Operational Support Bureau

Several special details with the Criminal Investigations Bureaus were supported by the Bike Team.  The details ranged from suspect apprehension and intelligence gathering to neighborhood canvases and surveillance.  The Bike Team also supported SWAT, taught at the range, and taught in multiple officer training courses throughout the year.  All of this was accomplished while modifying the team’s schedule to better serve the changing needs of Chandler’s developing downtown entertainment district.  In addition to the schedule change, the team developed new expectations and ideas that will enhance the level of service provided to business and entertainment areas in downtown.Along with the excellent enforcement work performed by the team, members participated in numerous special events throughout the City.  Some of the events included:

• The Ostrich Festival and Parade
• BBQ & Beer Festival
• Shamrock Festival
• 4^th of July Celebration
• Jazz Festival
• Harvest Festival
• Rockin’ Taco Festival
• Oktoberfest
• Chandler Police Department’s (CPD) Open House and Safety Day
• Chandler BMX 40^th Anniversary Event
• Vets in the Park Event
• Gazelle Meadows Neighborhood Event with City Council

Other responsibilities that the Bike Team was involved in included:

• City Council Meeting and Study Sessions
• Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament (Scottsdale, AZ)
• Improving Chandler Area Neighborhoods (ICAN) – shoulder tap security details
• Quarterly Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema protection details
• Mayor’s Community Bike Ride
• CPD Youth Academies
• CPD Citizens Academies
• SRP meetings at the San Marcos
• Church and Scout educational lectures
• Special Olympics Fuel of Dreams
• Special Olympics Torch Run/Ride
• Downtown directed enforcement detail
• Police bike schools (Winslow & Scottsdale, AZ)
• Farmers Market – Downtown Chandler
• Art Walk – Downtown Chandler
• Chandler Police Explorer Competition

Some of the details are as follows:

• There were 41 cases in which narcotics were found. The narcotics found ranged from a single find of 27 grams of cocaine to various finds of marijuana, methamphetamines, heroin, and drug paraphernalia. Searches also unearthed currency related to illegal drug trade.
• There were approximately fifteen calls in which canines assisted the SWAT team. A number of felony suspects were located during these searches. Items of evidence were located during article searches, one of which was a firearm.
• The K-9 Unit assisted other agencies with eleven, pre-event Explosive Ordinance Detection (EOD) at venues including the ASU stadium, the Phoenix Open, City of Mesa’s Sloan Stadium, the TPC Golf Tournament in the City of Scottsdale as well as EOD searches for bomb threats at other locations.

In addition to canine duties, officers in the Unit took over 150 general offenses reports, initiated hundreds of traffic stops, performed over 1,700 frequent patrols and 850 foot patrols throughout the City of Chandler.

The Canine Unit conducted demonstrations for many groups and events including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods (GAIN) events, the Police Department’s Citizens and Youth Academies, the Chandler Police Cadets, Rape Aggression Defense training classes, the Chandler Unified School District, the Boy Scouts of America, the Chandler Woofstock Festival, and the Arizona Law Enforcement Canine Association. Members of the Unit also participated in the certification of many police service dogs from throughout the state of Arizona.

The Canine Unit has historically been a big part of community events including demonstrations and education. This relationship is a special one as the Chandler citizens demonstrate never-ending love and support for the Department’s furry partners. In 2018, the K9 unit received a new bullet-resistant vest for one of the canines. This was obtained through the generous donation of a Chandler resident. Receiving this vest made the unit complete with all dogs each having their own vest. The Department also received a large donation from the Dutch Bros. coffee store that opened a new location in Chandler. This money will be put towards the purchase of training equipment to enhance the Unit’s effectiveness.

