasy tablets. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the courts are concentrating on dangerous and violent offenders. Counterfeit Oxycodone pills that contain Fentanyl are an epidemic across our community and the country. In 2020 there have been more than 14 overdoses in Coconino County alone. Metro detectives directed much of their efforts in 2020 to buying the counterfeit Fentanyl pills and getting dealers off the streets in an effort to prevent more overdoses. Metro Detectives opened 24 cases involving Fentanyl Sales from 14 individuals.

Fentanyl disguised as Oxycodone

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While conducting these investigations in the greater Flagstaff area, Metro and FBI conducted simultaneous investigations. Metro was able to get in to a mid-level dealer that was well known by the unit. This dealer has cartel and gang relations. Utilizing a confidential and reliable informant, several large quantity cocaine purchases were made. Metro was able to obtain a warrant for a tracker on the suspect’s vehicle. A multi-agency operation was set up and the dealer was stopped during a drug run with three quarters of a pound of cocaine and an ounce and a half of marijuana. On top of the charges picked up in the bust, charges are pending for sales of narcotics in Maricopa, Yavapai, and Coconino county. An investigation was opened on patched mafia member who had control of the illicit substance market in Holbrook and on the Northern Arizona Reservation. A confidential and reliable informant purchased methamphetamine, M30 fentanyl pills, and heroin from the dealer. A trash rip was conducted on his residence and multiple items of drug paraphernalia were located among the refuse. A search warrant was granted, and Agents located 216 M30 fentanyl pills, 400 grams of methamphetamine, multiple items of drug paraphernalia, a gun, and $1,680 in cash.

Special Enforcement Squad

The special 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 unmarked patrols of high crime areas. They are also responsible for providing security at Pulliam Airport. In 2020, 579 repeat offender arrests were made by the special enforcement squad. A total of 96 camps were contacted on Woods Watch patrols during the fire season within the Flagstaff City Limits; over 20 of these were deemed abandoned and cleaned up by Officers. The selective enforcement squad also participated in several aerial patrols of the Flagstaff city limits in partnership with DPS Ranger to locate camps and illegal camp fires.

Throughout the year the selective enforcement squad was assigned to multiple special events including over 20 protest events in various locations throughout the city. Officers were dispatched to the locations of these protests to provide security and traffic control as protestors marched throughout the city, and held their rallies.

The Department continued the Sunnyside Initiative in 2020, working to improve quality of life for residents and reduce crime through partnerships with community stakeholders and other law enforcement agencies. The Flagstaff Police Department assigned a Sergeant and officer (when available) specifically to the Sunnyside area. 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 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.

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