Mesa Police Department 2002 Annual Report

Patrol Resources Division (continued)

FTO (Field Training Officer) Unit

The FTO Coordinator, a police lieutenant, supervises the FTO Unit. There are four administrative officers assigned to each of the four districts. The administrative officers have the responsibility of working closely with the Officers in Training (OITs) and the Field Training Officers. One sergeant supervises the four officers.

The Field Training Program is proficiency based and is set up on an eighteen-week program. An officer in training can complete the program early if he/she is proficient in all the required areas. An officer can also take longer than eighteen weeks to complete the program as long as he/she is showing progress in each area. This program has a low attrition rate since it is proficiency based and remedial training is done throughout the duration of the program.

Top photo upper right:  Officer Aaron Stepp enjoys lunch at Holmes Elementary School with the students.  Middle photo upper right: Recruits from each FTO class spend three hours during one of their Phase Change Meetings visiting with students an an elementary school. Officers give out trinkets to students during recess at Holmes Elementary.   Bottom photo upper right: During recess, Holmes Elementary students spend time with officers in the Mesa FTO Program, Justin Organ and Kevin Shipley.

The FTO Unit is responsible for a week of training to the officers who have just completed the academy before they actually begin the program. A great deal of training is conducted during this week to include computer training, DUI training, Pronet, and booking procedures, along with detailed information about the program itself.

The FTO Unit also sets up and provides OITs with remedial training as needed. The FTO Unit provided two different FTO schools in 2002. Thirty-one Field Training Officers left the program to transfer to other positions and to promote. The unit designed and conducted a testing process to establish a list for replacement FTOs.

Forty-five officers tested for the position. Thirty-one officers made the eligibility list. Of those, twenty- two officers have attended the required 30-hour FTO School and are ready to train as openings arise.

Highlights of 2002 include:

• Fifty-three officers began the FTO program during 2002
• A testing process for new Field Training Officers and an eligibility list is now in place.
• The FTO School training was updated and a 30-hour school was conducted in November.
• The FTO Unit has continued to work with the Community Spirit school each year. Every OIT attends a meeting at the school, interacts with the children on the playground, and then eats lunch with them in the cafeteria. It is a very positive experience for both the children and the new police officers. The meetings this year have been at Eisenhower and Holmes Elementary schools.
• The FTO website was updated and went "live" on the City of Mesa's website.
• An FTO site was developed for the "Inside Mesa."
• A database program was designed and implemented to track Officer in Training progress.
• The unit continued to work with Rio Salado Community College so that new officers can obtain college credits while they are in the FTO program.
• Approximately 12 hours of advanced training was conducted for the Field Training Officers.
• The unit worked with NAFTO and assisted with the Arizona convention.
• Approximately 40 inquiries from other agencies were answered about MPD's FTO Program. It continues to be a model for other law enforcement agencies.

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

The Aviation Unit continues to place 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 goal will assist the department, long-term, in alleviating overtime expenditures as a result of calling in a pilot if the assigned pilot is out on leave. This past year, Officer Steve Berry became a Section authorized pilot and is now assigned to a patrol shift. Officer Charles Pradelt received his commercial certification and is projected to be authorized to fly as Pilot in Command of the departmental helicopters at the end of January 2003. Officer Mark Reese has been certified as a Private Pilot and is currently gaining the experience to obtain his commercial certificate by the end of February 2003.

In addition to training, the section's resources were supplemented by the selection and re-classification of Officer Dave Mellinger to the position of Certified Flight Instructor. This will bring supplemental assistance in part-time training and re-currency. One additional full-time Helicopter Pilot/Tactical Flight Officer, Brian Daw, was brought into the section this year. The Aviation Section began training with the Mesa Police Department's S.W.A.T. team for Skid riding that will assist in personnel insertion on major crime scenes. Several successful joint training exercises provided valuable knowledge, as well as good experience, for Aviation and S.W.A.T. working together as a team for any possible future missions.

In 2002 the Aviation Section passed the 25,000 accident-free helicopter hour mark -- a testimony to section personnel's safe and professional operation and maintenance. One of the section's goals -- supporting Patrol -- is a continuation of the cornerstone of the Aviation Section. By any other state, county or city aviation norm, many would surmise that the section has already achieved aviation excellence by flying 3,256 hours this year while utilizing its two helicopters. During the course of the year, the flight crews:

• responded to over 9,330 calls
• were directly instrumental in almost 400 arrests
• recovered 84 items of property and vehicles, accounting for over $700,000 of recovered property
• assisted in the search for 449 missing persons in which 15 were located
• assisted the fire department on 81 calls for helicopter service

In addition to these helicopter statistics, more than 151 fixed-wing missions were flown during the course of 366 flight hours.

The recent past has been marked by excellent growth and other professional internal programs and subcommittees, such as a safety team and public relations team. Both of these were formed to assist in informing other city personnel, Mesa citizens, and visitors of our operations. In addition, the unit's ability to support patrol is directly related to the updated equipment available to airborne law enforcement. For example, an updated thermal imager that has been purchased with the addition of a third helicopter was delivered in December. With this updated thermal imager, it is anticipated that the unit will be able to perform even more searches and locations than before. The third helicopter is expected to be put into service upon the installation of the police equipment by the end of February 2003.

In the coming fiscal year, the section hopes to continue in-house flight training and joint training with S.W.A.T. and the Fire Department, as the unit assisted the Fire Department on 81 calls for helicopter service within this past year.  [News Article: "Eye in the Sky"]   View the Aviation website at www.Mesaaz.gov/police/aviation/default.aspx.

The Mesa Police Reserve Unit is made up of dedicated men and women who volunteer their time to the City of Mesa. The unit is governed by its own Reserve Staff. The unit staff consists of a commander, lieutenant and two sergeants that supervise two squads of highly motivated reserve officers. All are AZPOST certified, and maintain their certification yearly, the same as regular officers, through Continuing Officer Education. They also maintain firearms proficiency by attending quarterly department firearms training.

The unit has assisted with all divisions within the department in the past years. The most recent efforts and requests for assistance have been from the Traffic and Warrant Divisions. The reserves assisted with nine DUI task forces, totaling 1,265 man hours, 135 traffic citations issued, and 482 prisoner transports. In addition, the reserves logged 409 hours with the Warrant Division. This was a result of 34 out-of-town warrant pickups and 64 warrant arrests, with 92 City of Mesa warrants cleared, totaling $70,922. The total hours for the year volunteered by the Reserve Unit was 4,474 - a savings of $111,850 to the city.

This year, the unit acquired a new recruit who was a volunteer in the VIP's Program with the department. He attended the Reserve Academy at Glendale Community College for two semesters. His class schedule was two nights a week and one weekend day for both semesters. He graduated in December with a total 600 hours of training. He is now in the process of beginning his training in the Field Training Program.

In addition to the recruit, the unit also acquired an officer that resigned from the department to pursue a different career. At the present time, the unit has actively recruited seven other prior officers that have either resigned or retired from the department. This process enhances the Reserve Unit with seasoned and experienced officers and saves the city the expense of the academy. This program will continue in an effort to actively recruit officers that have left the department in good standing.

The Mesa Reserve Officer is a very dedicated person, willing to give up holidays with the family or change his regular work schedule to fill the demand for help from the department. He or she also changes schedules to be able to attend mandatory training. This is all done for the rewarding feeling of helping the community and the citizens of Mesa.  The Mesa Police Reserves have always been an asset to the City of Mesa and will continue to be. For information on becoming a police reserve officer, visit the Reserve Officer website at www.Mesaaz.gov/police/reserves.aspx.

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