Accomplishments for the Community Resources Unit in 2018 included the following:

• In February, Citizens Academy #60 was held – graduating 20 students.
• In March, the Cadets assisted the Unit with the Annual Public Safety Fair.
• In August, Citizens Academy #61 was held – graduating 24 students.
• In 2018, four Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes, instructed by Crime Prevention Officers, each averaging 25 female students per class.
• There were 94 new Senior Lock Box installations and 16 new Neighborhood Watch Programs in 2018.
• Crime Prevention Officers conducted 53 safety presentations and participated in 72 special events in 2018.
• A total of 16 Department Tours were completed in 2018.
• A total of three Youth Academy sessions were completed in March, June, and October with an average of 25 students each and four Wilderness Experience trips with an average of 12 youth each.

A large part of CAU’s success comes from the partnerships developed and maintained throughout the year.  These partnerships enable the team to network around the Phoenix metropolitan valley, tap into apprehension and intelligence resources, and facilitate the arrest of suspects, regardless of location.  Some of these partnerships in 2018 included:

• Maricopa County Adult Probation Fugitive Apprehension Team
• S. Marshal’s East Valley Violent Offender Task Force
• Phoenix Police Department’s Neighborhood Enforcement Team (NET) and Street Crimes Unit
• Tempe Police Department’s Criminal Apprehension Surveillance Team (CAST)
• Gilbert Police Department’s Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT)
• Phoenix Police Department Patrol
• Mesa Police Department Patrol
• FBI’s Robbery Task Force

In conjunction with these partnerships, CAU has continued to participate in several annual warrant sweeps, to include the U.S. Marshal’s “Operation Grinch Stopper”, “Operation Justice”, “Operation GRIT”, and the annual Maricopa County domestic violence warrant sweep.

In order to further prepare its members for operations of high risk, team members are also Special Weapons and Tactical (SWAT) team members.  Their training, partnerships, and investigative skills allow the Unit to leverage relationships and technology as a force multiplier to accomplish their mission.

Accomplishments for the Unit are as follows:

• The Unit transported inmates daily to and from court for trials, initial appearances, and mental health hearings. All scheduled hearings and initial arraignments were completed at an on-time appearance rate of 100%.
• DSU assisted in several operations in processing and booking that secured many high profile warrants to county jail. The Unit’s participation allowed for maximum resources to be utilized in the field as opposed to being tied up in booking procedures.
• The DSU field training officer (FTO) program was successful in training new staff over this past year. Speaking to the quality of the Unit staff, two Detention Officers were selected to promote to patrol positions over the past year.  These two officers are the latest of several to make the transition, which is a testament to the preparation and knowledge gained while in the Detention Unit.
• Several DSU staff was recognized through values alerts over the past year for excellent customer service.
• All Unit employees maintained federal standards of the Commercial Drivers program and met all criteria outlined for recertification.
• Over 2018, the Department analysts have relied upon DSU to formulate reporting for budget-related items, strategic planning and operational improvement in the workplace. Most notable is overtime tracking to include court allocated staff costs analysis, and continued tracking of intakes and savings on county holds from GCUHF.

In 2018, DSU continued to identify improvements and solutions to processes within the judicial procedure and criminal proceedings areas.  The Unit plays an important role in the Maricopa County booking procedures that conclude the arrest process.  This is vital in maintaining solid inter-agency relationships between the police and jails.  DSU is committed to providing the safest, limited liability environment for housing and transporting individuals, and our staff take great pride in our dedication to their respective roles within the Chandler Police Department.

The FTU was very productive in 2018.  Tasks included qualifications, firearms proficiency training, active shooter courses, weapons armoring, rifle schools, less lethal courses, weapons and ammunition ordering, and inventory tracking.  The Unit held primary, back-up, and off duty weapon qualifications this past year. All sworn must attend these qualifications to meet state certification and accreditation compliance. The qualification process for over 330 sworn personnel can be daunting at times, especially since the majority of officers have multiple weapons to qualify with.  Other accomplishments of this Unit include the following:

