Protecting the Exercise of First Amendment Rights
On July 17, 2025, the groups Democracy Unites Us and 50501 Tucson gathered at the bandshell at Reid Park to mark the five-year anniversary of the late Congressman and civil rights champion John Lewis’ death.
Speakers addressed the crowd of approximately 300. Afterward, participants marched on the sidewalks around Reid Park.
ODM led the police planning and response to this event. Officers from multiple divisions helped create a safe environment for people to gather and exercise their First Amendment rights during a peaceful, organized demonstration.
World Refugee Day Outreach
 Tucson's World Refugee Day event was a success, thanks in part to Sgt. Travers and his team. With everything else he had going on, Sgt. Travers still found time to serve on the WRD planning committee, and he played a major role in the event itself.
This year's event was different in that, far more than just logistics, it called for lots of reassurance. The trust that Sgt. Travers, CSO Mohamed, and their team have built with the refugee community, both members and resettlement staffers, made that reassurance possible. Well done!
Member Highlight
ODM officers conducted a hostage rescue in a patrol capacity that led to the murder suspect (see lead story, above) fleeing from the residence, leaving the hostage unharmed. The officers' decisive actions to make entry into the locked residence were calculated, precise, and appropriate. The suspect was later found during a high-risk area search involving SWAT and other valuable police resources throughout the city.
ODM hostage rescue officers:
Lead Patrol Officer Alex Price
Officer Tyler Leatherberry
Officer Isaiah McKenna
Officer Christopher Nichols
Officer Matthew O’Connor
Officer Dustin Sheeley
Retirement
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Officer Leticia Parris is retiring from the Tucson Police Department with 20 years of service.
She spent her police career in the Midtown Division. Her legacy – from Police Service Operator to Patrol Officer and FTO (Field Training Officer) Coordinator – helped develop generations of officers who'll be contributing to the Tucson community for years to come.
We appreciate her dedicated service, leadership, and devotion to duty, and we wish her all the best in retirement.
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Crime Prevention Tip
Recently, the most common targets for auto theft have been Hyundais and Kias. TPD has been urging owners to use preventive measures, such as a steering wheel lock (club), to deter thieves.
Another trend is also starting to emerge, targeting newer model GM trucks and large SUVs, Jeeps, and Ram trucks with a push-button start. Thieves are able to use a device that connects with the vehicle's computer through the OBD port (On-Board Diagnostics) and reprograms the vehicle to a new key.
There are "OBD port locks" to protect against this, but as the OBD port is generally under the dashboard, and not easily seen until after a thief has broken into the vehicle, a steering wheel lock, which can easily be seen from outside, remains a good deterrent to avoid not just theft, but also damage from attempted theft.
We would also like to remind people to remove all valuables, such as wallets, purses, and especially firearms, from their vehicles when they park. We are still seeing too many vehicle larcenies where these types of items are being stolen.
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July/August Events
July 23 – 5th and Alvernon Coalition meeting
July 24 – 100 Acre Wood Bike Park Open House
August 12 – AGI meeting
August 19 – FLC meeting
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