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Captain Lauren Pettey
Operations Division West
July 2025
ODW CRT Seizes Stolen Gun, Drugs, and $10K Cash
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On June 23, 2025, both ODW CRT (Community Response Team) squads were working proactive patrol in the area of Grant and I-10 due to numerous reports of drug activity. They noticed a vehicle parked in a well-known drug sales area for a long period of time, presumably involved in drug transactions. The vehicle left the area and was stopped for a civil traffic violation. The driver indicated that he was unarmed, but a firearm was seen in plain view.
The driver was detained and in the vehicle was a stolen firearm, another firearm, almost 100 grams of fentanyl pills, cocaine, and approximately $10,000 in cash. The firearm had been stolen out of TPD's jurisdiction, and the driver was booked on several felonies.
Excellent work by ODW CRT, identifying an area plagued by drug issues and finding one of the “big fish” contributing to the problem.
SunTran Ordinance Approved for Enforcement
Recently, discussions have taken place with TPD, SunTran, the City Attorney, and the TPD Legal Advisors to examine Tucson City Code 30-7 – specifically sections L, Z, and AA – for enforcement.
The decision to look into extra enforcement in this manner was due to the uptick in crime at SunTran transit centers. The ordinance provides SunTran, TPD, and any other transit agents with a little more leverage to have people removed from the centers due to their disruptive behavior.
A legal bulletin and training will follow for SunTran and Downtown Tucson Partnership employees, and TPD sworn personnel. SunTran will have signs posted (see above) in English and Spanish at all transit centers (Ronstadt, Laos, and Tohono Tadai), warning of the consequences in the near future.
This collaboration embodies the idea of “One City One Team,” with the goal of having a positive impact on criminal activity while improving the environment surrounding critical infrastructure for the people of Tucson.
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Lifesaving Efforts in the VIVA Location
Officers from ODW Squad 8 were conducting proactive patrol in the VIVA location near 1st Avenue and Fort Lowell Road when they located an unresponsive male, who was unattended.
The male showed signs of an overdose and Narcan was administered four times, along with other first aid measures, while waiting for medics to arrive. The male was ultimately given bag valve breaths and taken to UMC with an oxygen saturation of only 67%, indicating severe hypoxemia.
The male ultimately survived, and the proactive efforts and training of the officers involved undoubtedly contributed to saving his life, as he may have not been discovered until it was too late.
ODW Statistics
Activity
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Type
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2025 Division Year to Date
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2025 Department Year to Date
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Calls for Service
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22,985
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77,917
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Officer-initiated Activity
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6,943
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16,920
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Gun-related Crime
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24
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79
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Homicide
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13
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34
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Traffic Citations
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7,362
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21,217
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Staffing
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Type
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2025 Division Year to Date
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2025 Department Year to Date
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Sworn Members
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139
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801
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Community Service Officers
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28
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141
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Professional Staff Investigators
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4
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33
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Professional Staff
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3
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242
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TPD Wins Pride for the Patch!!!
 Congratulations to all who participated in the Pride for the Patch competition for TPD.
Pride for the Patch is an annual competition among law enforcement agencies in Southern Arizona. It's a 3-month fitness challenge emphasizing “overall fitness levels” rather than simply losing the most weight. As you can probably imagine, the job of a first responder can be grueling, and physical fitness is extremely important. Our agency is humbled to have participated in and won this distinguished competition. Pictured above are members of TPD who participated, including multiple winner ODW Lieutenant Jesse Chlopowicz. The group was able to have a well-deserved celebration of their victory at Corbett’s.
Captain Pettey Graduates From SMIP
 In June, ODW's Captain Lauren Pettey attended the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) in Boston, Massachusetts, a three-week course for police executives seeking to elevate their strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and organizational management skills. The program featured senior faculty from Harvard Business School, MIT, Johns Hopkins University, Dartmouth, and UT at Austin, all of whom provided valuable insights to senior law enforcement leaders from across the U.S. and Canada. Speakers challenged traditional policing methods in order to prepare leaders for complex and ever-changing environments. Moreover, the program fostered networking among police executives, encouraging the exchange of best practices and collaborative solutions to shared challenges. Captain Pettey was honored to attend!
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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