Mesa Police Department 2001 Annual Report

The Dobson Patrol Division, home to over 90,000 residents, is located at 2505 S. Dobson Road. The division services 11.75 square miles and is home to thousands of culturally diverse residents. The officers answer an average of 7,389 monthly calls for service from a regional shopping mall, community college, hospital, apartment complexes, single-family homes, and one of the state's largest high schools.

The Dobson Patrol Division officers regularly surpass the department-wide goals for pro-active patrol time devoted to community policing. In addition to their regular duties, the patrol officers have become involved in supporting the security activities since the terrorist attacks. Patrol officers have been assigned to Sky Harbor Airport Security and the City of Mesa Anthrax HAZMAT Task Force.

Dobson CAT Targeted Crimes

The Dobson Patrol Division Community Action Team (CAT) has taken a new direction this year. In addition to working the traditional problem-oriented-policing projects within the district, the CAT is attacking the crime problems of the division by targeting the three most frequently committed crimes: theft, stolen vehicles, and commercial burglaries. Since the inception of this concept, CAT has developed their own stolen vehicle database that has already led to the recovery of numerous stolen vehicles.

While targeting commercial burglaries, the team established a surveillance on a victim business and apprehended a suspect who was shown to be responsible for several prior burglaries in the area. Most recently, members of the team consolidated several small projects in the same area into one large project and are facilitating the organization of the responsible parties for these properties into a cohesive group, all working together to enhance the quality of life for everyone in the area.

The Dobson Bike Unit has also been actively involved in the community policing efforts and continues to be the main force used to combat the illegal activities surrounding the reported drug houses in the district. The Bike Unit regularly participates in other details such as the department's Minor Alcohol Abuse program. The Bike Unit was instrumental in the development of "Project Probationer" that is included in the newly instituted "POPS Database." The Bike Unit has also played a key role in the development and revisions to the Bike Officer School, School Resource Officer training, and the School Resource Office Law-related Education Program. Additionally, the Bike Unit actively participates in Bike Rodeos, GAIN, and neighborhood meetings in a continuous effort to reach out to the community they serve.