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Persons Crimes SectionThe Crimes Against Persons Section has the responsibility of investigating homicides, suspicious deaths, assaults, kidnappings, robberies, and stalking (non-domestic) cases as well as missing persons cases. The Robbery Unit, alone, recovered over 1.6 million dollars in property in 2002. Within this division there is a Major Incident Response Team (M.I.R.T.) that is divided into three squads that can be called out at any time. Each team is composed of a supervisor and detectives from the homicide, robbery and violent crimes units. The M.I.R.T. team responds to major incidents such as homicides, officer involved shootings, SWAT incidents, and critical injury aggravated assaults. The Major Incident Response Team quickly responds to support the patrol division. This response provides the expertise to handle major crime scenes. It also allows patrol officers to return to their beat assignments. Experienced investigators will take the case over from patrol units, which affords the department quality investigation and prompt resolution of many devastating cases. Toward the end of 2002, a new swing shift squad began, which consists of five detectives. The P.M. squad responds to a variety of requests from Patrol, from answering questions regarding County Attorney filing standards to advice on how to handle an investigation. The squad also assists with interviews, court orders, and search warrants, and responds to calls that will require future C.I.D. investigation to help get the crime scene organized prior to the on-call person's arrival. Property Crimes SectionThe CID Property Crimes Section consists of four squads: Auto Theft, Document Crimes, East Side Burglary and West Side Burglary. The Auto Theft Unit investigates vehicle theft, vehicle burglary and criminal damage to vehicles. The Document Crimes Unit investigates cases of forgery, fraud, identity theft and credit card fraud. The two burglary units investigate both residential and commercial burglary, theft and related property crimes. The Burglary squads facilitate the Burglary Reduction Program. Burglary The Burglary squads launched the Burglary Reduction Program in June of 2002. The department now sends a patrol officer to residential burglaries to investigate the crime at the scene, talk to neighbors, and collect evidence. Previously, citizens were allowed to make a report over the phone if they wished, which occurred in approximately half of the residential burglary cases that occurred in Mesa. Detectives also develop and share a Top Ten Suspect List to inform all PD employees about high-profile suspects the department is seeking. The top ten list is continually refreshed as suspects are captured and taken into custody.
For useful tips, visit the Property Crimes website at http://www.cityofmesa.org/police/cid/prop_crimes/default.aspx. Auto Theft The Auto Theft Unit acquired a fleet of vehicles and equipment to begin a Bait Car program. The Auto Theft Unit submitted a grant request to the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority (AATA) and received funds for the bait car system. The National Insurance Crime Bureau, a non-profit organization, facilitated the acquisition of the fleet of vehicles for a one-dollar per year lease per vehicle. The fleet will begin operations in 2003. The vehicles consist of types that are frequently stolen. Each vehicle will be left in high theft areas as determined by Crime Analysis. When stolen, the vehicles will be tracked with Global Positioning System software until stopped by uniformed officers and the thieves are arrested.
You can help reduce auto theft by participating in one or more programs offered by the Mesa Police Department.
Visit the Auto Theft website at http://www.cityofmesa.org/police/cid/autotheft/default.aspx. Document Crimes There is one trend that impacted the Document Crimes Unit in 2002 and will continue to impact the community in 2003. Identity Theft is a crime that is increasing nationwide. The recent convenience and widespread use of the Internet to make purchases and pay bills has a downside. It has become easier for criminals to use bits of victims personal information obtained from stolen wallets, purses, or even discarded trash to create new identities or obtain credit in the victims' names. In the past year the Document Crimes Unit has investigated many cases where criminals using stolen identity have purchased cars, motorcycles, mobile homes, and even homes. Many incidents involve victims and suspects residing in different states. It is not unusual for the Document Crimes Unit of Mesa PD to receive reports from police agencies out-of-state requesting we follow-up on Identity Thefts where the victims are outside Arizona and the suspects are residing in Mesa. Likewise, the Mesa PD Document Crimes Unit forwards Mesa cases to other agencies when the victims are Mesa citizens and the suspects are out-of-state. Identity theft also takes place when someone without identification obtains work using a victim's social security number. The victim becomes aware months or years later when notified by the IRS of taxes due on the income attributed to the victim's social security number. Center Against Family ViolenceThe Center Against Family Violence (CAFV) has been in operation since 1996. The CAFV is a child & family advocacy center that utilizes a multidisciplinary team concept to address the issues of physical and sexual abuse of adults and children. The Center is designed to reduce further trauma to victims by minimizing interviews, conducting medical examinations and proceeding with investigations in a non-traditional environment. The CAFV also investigates missing persons, sex offender issues and computer-facilitated crime. The Victim Services Unit provides referral services and administers the volunteer component. Included in the multidisciplinary team are: Mesa Police, Maricopa County Attorney, Victim Services, Child Protective Services, Mesa City Prosecutor, St. Joseph's Hospital Forensic Pediatricians, Scottsdale Healthcare Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, and PreHab of Arizona. In 2002 the CAFV expanded again to accommodate the Computer Forensics Unit with a computer lab and secure storage facility. Interior improvements include much needed new furniture and carpet in the children's play area, along with new interview room furnishings. 2002 also saw the advent of a designated "Cold case" detective assigned to work sex crimes that have yet to be solved. With the incredible prospect that DNA genotyping has brought to the investigation of crime, old case files may now yield the evidence that leads to the arrest and prosecution of suspects that otherwise may have escaped justice. The detectives and Center personnel handled an average of 195 sex and physical abuse cases per month and 218 domestic violence related cases per month. Domestic violence cases were up 24% over last year. The CAFV provided service to 638 children under the age of 18 in 2002.
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For more information on the philosophy of the Center, visit http://www.cityofmesa.org/police/cafv/default.aspx.
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Criminal Investigations
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