TPD Patrol Division East Newsletter - March 2023

City of Tucson sent this bulletin at 03/23/2023 10:19 AM MST

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. |

March 2023

Captain James Wakefield
Operations Division East

Hazardous Material Spill

The hazardous material spill on I-10 near Rita Ranch was a significant operational event that occurred in Operations Division East (ODE) last month.

ODE members responded, along with the Department of Public Safety (DPS), Tucson Fire, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. The agencies established a unified command structure, with DPS taking incident command, and worked together to contain the spill and evacuate nearby businesses and schools.

Members from the responding agencies were on-scene for over 24 hours working this critical incident, which encompassed a vast area in ODE. We appreciate the community's patience with traffic delays while the incident was being investigated and the scene made safe.

Our thoughts go out to the family of the truck driver who lost his life in the crash.

Back of Arizona State Trooper vehicle on I-10 looking toward orange cloud of hazmat incident at dusk

On I-10 near the hazmat incident location

ODE Statistics

Activity

Type	2023 Division Year to Date	2023 Department Year to Date
Calls for Service	7,937	34,472
Officer-initiated Activity	3,786	16,664
Gun-related Crime	14	111
Homicide	0	12
Traffic Citations	535	5,543

Staffing

Type	2023 Division Year to Date	2023 Department Year to Date
Sworn Members	103	804
Community Service Officers	17	118
Professional Staff	2	213

Member Highlight

TPD Officer Jamie Voss in uniform in front of a U.S. flag

ODE’s Officer of the Quarter is Officer James “Jamie” Voss.

Officer Voss has been with TPD for over 20 years. In addition to his patrol duties, he is a longstanding member of the SWAT Team.

Officer Voss was selected as Officer of the Quarter because of his relationships with area businesses and his focus on quality of life issues in ODE.

Congratulations, Officer Voss!

Crime Prevention Tip

A close-up tangle of cholla with a mountain far off in the background.

Ouch! Nobody wants to mess with a cholla.

Planting cactus under a window can be an effective deterrent against burglars.

Consider cholla or other spiky plants, especially for windows that are less visible to neighbors or people passing by on the street (and therefore more attractive to burglars).

Photo by Meg MacDonald on Unsplash

ODE in the Community

In February, ODE hosted its quarterly Division Advisory Committee Meeting (DAC). Some of the topics discussed were fentanyl in our community, how Tucson is addressing unsheltered community members, and how ODE is working to address street racers/street takeovers.

ODE also participated in the 30th anniversary of the Wingate Neighborhood. The celebration featured a live band, lunch, and a proclamation from the Mayor.

ODE Captain James Wakefield, McGruff the Crime Dog, Ward 4 Council Member Nikki Lee, a TPD Officer, and Mayor Regina Romero pose for a photo

Mayor Romero and Ward 4 Council Member Lee join McGruff the Crime Dog and ODE members at the Wingate Neighborhood celebration.

Upcoming Events

This month, ODE will be participating in a neighborhood cleanup in the Tierra Del Sol neighborhood near 22nd and Prudence. We’ll also be joining CAST for Kids Foundation as they help special needs children in our community fish at Lakeside Park.

Links

Graffiti Removal
TPD Non-Emergency Online Reporting System
Report a Code Violation (weeds, trash, junked vehicles, building or sign violations)
Report a Homeless Encampment
File a Trespass Letter (for businesses)
TPD Website
For emergencies: call 911
For police non-emergencies: call (520) 791-4444

For accommodations; materials in accessible formats; foreign language interpreters; and/or materials in a language other than English, please contact the Tucson Police Department Public Information Office at (520) 791-4852 or (520) 791-2639 for TDD at least five (5) business days in advance.

Para arreglos; materiales en formatos accesibles; interpretes de idioma extranjero; y/o materiales en otro idioma que no sea inglés, por favor comunicarse al Departamento de la Policía de Tucson a la sección de Información Pública al (520) 791-4852 o (520) 791-2639 para TDD por lo menos con cinco (5) días hábiles de anticipació.