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Captain Belinda Morales
Operations Division East
November 2024
CSARC Moves Ahead
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Co-located with the City's Public Safety Communications Department 911 call center, TPD's CSARC (Community Safety Awareness and Response Center) integrates real-time data and video analytics across multiple agencies, improving emergency response coordination.
CSARC involves collaboration among multiple City departments, vendors, and community groups to address issues such as street racing and organized retail theft, adding efficiencies that bolster community safety.
CSARC was recently pleased to host Ward 4 City Council Member Nikki Lee for a tour.
Ward 4 City Council Member Nikki Lee visits TPD's CSARC - Community Safety Awareness and Response Center.
Problem-Oriented Precision Policing (POPP) Location in ODE Yielding Positive Results
On October 22nd, ODE Officer Hineman was on a POPP deployment in the area of Stella and Wilmot, monitoring vehicle traffic, when he noticed that a van failed to stop for a stop sign. The van then failed to stop for a second stop sign at David Drive and Wilmot Road. The vehicle then drove to Circle K. The driver and passenger were identified. The driver exhibited signs of DUI, performed poorly on field sobriety tests, and Officer Hineman learned that her license had been suspended for a prior DUI and failing to pay the associated fees.
After further investigation, ODE Officer Carpenter located 1,100 fentanyl pills, 6 grams of suspected fentanyl powder, multiple scales, approximately $1,700 in cash, and individually packaged baggies of fentanyl pills. A firearm was also located in the vehicle. The driver admitted to selling narcotics in the past and had prior felony convictions.
The driver was arrested for aggravated DUI, unlawful possession of a narcotic drug, unlawful possession of a narcotic drug for sale, weapons misconduct, prohibited possessor, and weapons misconduct - using a weapon during a drug offense.
 On October 28th, ODE Community Response Team (CRT) observed a vehicle leaving an address in the 3200 block of South Wilmot Road in ODE’s POPP location. The vehicle committed a civil traffic violation and stopped near 5th Street and Wilmot Road. Narcotics paraphernalia was seen in plain view. The front passenger was found to be in possession of over 700 fentanyl pills and 23 grams of meth. Another passenger attempted to lie about his name, and it was later discovered that he had two felony warrants for narcotics violations and burglary tools. Both subjects were booked into the Pima County Jail.
 ODE Statistics
Activity
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Type
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2024 Division Year to Date
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2024 Department Year to Date
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Calls for Service
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25,865
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113,729
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Officer-initiated Activity
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3,513
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27,444
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Gun-related Crime
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28
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165
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Homicide
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12
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56
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Traffic Citations
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2,123
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36,150
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Staffing
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Type
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2024 Division Year to Date
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2024 Department Year to Date
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Sworn Members
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101
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804
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Community Service Officers
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26
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131
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Professional Staff
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5
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267
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Special Olympics Fuel of Dreams
On October 24th, Operations Division East members participated in pumping gas for Eastside residents to raise money for Arizona Special Olympics athletes. For the first time, Fry’s hosted two separate locations, Speedway Boulevard & Pantano Road and Houghton Road & Rita Ranch Road. A little friendly competition ensued. The real winners are always the athletes, as all funds raised go to supporting program activities – including local training and competition, educational materials, family support, and much more. Officers Heather Mah, Nicholas Lundien, William Bonano, Albert Moreno, and Robert Cormier participated alongside athletes in this 12th Annual Fuel of Dreams Event.
Trunk or Treat
Operations Division East was invited to multiple trunk-or-treat community events and had a blast seeing all the Eastside kids in their costumes. Officers Heather Mah and Nicholas Lundien; Community Service Officers Teresa Hayward, Priscilla Carranco, Carrie Ord, Isabel Jones, Thomas Ogden, Belen Guevara, Tony Fedele, and Martin Villa; and once-upon-a-time ODE Lieutenant Lissette Gomez joined Ops East to partake in Halloween fun! These community events mean so much to our division and we are so very grateful to be included every year!
Compassion, Professionalism Win High Praise
I received the following email from Assistant Attorney General Anna OIiva, praising the work of ODE’s finest, Jelani (top photo) and Greg (bottom photo), for their work involving a case with the Department of Child Safety. I am so proud of these young men!
"I'm AAG Anna Oliva, and I represent the Department of Child Safety. This summer, I took on a new case and it became apparent that we would be going to trial. I read the TPD report and my office requested the BWC [body-worn camera].
I clerked for a criminal defense attorney all through law school and I've watched thousands of hours of cruiser cam and BWC footage. I can only think of a handful of other cases where I have seen such compassion, patience and care. Both Officer Howard and Officer Kohler acted with professionalism and the highest integrity. The arrestee was combative and loudly abusive for an extensive period of time and throughout the ordeal, they both remained calm and professional. I watched one of the officers count her money out to the last penny as she screamed obscene accusations towards them and about them.
At trial, I called Officer Kohler as a witness. (It would have been unnecessarily cumulative to call Officer Howard, and the report was written mostly by Officer Kohler.) Officer Kohler was an outstanding witness. He responded to my interview questions before court every time right away and gave me additional details that my client really needed to get into the record. On the stand he was flawless. Perfect memory, prepared, and succinct. I especially want to draw attention to how he explained to the Court that he was worried, he was truly concerned about the health, safety and welfare of both the arrestee and her neglected child. Officer Kohler represented himself and TPD very well.
Officer Kohler and Officer Howard may well have saved a little girl's life, but almost certainly her future. For that, I feel it is most appropriate to inform you all of their strong work, and their professionalism throughout."
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Member Highlight
This month’s member highlight goes out to our standout Community Service Officer (CSO) Cameron Austin. CSO Austin is a pleasure to have in Squad 5. He always has a smile on his face (just not in this photo) and is happy to be part of the team.
Cameron’s short-term goals are to become a police officer with this agency. He possesses a unique set of skills and training for a CSO, as he was originally hired as a police officer, and successfully completed 20 weeks of basic recruit training before severely injuring his knee while off duty. He then took a CSO position and, months later, attempted the police academy again, but his knee still had not healed enough for the rigorous training involved. He made the decision and was approved to come back as a CSO here in Team 4.
Cameron continues to work on rehabilitating his knee. Through all of this, he comes to work every single day with a positive can-do attitude that's infectious. He has a drive to better himself and is always asking about calls for service, doing ride-alongs, and exposing himself to as many police aspects of the job as he can, all of which improves his skillset as a CSO. He was sought out by ODE command staff and asked to take on additional duties to help the department reach its strategic goals. Cameron’s determination to expand his knowledge, skillset, and work ethic are second to none. Well done!
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Crime Prevention Tip
Over the holidays, driving under the influence goes up. Protect yourself, friends, and loved ones.
- Have a designated driver, or take a taxi or ride share. Ask a bartender to call you a ride home, if you need to.
- If you don't plan to stay the night where you're at, leave and get off the roads well before the bars close.
- Be aware of your guests' alcohol consumption and offer to have them stay the night or get them a ride home. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) suggests ways to have this conversation.
- Be vigilant looking out for drivers who may be under the influence. Give them a wide berth and call 911 if you see unsafe driving. MADD has a list of driving behaviors that may indicate impairment.
- Be extra cautious driving after dark. Collisions go up in the winter months and darkness, even without impairment, is a contributing factor.
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