Dobson Patrol Division | Central Patrol Division | Falcon Patrol Division Superstition Patrol District | Law Enforcement for Youth Programs | Patrol Resources Division | Teleserve & Callback | Holding Facility | Animal Control Unit | Municipal Security | Tactical Team | K9 | Warrant Unit | Traffic Section | FTO Unit | Aviation Section | Reserve Unit

The Tactical Team is comprised of four specialized teams: the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), the Hostage Negotiations Team, the Hazardous Device Team (Bomb Squad), and the Police Service Dog Unit (K9). The SWAT Team responds to hostage situations, barricaded suspects, requests for dignitary protection, and high-risk warrant service, as well as providing support for other divisions in dangerous operations. SWAT handled over 100 details this past year. The SWAT Team assists the training division to implement and coordinate high-risk, low-frequency training for all department members. [Article: A School of Hard Knocks] [Article: Mesa Cops Trying Out Stun Guns]

The Hostage Negotiation Team is comprised of one lieutenant and ten officers/detectives. They have supported the Tactical Team mission by assisting in the successful resolution of over 30 high-risk callouts involving barricaded subjects, suicidal individuals, and hostage takers.

The Hazardous Device Team is comprised of one lieutenant, one sergeant and six police officers. Every team member in the unit is certified through the FBI/United States Army Training Facility, Redstone Arsenal located in Huntsville, Alabama. On average, the team responds to over 100 explosive device related calls per year. Due to recent terrorist events within the country, the Bomb Squad has had an increase in calls for service to investigate suspicious items. The Bomb Squad has participated in joint training with other bomb squads throughout the state this past year in an effort to create a familiarization of each unit's equipment and needs. Several members are participating in committees addressing training issues with the Mesa Fire Department to further increase readiness in the event of a major event. The Bomb Team assisted the Phoenix Police Department's Bomb Squad this past year due to the World Series and the four games played in Phoenix. For further information on the Tactical Team, visit www.Mesaaz.gov/police/SWAT/default.aspx.

The Police Service Dog Unit (K9) is comprised of six teams (a police officer partnered with a dog), working seven nights a week. The unit has seven dogs. The dogs are trained for handler protection, as well as for narcotics, explosives and cadavers. The dogs are used to assist Patrol SWAT, CID and SID. Currently the department has one Labrador Retriever and five German Shepherds. Officer Reese transferred to the Air Unit and retired his ten-year-old Belgian Malinois, Bruno.  Officer Klein took his position and Querros is the newest member of the canine team. Officer Allen also came over the past year from Narcotics with his dog, Dell, and Milk Bone donated a German Shepherd, Hunter, to the Unit. Hunter assists with patrol while Dell is used for narcotics and cadaver searches. Officer Allen handles both Dell and Hunter. Officers Leitz and Derivan are the trainers for the department. To meet the canines visit www.Mesaaz.gov/police/k9/default.aspx. 

The Warrant Unit operates out of the Patrol Resource Division in the Central Patrol building. The Unit includes one sergeant, eight detectives and one police investigative assistant. They are responsible for the service of warrants and apprehension of wanted individuals. The Unit also serves orders of protection and mental health detainers. The Mesa City Court issues over 20,000 warrants per year and relies on the Warrant Unit for their service. Visit the Warrant Unit at www.Mesaaz.gov/police/warrants/default.aspx. 

The Traffic Section is dedicated to reducing vehicle collisions in the City of Mesa, thereby reducing injuries and fatalities. The section is comprised of 50 members who are working at accomplishing this goal through enforcement and education. The unit has civilian collision investigators who look into collisions, along with police officers who are assigned to motorcycles, unmarked "aggressive driving" cars and semi-marked "DUI enforcement" cars.

These officers also assist the Field Training Program with on-the-road instruction of DUI investigation for new officers in training. The DUI squad conducted numerous holiday taskforce details throughout the year, working with state, county and other municipal police departments in the East Valley to remove drug and alcohol impaired drivers from the roadway. [Article: New Limit Prompts in Holiday DUI Arrests]

Two major causes of collisions are excessive speed and red light violations. Nine civilian members are dedicated to addressing these violations through the citywide Photo Safety Program. This program now has five photo radar vans and seventeen locations where red light cameras are strategically placed in high accident areas throughout the city. The program has recently enhanced citation service by contracting with a process serving company to personally serve citations to individuals who have not acknowledged a citation sent by first class mail. This program was approved by the city council and has shown a 65% success rate.

This year the Traffic Section received a $130,000 grant from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety for a new DUI/DRE enforcement, mobile command unit. This unit will be used for enforcing Driving Under the Influence laws. The van will be strategically parked at different locations throughout the city for processing DUI offenders. With this new vehicle, officers will be able to process DUI offenders at the same time other officers are conducting drug recognition evaluations in the rear of the vehicle. This new van will be state-of-the-art and the only one of its kind in the state. Photo above: The DUI squad displays their van and the Governor's Office of Highway Safety slogan, 'Drive Hammered, Get Nailed.'

The Traffic Section has a specialized unit called the Vehicular Crimes Unit. This unit is responsible for all traffic-related felony investigations, hit and run investigations and follow-up investigations on fatal collisions. This Unit is also responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. Through their efforts, commercial vehicle inspections have increased dramatically, along with the discovery of numerous hazardous violations, which have resulted in creating a safer driving environment for the citizens of Mesa.