• There were approximately 145 sworn personnel, not including SWAT operators, in the rifle program. The rifle gives the officer the ability to shoot more accurately at further distances. To stay in the rifle program, officers must attend three out of four training sessions a year, plus pass an annual qualification. The Unit constantly planned and conducted rifle classes to meet these long gun training requirements, utilizing the Department range and off-site outdoor facilities to conduct the rifle training.
• Equally important is training on how to avoid lethal force whenever possible. Striving to remain current in techniques and based on improvements in technology, the Unit began transitioning from the 12-gauge “drag stabilized” less lethal system, to a new 40 millimeter “launcher” system.  This system allows officers the ability to remain at a safer distance while deploying a more accurate form of less lethal munitions.  Training on this new system took place in December.
• On an annual basis, all Department firearms, including back-up and off-duty guns, were armored. The Unit’s crew of three personnel, with the assistance of a few adjunct armorers, inspected over 750 firearms this year.
• The Unit held two AOT proficiency training evolutions in which most sworn personnel attended. The second session was notable as we embarked on joint Active Killer/Rescue Task Force training with Chandler’s Fire Department partners.  Barnes led this training as it enhanced the ability to stop a suspect while rendering medical aid to those in critical need more quickly. This is a relatively new concept in public safety and the Chandler Police Department was among the first agencies to incorporate it.
• The FTU held decision making classes using the Department’s firearms simulator for three weeks. All sworn personnel participated in these video scenarios, designed to necessitate split-second decision making of the officers.  After each scenario, a debrief session was conducted.
• Even though the Unit’s primary mission centers on internal customer service, members provided education during Citizen and Youth Academies, range tours, the Annual Tactical Explorer Competition, Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods (GAIN) events, the City’s Veteran’s Day expo, and other static displays.
• Multiple times a month, the Unit hosted “open range” which allowed officers to shoot 100 rounds per month – giving them the opportunity to practice skills or participate in courses specially designed by the Unit. These courses utilized moving and shooting targets, barricades, steel and paper targets, and time compression. This year, the Unit had 266 sworn personnel attend open range.
• Unit members also researched and learned about a new sighting system for use with handguns. They attended two different training courses at different agencies.  Subsequently, they developed a training course to certify officers who choose to use the new system in 2019.  The concept of this system is to allow officers to acquire their sight picture quicker than in the past, should they be faced with a lethal encounter.

Multiple law enforcement agencies have utilized the firearms training facility this past year. They included Mesa, Apache Junction and Gilbert Police Departments, the Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspector, and Pinal County SWAT.  This helped maintain interagency relationships, and allowed for use of their facilities as well.

As noted, 2018 was a very productive and busy year for the Unit’s staff of three personnel. Unit members always strive to keep its training progressing forward, with an emphasis on getting officers ready for critical situations.

In January the Cadets hosted the 20^th Annual Tactical Competition at the Chandler Fire Training Facility.  Sixty-six teams from eight different states competed in 40 events.  More than 1,000 were in attendance, which included participants, advisors and spectators.

Other community services provided by the Cadets include the provision of Child-ID kits, assisting with awareness campaigns, and escorting McGruff the Crime Dog.  Unit membership ranges from 30 to 50 cadets at any given time.  They contributed over 6,000 hours of service this past year.  Cadets have been a staple of the Chandler Police Department since 1985 and represent the impressive contributions that this community’s youth are capable of providing.

In the 2017/2018 school year, six of the SRO positions were grant funded through the Arizona Department of Education. Three SRO grant positions are in the Chandler Unified School District, two in Kyrene Unified District, and one in the Mesa Unified District.

2018 saw a significant amount of movement for the team with the temporary reassignment of Officer James Station to the SRO Unit to cover for an absent employee.  In early May, the Unit underwent some restructuring from ten SROs to nine, leading to the reassignment of Officer Kevin Quinn (Hamilton HS) to the Chandler Police Cadet program.  Officer Noah Dueker (Pueblo MS) took over Hamilton High School, Officer Gomez moved to Aprende Middle School, Officer Dani Stein to Pueblo Middle School, and Officer Rick Cole took over a new position that dually covers Andersen Junior High and San Tan Junior High.  Soon after the start of the school year, Officer Stein was selected for a Professional Standards Section position, which led to Officer Marc Olivier joining the team to become the SRO at Pueblo.

