ODE Fishing with C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation
The C.A.S.T. (Catch a Special Thrill) for Kids Foundation enriches the lives of children with special needs, supports their families, and strengthens communities through the sport of fishing.
The charity was formed in 1991 to join children who have special needs with volunteers who love to fish, for a day of fishing. C.A.S.T. brought special needs youth to Lakeside Lake to connect with ODE Sergeant Jeremy Williams and other TPD officers to catch some fish. As you can see in this photo, special connections were made that day. I am very proud of ODE’s community engagement efforts.
ODE Division Advisory Committee
On November 13, ODE held our Division Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting in the Miller-Golf Links Library meeting room.
Internal and external partners from across the city attended to give updates on projects and initiatives impacting our division. Central Investigations Division commander Captain Doug Foster provided an overview of TPD’s ongoing efforts and initiatives to combat violent gun crime. Counter Narcotics Alliance commander Captain Joe Puglia gave a presentation on the opioid crisis and discussed the fentanyl challenges our city is experiencing. Lieutenant Jesse Chamberlain discussed efforts to combat street racing and introduced TPD’s Community Safety Awareness & Response Center (CSARC), and Lieutenant Albert Baca discussed ODE’s current crime statistics, our Violence Interruption Vitalization Action (VIVA) site, and future strategic deployment missions to address crime heat maps. Director of Tucson Parks and Recreation Lara Hamwey briefed our community on eastside parks. Babette McDonald from the Pima County Attorney’s Office 88-Crime program offered to help build relationships in schools to increase student safety. Steven LaTurco from Tucson Environmental and General Services Department discussed Team Up to Clean Up! initiatives and other community-building tools and resources.
Special thanks to ODE’s school partners, Tanque Verde, T.U.S.D., and Vail School District administrators, Brandi Champion from Housing First, Mari Vasquez for her endless work with the homeless protocol, Tucson Fire Department, Public Safety Communications Department, and the Independent Police Auditor for your time and investment in Operations Division East. I look forward to seeing you all at the next DAC.
Member Highlight
ODE LPO (Lead Patrol Officer) Sean Gerhart has been with the department over seven years.
During his time in ODE, Sean has been a member of CRT and Zebra and is Bike Certified. He works tirelessly, helping the division on many special deployments, covering understaffed squads, and training with the K9 Unit.
Most importantly, Sean prides himself in being a Field Training Officer (FTO) and mentor to his peers in patrol. Since taking on the role of LPO, he has become the go-to person for many officers in the field for advice on calls.
Sean sets himself apart as a true leader in ODE. He regularly takes incident command on calls for service, needing little to no input from his supervisor. He likes to motivate his squad to find the balance between call taking and on-site activity. Sean plans to test for the K9 Unit and he will undoubtedly do very well. Squad 6 and ODE are lucky to have LPO Gerhart on our team!
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TPD Recruiting Link
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I NEED YOUR HELP.
Please share this QR code with people who are interested in a new and exciting career with the Tucson Police Department.
Save the QR code on your phone and share it with those who you think should be policing the Eastside.
I appreciate your help!
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Crime Prevention Tip
 For those missing a loved one, the holidays can be especially difficult. People seek companionship. Unfortunately, criminals try to take advantage of this to trick you out of your money – all they can lay their hands on.
The FBI provides information on typical romance scams and how to protect yourself. They urge anyone who's been taken advantage of to report the crime at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
As the photo above shows, the scammer doesn't even have to come up with their own lies anymore – they can use artificial intelligence to do the work for them, and probably with fewer spelling and other mistakes.
Romance scams rely on the victim's desire to believe that it's not a scam, that – despite increasing evidence to the contrary – they've found true love. But while true love has no price, these scams definitely do. According to the IC3, they cost Americans $600 million in 2020.
Targeted groups include women, the elderly, and people who have lost a spouse, but anyone can fall victim to these scams. Don't join their ranks.
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