Mesa Police Department 2002 Annual Report

Special Investigations Division

The Special Investigations Division is comprised of seven different work units, or squads, that are responsible for the investigation of narcotics, vice, and gang-related activities within the city. A commander leads the division with a complement of 72 employees. The division is comprised of several units: Narcotics, Neighborhood Drug Interdiction Team (NDIT), Asset Forfeiture, Special Crimes Apprehension Team (SCAT), Gangs, and Intelligence. During 2002, SID filed 1,913 cases with the County Attorney and 97 cases with the City Court.

NARCOTICS

The Narcotics Unit's mission is to investigate middle to upper level narcotics dealers operating within the City of Mesa and to disrupt and/or dismantle these organizations. This year, the Narcotics Unit seized $58,822 in cash and property, and purchased and/or seized illicit drugs valued at over $582,130.

The squad has posted the following results for 2002:

The Special Investigations Division and the units within the division have undergone a significant face change during the past year, which included several transfers and a reorganization. All units within SID have been given a significant amount of in-service training, which will ensure a successful transition.

Mesa continues to be committed to its task force operations with other agencies. As a result of this commitment, many investigations have resulted in the arrest and sentencing of suspects, helping to disrupt their ability to distribute illegal drugs in the City of Mesa. Since drug dealers know no city boundaries, the task force detectives help handle the cases that extend beyond the city limits.

NEIGHBORHOOD DRUG INTERDICTION TEAM (NDIT)

The Neighborhood Drug Interdiction Team has been in place since April of 1998, and continues to serve as a valuable resource to the entire department. This squad focuses on pro-active, community-based enforcement of drug-related issues that impact neighborhoods in Mesa. The squad primarily conducts knock-and-talk investigations that are designed to better address the concerns of citizens reporting suspected drug activity.

The NDIT Unit continues in its efforts at identifying suspects that are in the business of manufacturing illegal drugs. Methamphetamine is the main drug that is targeted. The unit has many "Clan Lab" certified personnel that specialize in the dismantling of these dangerous home made labs. The unit is working with local retailers to help identify individuals that make purchases of materials that are commonly used in the manufacturing of "Meth" and so far, that effort has proven to be beneficial in these lab investigations.

NDIT continues to work closely with the Mesa Police Department Patrol Division CAT Teams. This interdivisional cooperation eliminates the neighborhood house that is dealing methamphetamine and crack. NDIT will continue its efforts into street level dealers, but it will also investigate club drugs and clandestine labs. All have proven to be a threat to Mesa's young adults and juveniles.

NDIT, in addition to performing all aspects of standard narcotic investigations, also handles all of the drug cases generated by the Patrol Division. This year, the squad posted the following results:

ASSET FORFEITURE

The Asset Forfeiture Unit investigates financial aspects of narcotics-related cases. The unit is responsible for processing criminal investigations whereby drug proceeds are seized from known drug dealers. The unit has posted the following highlights:

SPECIAL CRIMES APPREHENSION TEAM (SCAT)

The Special Crimes Apprehension Team (SCAT) is responsible for enforcement of laws prohibiting vice operations, locating and arresting wanted felons, investigations into trafficking of stolen property, providing assistance to other police units, City of Mesa departments and other police agencies. SCAT is a team of eight members, which provides covert services and search warrant service assistance in support of clearly defined law enforcement goals and objectives.

In 2002, SCAT posted the following results:

GANGS

The Gang Unit is comprised of an Enforcement, Investigative, and a Prevention/Intervention team. This 16-member unit consists of two sergeants, eleven detectives and three civilians. The Enforcement Unit provides a visible community presence contacting and interacting with gang members and associates. The Investigative Unit, through covert operations and specialized methods, perform long-term gang related investigations. The Prevention/Intervention team works closely with the schools and community organizations to provide services to at-risk youth and young adults to educate them of the dangers of gangs.

In 2002, the Gang Enforcement and Investigative Unit made a total of 199 felony and 131 misdemeanor arrests. They logged over 3,000 hours of surveillance, investigated 6 drive-by shootings, seized 25 guns, and provided 819 assists for other department units as well as other federal, state and local agencies. In its four months of existence, the Prevention/Intervention team has made over 600 contacts in the community with at-risk youth, performed 41 public presentations, and 36 mediations.

This year brought a new gang database system to the unit. This system is compatible with other state agencies and allows for the ability to readily access and share information with them. This new system also allows access to the database from computers located at each patrol substation.

Mesa Gang Intervention Project

The Mesa Police Department originated and strongly supported the Mesa Gang Intervention MGIP (MGIP) from November 1, 1996 through August 27, 2002. The MGIP provided a multi-agency approach to work with gang members (and their families, including siblings) and other youth at risk for gangs to get them out of gangs. It provided various intervention strategies such as education and employment assistance, probation supervision, gang tattoo removal, self-esteem building, cultural enrichment, and social service assistance. The team consisted of gang detectives, probation officers, outreach workers, and intervention specialists on loan from the Police Department and other agencies such as Maricopa County Juvenile and Adult Probation Departments and Prehab of Arizona. At any given time, the team worked with a caseload of approximately 200 gang members and their families. MGIP was recognized as a national model for gang intervention with awards from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in Washington, D.C. and the National Gang Crime Research Center in Chicago, Illinois. In 2000, it received the Maricopa Association of Governments' Desert Peaks Award for the most effective public partnership that year in the County. Although MGIP was closed in 2002 due to City budget concerns, during its operation, it worked with over 500 documented gang members and youth at risk for gangs, as well as working with numerous families members. One of its programs continues, the Mesa Tattoo Removal Program, offering removal of visible gang tattoos considered to be barriers to employment. Participants receive removal services in exchange for community service performed. For more information about the Tattoo Removal Program, call 480/644-3714.

See the Gang Unit website at www.Mesaaz.gov/police/sid/gangs.aspx.

INTELLIGENCE UNIT

The Intelligence Unit operates out of the Special Investigations Division as a resource and support operation to the entire Police Department. The Unit consists of one sergeant, five detectives, one criminal analyst, one administrative assistant and one Arizona National Guard criminal analyst assigned from the Joint Counter-Narcotics Task Force. The unit is responsible for the collection, maintenance and dissemination of criminal intelligence information. Intelligence information is stored in a secure computer database. Dissemination of criminal intelligence is limited to law enforcement investigations and operations. In addition, the Intelligence Unit is responsible for writing court order requests, monitoring and compiling information from all pen registers, traps and traces. The crime analyst provides case support to all detectives upon request, in addition to crime mapping and other computer-related services.

The Intelligence Unit remains a central repository and dissemination outlet for all Mesa Public Schools, elementary, junior high and high schools. This information is used in responding to crime and potential violence relating to criminal activity. The unit has one full-time detective dedicated to the collection, analysis, filing and dissemination of information related to potential criminal activity and possible threats to pupils and employees of the Mesa Public Schools. This detective also plays an instrumental role in training school security members on current trends and issues.

The Intelligence Unit continues to participate in numerous local and federal programs and committees dedicated to improving and sharing the flow of information throughout the law enforcement community. This past year, the Intelligence Unit again provided vital assistance to the FBI and the DPS Domestic Preparedness Center, contributing to the on-going investigations into terrorist activities in the United States  of America.  See the Special Investigations Unit website at www.Mesaaz.gov/police/sid/default.aspx.

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