The School Resources Officers have been involved in many events during the past year both as members of their school communities and members of the SRO Unit.

The team participates in lock down drills, evacuation drills, and school safety events, community meetings, and provided security for local school athletic events, school dances, and many other events.

Wilderness Youth Experience:

The Wilderness Youth Experience Program interacts with “at risk” youths that are mentored by SROs while hiking and learning “No trace left behind” backpacking.  This program encompassed instruction in the classroom and field experience hiking in the White Mountains, Superstition Mountains, and Flagstaff, Arizona.  A large part of the program focused on team building, cultural diversity, decision making, leadership and communication skills. In 2018, the Wilderness Youth Experience completed four successful trips that supported students from Chandler, Kyrene and Mesa Junior High schools.

Youth Academy:

This year, the SRO Unit organized four week-long Youth Academies during school intersessions and the summer break.  During these classes, students were introduced to the different functions of the Police Department and participated in several activities reinforcing the lessons taught by each instructor.

The Youth Academy was created to develop citizen awareness and understanding of the role of law enforcement by providing Law Related Education. This insight provides each student with the opportunity to identify positive contributions they can make to their schools, homes and their community.

Other Accomplishments:

In July 2018, several members of the SRO team participated in Operation Back to School Backpack giveaway put on by Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) in conjunction with numerous resources in the Chandler community.  This event provided backpacks, uniforms, haircuts, school supplies, and numerous other resources to needy families in our community.

Officer Larison and Officer Dieu are members of the Honor Guard Unit and participate in ceremonial events throughout the year as well as training groups like Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC).

Throughout the year, SRO’s provided additional instruction to other schools, parent groups, and groups throughout our community to include the Boys Scouts of America , the City of Phoenix and Gilbert.  Officer Tibble was an assistant coach for Bogle Junior High’s football team and Officer Cole coaches a non-competitive soccer team for Andersen Elementary.

In the Summer of 2018, the three high school SRO’s were able to attend the National School Resource Officer Conference.  The entire team attended the state conference. This training provided valuable knowledge and teaching materials to bring back to our schools and community.

In May of 2018, Officer Tibble organized “Book ‘Em” a book drive to donate gently used books from students at Bogle Junior High to students at their feeder school, San Marcos Elementary.  The goal was to provide the younger kids with reading materials prior to summer break.  Her event was very successful and appreciated.

In December of 2017, the team particpated in three “Shop with a Cop Events” sponsored by Arizona Law Enforcement Outreach and Support (AZ LEOS) as well as the W. Steven Martin Police Santa Toy Drive.  As a result, they provided holiday gifts for many families in need.

Some notable items for SWAT for 2018 are as follows:

• SWAT was deployed 40 times in 2018 including 21 search warrants.
• The SWAT team was called to assist the Tempe Police Department SWAT team for assistance with large scale events such as ASU games, Oktoberfest, and other festivals within their community.
• Through their work and training, two members of the SWAT staff were selected by the National Tactical Officers Association to instruct on various topics all across the nation, and at the annual conference. This demonstrates their commitment to the discipline and relentless pursuit of learning and improving.  Additionally, the team has been able to host a number of national courses at their new facility.
• Throughout the year, SWAT team members participated in a number of community events and demonstrations, as well as community outreach events such as the “Feed My Starving Children” effort.
• Chandler SWAT Unit continued to be a part of the Central Phoenix Region Rapid Response Team for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). This required that SWAT be able to deploy to other jurisdictions to assist in emergency situations, and be self-sustainable for a minimum of three days.  Further, SWAT remained a long time partner with Intel and other large businesses with critical infrastructure to maintain a state-of-readiness in protecting and responding to any situation.
• SWAT team members were integral parts of Active Killer/Rescue Task Force training and School Emergency Response Team training with Chandler Unified Schools.
• SWAT team grenadiers were the primary instructors in rolling out the new 40mm less lethal program to patrol officers and Mobile Field Force units.