The Mesa Police Department Traffic Unit had the honor of planning the route and escorting President's Bush's motorcade when he visited the City of Mesa on Memorial Day, 2001. [Article: Bush Plans to Visit Mesa on Monday]

Through these combined educational programs and enforcement details, the Traffic Section is committed to making the City of Mesa a safer place to travel. For more information on the Traffic Unit visit www.Mesaaz.gov/police/traffic/default.aspx.  For more information on Photo Safety visit www.Mesaaz.gov/police/traffic/photo_enforce.aspx.

The FTO Unit has one lieutenant, two sergeants and four administrative assistants. The administrative officers are each assigned to one district. Their main responsibility is to work closely with the Officers in Training and the Field Training Officers, assisting them with special training needs. The unit has assisted the academy with field problems several times this past year.

The FTO Program is proficiency based and each officer must demonstrate the ability to perform the essential functions of a solo police officer before graduating from the program. Although the program is typically eighteen weeks long with four different phases, some officers graduate early while others take a few weeks longer. As long as an officer is progressing, they are allowed to continue in the program. This has resulted in a lower attrition rate and ensures that all new officers are allowed the maximum opportunity to be successful. The FTO Unit is responsible for FTO graduation ceremonies, conducting training for the trainers, and providing a week-long training session for new officers before they start in the field. One of the administrative officers, Officer Encinas, served as Vice President on the executive board of the State National Association of Field Training Officers; the unit assisted with the annual conference that was held in Mesa this year. The FTO Unit has become a model for many police agencies across the country. Approximately 30-40 agencies requested discs or e-mails of FTO forms, the FTO policy manual, and the FTO selection process in response to seeing the FTO website. Three agencies sent personnel to visit and observe the unit this past year to assist them in developing their agencys' FTO programs. 

The FTO Unit, along with the Officers in Training, visit the city sponsored community spirit school twice a year to share lunch and recess time with the students. Many of these children have not had the opportunity to view the police in a positive light before these visits. Photo at left: Assistant Chief G.T. Fowler visits with children from Eisenhower Elementary School.

Highlights of 2001 include:

• Developed and conducted an objective selection process for new FTOs. Thirty-one officers were placed on the eligibility list and were ultimately utilized.
• Conducted two 40-hour FTO schools for the new Mesa FTOs and for one outside agency.
• Provided training to FTOs assigned to Teleserve and Detention.
• Two officers attended the FTO Commander's School in Reno, Nevada in June to provide training on Mesa PDs FTO Program.
• Eight-eight new officers successfully graduated from the FTO program. Seven additional officers are expected to graduate in December of 2001 or January 2002.
• Officers from the FTO Unit have taught at NAFTO schools on a monthly basis.
• Worked with Rio Salado Community College so Officers in Training can earn college credits for the time they are in the FTO program.

Visit the FTO webiste at www.Mesaaz.gov/police/fto/default.aspx.

The Mesa Police Department's Aviation Section underwent a number of positive changes in 2001. A management change brought in Section Lieutenant Rod Johnston and Sergeant Andy Reinhardt as the new unit supervisors. The changes implemented included an emphasis on in-house flight training in order to increase the number of pilots available to fill required patrol shifts and special assignments. This training is taking place in the section's fixed-wing category as well as rotary-wing aircraft. This year Officer Steve Berry received his helicopter rating and Officer Charles Pradelt received his airplane rating.

In addition to training, the section's resources were supplemented by the selection of additional personnel and some re-classification of existing personnel. Officer Steve Raether was re-classified to the position of Chief Pilot to focus on full-time training and re-currency as well as assistance with maintenance test flights. One additional full-time Tactical Flight Officer was brought into the section this year (for a total of 4) and ten new part-time Tactical Flight Officers are currently in training (for a total of 15) to help alleviate the section's overtime requirements. The Aviation Section began training with Mesa Fire Department for limited search and rescue roles. Several successful joint training exercises provided valuable knowledge as well as good experience for the two agencies working together as a team for any possible future missions.

In 2001 the Aviation Section passed the 20,000 accident-free  helicopter hour mark: a testimony to section personnel's safe and professional operation and maintenance. More than 3,000 hours were flown this past year with four crews and two helicopters. During the course of the year, the flight crews responded t more than 9,400 calls and were directly instrumental in over 500 arrests, 80 recovered stolen vehicles, and locating 50 missing persons. The resulting property recovered had a value of nearly $1.1 million. In addition to these helicopter statistics, more than 98 fixed-wing missions were flown during the course of 246 hours.

In the coming year, the section hopes to take delivery of a third helicopter, continue in-house flight training and joint training with the Fire Department, formulate a safety committee, and rewrite the aviation supplemental policy manual to enhance the needs of the section's mission. For more information on the Aviation Unit, visit www.Mesaaz.gov/police/aviation/default.aspx.

The Mesa Police Reserve Unit consists of certified, highly trained volunteer police officers who provide service in the Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Special Investigations Divisions of the police department. In addition, one reserve officer who is a certified fixed-wing pilot instructor, provides the Air Unit with required training and re-certification support. The Reserve's efforts are especially evident in the hours they work with the Traffic Section on DUI enforcement and the Warrants Unit on out-of-town warrant transports. The Mesa Police Reserves are certified professionals who perform these necessary services without compensation. For more information on becoming a police reserve officer, visit www.Mesaaz.gov/police/reserves.aspx.

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