The team’s unwavering dedication to the service of the community is exceptional.

In 2018, this Unit conducted two civilian motorcycle schools, providing training to non-police riders within the community.  Unit members also taught distracted and impaired driving classes in high schools, colleges and other public forums.  These officers also provided instruction on how to identify impairment in the workplace to various partners within the community.                     

Vehicular Crimes Unit

The Vehicular Crimes Unit (VCU) is responsible for investigating vehicle collisions involving serious physical injury or death, conducting follow-up investigations on hit-and-run collisions, and assisting the Criminal Investigations Bureau with their investigations.  Other ancillary duties include managing the photo enforcement program, maintaining tow contracts and audits, maintaining and deploying the traffic messaging board, assisting the City’s Risk Management Division with vehicle crash data retrieval downloads, and coordinating the Department’s phlebotomy program.  The VCU detectives also teach numerous traffic related courses within the community.

Accomplishments for 2018 include the following:

• VCU saw several personnel and operational changes. The Unit welcomed a new Detective, Sergeant, and Impound Hearing Specialist.
• The Unit responded to over 30 call-outs with over 40% of cases being charged criminally. Charges have ranged from DUI to multiple counts of Aggravated Assault.
• In 2018, VCU received four new vehicles. Two Ford F150 pick-up trucks were purchased for the VCU detectives.  These trucks transport specialized investigative equipment used to measure and record roadway data and evidence.  Two Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles were also purchased and assigned to the VCU Sergeant and Traffic Section Lieutenant.
• This year, the Department obtained a new computer specifically built for the collision reconstruction diagramming software used by its Vehicular Crimes Unit. This computer has allowed for enhanced diagrams produced by investigators with the ability to incorporate images captured by drones.
• The Impound Unit has moved to a more streamlined process by eliminating unnecessary time-consuming phone calls, and replacing them with a detailed message line. The Unit worked with the Department’s Technology Section to create a process for the Impound Hearing Specialist to immediately scan the hearing paperwork into RMS and eliminate the need to store hard copies.  Hearing times have been reduced by 50%.
• Participated in a trauma symposium hosted by Chandler Regional Medical Center: detectives were available to answer questions regarding evidence preservation.
• Saw the adjudication of four cases from 2016 and 2017, all ending with jail time for the suspects.
• Participated in Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Click it or Ticket Campaign.
• Participated in Governor’s Office of Highway Safety National Border to Border seatbelt campaign.
• Assisted the DUI Unit with “Know Your Limit” DUI and Pedestrian Safety educational campaigns.
• Assisted Traffic Unit with two civilian motorcycle schools.
• Recognized Detective Reeves as the Operational Support Bureau Officer of the Quarter.

DUI Enforcement Unit

This year, the DUI (Driving Under the Influence) Enforcement Unit continued its mission and direction towards a proactive enforcement approach to reducing alcohol-related collisions and removal of impaired drivers from the Chandler roadways.  In 2018, the department made over 1,100 DUI arrests.  The DUI Unit made 670 of these arrests—equating to roughly 56% of the department’s total.  In addition, the DUI Van mobile phlebotomy platform was often deployed, thus facilitating a highly efficient, expedited processing of DUI arrests.

In addition, the Unit also accomplished the following:

• Participated in numerous GOHS supported DUI Task Force events during holiday weekends and local events.
• Performed “Know Your Limit” DUI educational campaign, administering over 5,300 (up from 4,500) preliminary breath tests (PBTs) across 11 events.
• Attended the Chandler City Open House.
• Participated in Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods (GAIN)
• Supported Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) by participating in “Walk Like MADD” events.
• Attended the Arizona State Fair “Public Safety Days.”
• Field trained new officers during their designated DUI week.
• Provided on-call “drug recognition expert” response to Patrol and VCU requests for assistance
• Assisted VCU on fatal accidents and serious injury collisions
• Initiated a pedestrian-bicycle enforcement and education campaign
• Recognized Officer Bansner as Chandler’s MADD Officer of the Year, with Sergeant Ecalono receiving a MADD Recognition Award
• Awarded Sergeant Ecalono with the Chandler Police Department’s Employee of the Year Award for his efforts in the Traffic Section

The entire training unit embarked on a new initiative with the Chandler Fire Department in 2018 with Active Killer/Rescue Task Force training for police and fire first responders. This focused on combining the disciplines of law enforcement with those of fire and medical personnel in an effort to reduce the number of deaths in an active killer incident.  It also furthered the trust and working relationship between police and fire for the benefit of the public. The training provided a short lecture on response methods and techniques for quickly stopping a shooter and rendering aid to those wounded. This was followed by three force-on-force scenarios of increasing difficultly.  They were designed to oblige teams to work together and function as seamless, cohesive units.

The Training Unit presented another 10-hour AOT lecture portion which consisted of topics pertaining to mobile field force tactics, legal updates, homeland security, ethics, and use of force report writing. During the mobile field force portion, members of the Citizens Police Academy Association of Chandler (CPAAC) participated as agitators and threw water bottles and water balloons at officers as the practiced line formation. This made the training much more realistic and provided an opportunity for CPAAC to interact with Department members.

The Unit continued to emphasize training in the arts of de-escalation and crisis intervention, along with how to incorporate use of force into those scenarios. The training was presented to expose officers to methods and techniques useful in diffusing tense situations.  Each technique is rooted in using active listening skills and building rapport with subjects experiencing crisis. These skills were then tested through a series of scenarios.  The defensive tactics portion covered refresher skills and certifications with baton, Conductive Energy Weapon (CEW), carotid restraint, handcuffing, “hidden hands” response, and leg restraint training. Afterward, students completed several force-on-force scenarios related to the topics.

In 2018, more than 500 students received Advanced Officer Training, with Training Unit staff and adjunct instructors presenting over 15,000 hours of in-class training. Over 450 students attended elective courses which entailed over 3,000 hours of classroom presentation.

In addition to instructing, the Training Unit continued to prepare new recruits for the Police Academy. Officers Scott Parr and Scott Williams led this effort and prepared the new recruits physically and academically. Each recruit performed physical fitness training, completed memos, and attended lectures – aimed at preparing them for the rigors of the academy.  During the recruits’ time at the Academy, Officer Parr met with them bi-weekly to go over any issues and receive their progress reports.  At the conclusion of the Academy, the new officers complete a three-week training program called Post-Academy. During this time, they received training in de-escalation techniques, City programs, the Department’s report management system, firearms, and defensive tactics.

This year, Training Coordinator Tanya Keeton worked with a City-wide group to evaluate the purchase of a new learning and talent management system.  Her extensive knowledge in this area was an asset to this group.  The new system, called SABA, was purchased and Tanya began working hundreds of hours in preparation to transition all training records and courses over to the new program.  The new system will allow personnel to easily navigate and manage their own training, while streamlining processes and record keeping for the training staff.  Across the City, administrators will begin utilizing the program for talent/performance management.  The new system is expected to go live in March of 2019.

In July of 2018, the staff moved into the newly completed Public Safety Training Center.  This facility increased classroom space and added a 250-seat auditorium for large speaking events.  Also included in the first phase of the training center was a fitness area with state of the art equipment, along with a much needed use-of-force training room.  This will allow for enhanced defensive tactics training while minimizing injury to personnel.  The fitness facility will further officer fitness and the City’s wellness initiative.  As this is a shared facility between Police and Fire, trainers from both Departments can easily work together to provide collaborative training opportunities to all Chandler Public Safety personnel.

Sergeant Dan Greene was newly assigned to the Unit this year, resulting in the reorganization of some of the responsibilities of that position. Most notable is the oversight of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program.  Sgt. Greene embraced the program as the Department hosted a certification course for the East Valley CIT program.