Mesa Police Department 2002 Annual Report

Staff Resources

Training

The Mesa Police Department's Training Section is a recognized leader in the State of Arizona when it comes to offering quality training in  the field of Law Enforcement. The Training Section is often identified by members of AZPOST as a model for other agencies to emulate.

The Training Section is organized into four distinct units or work-groups: Basic Training Academy,  Proficiency Skills, Advanced Training and the Police Range. The Citizen Police Academy (CPA) and Police Academy for Civilian Employees (PACE) are programs facilitated by the Training Section.

Basic Training The Mesa Police Department's Basic Training Academy has been in existence since 1994. Mesa's academy is the leader in the State of Arizona for scenario-based training for police recruits. In 2002, academy staff updated and expanded the menu of scenarios utilized in basic training. Recruits experience four sets of field problems during the 20-week academy, each consisting of multiple real life situations or scenarios. The last two sets of field problems are conducted "off campus."

Personnel Status Overview Sworn Officers:  823 Non-Sworn Personnel:  512.5 Volunteers:  120

The recruits are dispatched to each scenario as though it were a real call for service in our community. The recruits must locate the call and apply their training to reach a proper resolution to each situation. Academy staff closely monitors each scenario to insure safety measures are in place as these realistic scenarios play out.   Photo at right: Proficiency Skills Officer Tammie Olson doing ab work with recruit class.

During calendar year 2002, two sessions of the basic training academy were held. The first class graduated 22 Mesa recruits, while the second class graduated 26 Mesa recruits and 5 Scottsdale recruits. The second class of 2002 marked the first time in the history of Mesa's Basic Training Academy that recruits from another agency were trained and certified as police officers through our program. Members of the Training Section received a Teamwork citation from Chief Dennis Donna for their efforts in expanding the basic academy to include outside agencies. 

Proficiency Skills
The Proficiency Skills squad is responsible for training all sworn personnel in the areas of defensive tactics and defensive driving. During calendar year 2002, the Proficiency Skills squad conducted instructor schools for High Risk Traffic Stops, Defensive Tactics and two sessions for Simmunitions. With the additional instructors, the Proficiency squad expanded the use of Simmunitions as a training tool. The department's annual decision shoot involved multiple scenarios using Simmunitions and live actors inside an abandoned building in downtown Mesa. This training simulated actual face-to-face encounters with armed subjects and required the officers to make "shoot / don't shoot" decisions under stress. In December 2002, the Proficiency Skills squad, in cooperation with members of the Selective Enforcement Team, began offering scenario based Simmunitions training to all patrol squads during their patrol shift. This program affords patrol squads the opportunity to train as a team during their regular shift so that no overtime is required and there is no impact to minimum staffing. One of the primary responsibilities of the Proficiency Skills squad is to work with the academy recruits. In 2002, the squad conducted over 250 hours of proficiency skills training with police recruits and assisted with field problem scenarios as actors and evaluators.  Photo upper left: Proficiency Skills Officer Ted Huntington demonstrating proper Asp deployment and techniques.  Photo upper right: Proficiency Skills Officer Mike McMillan demonstrating OCCS (O'Donell Continuous Control System) handcuffing on Proficiency Skills Sgt. Gary VanKilsdonk (Academy recruits in background).

Advanced Training
The Advanced Training squad is responsible for publishing the Department's annual training calendar, sponsoring continuing education classes and insuring that information about internal and external training opportunities is made available to all members. During 2002, the Advanced Training squad arranged for an outside contractor to conduct a "train the trainers" Spanish language program. Numerous members of the department graduated this program and became certified Spanish language instructors. Also during calendar year 2002, the Advanced Training squad made arrangements for Gordon Graham, a nationally recognized speaker, to provide training for all department employees on Risk Management and Police Leadership.  Photo at left: Proficiency Skills Officer Robby Jones demonstrating impact strikes on radial nerve.

Police Range
The Mesa Police Firearms Range Staff completed an exciting year of firearms training. Range Staff provided quarterly firearms training to all sworn members in 2002. In addition to quarterly training, Range Staff hosted an 80-hour General Firearms Instructor's Course, numerous AR-15 and MP-5 qualification courses and provided over 150 hours of basic firearms instruction to the two academy classes.

Citizen Police Academy and Police Academy for Civilian Employees
The Training Section is very proud to sponsor the Citizen Police Academy (CPA) and the Police Academy for Civilian Employees (PACE). In 2002, three sessions of the Citizen Police Academy were held with 82 citizens graduating from the one-night-per-week, 12-week program. One session of the Police Academy for Civilian Employees was held and 18 members of the department graduated the one-day-per-week, 8-week program.  [News Article: "Wannabe Cops Learn to Work Mean Streets"]

For information on attending the Citizen's Police Academy, please visit http://www.Mesaaz.gov/police/training/cpacademy.aspx.

The Public Safety Training Facility expanded its capabilities in 2002 with the addition of a 364-seat auditorium, four new classrooms, a 2800 sq. ft. parade deck and expanded administrative office space. These additions to the facility were needed to accommodate the training needs of both the Police Department and the Fire Department.

During calendar year 2003, the Training Section will continue to meet the training needs of the department by providing quality in-house instruction and researching innovative methods for delivering training to over 1,300 employees.  Photo at right: New auditorium at Training facility.

Human Resources

The Human Resources Section of the Mesa Police Department has completed recruitment and testing processes for calendar year 2002. The Section successfully managed a year filled with change and process improvements.

During this past year, the section processed 935 applicants for the position of police officer recruit, 386 people for non-sworn positions, and 22 applicants for police officer lateral positions with the Mesa Police Department. Concentrating recruiting efforts for the police academy within the state has been cost effective while supplying a strong pool of applicants. Of the 935 applicants for police officer recruit, 844 were from Arizona and 91 were from out-of-state. The top four states for out-of-state applicants were California, New York, Illinois, and Colorado.

In 2002, 40 percent of applicants testing for police recruit learned about the department via the Internet, while approximately 22 percent reported learning about the openings from newspaper advertisements, and 28 percent stated City of Mesa employees referred them. The majority of applicants noted that they were motivated to apply for the Mesa Police Department for the career opportunities and job security.

The number of new employees hired through the Human Resources section remained similar between 2001 and 2002. In 2001, the section coordinated hiring 157 new employees. In 2002, the Human Resources section facilitated hiring 152 new employees (100 police officer recruits, 4 lateral police officers, and 48 non-sworn personnel) for the department. Of the 104 people hired for police officer positions, 80 percent were male and 20 percent were female. For the 48 non-sworn positions, 25 percent were male and 75 percent were female.

Due to continued aggressive process improvement efforts, the Human Resources section has become more fiscally responsible. In calendar year 2001, recruiting overtime usage, department-wide, was 3,980 hours. In calendar year 2002, recruiting overtime usage was reduced to 1,349 hours, which equates to a savings of 2,631 hours, or 77 percent less overtime. Beyond managing the overtime usage more efficiently, the section maintained its mission with 23 percent fewer supervisory and administrative positions, which were vacated through attrition during the year. These savings and cutbacks were achieved, even though the number of employees hired by the unit was only 5 less than in 2001.

Loss of personnel, budgetary constraints, and loss of equipment precluded pursuing many of the new projects the unit had planned for 2002. While the unit has been able to establish several process improvements, in 2003 the hope is to pursue projects such as digital imaging for all hiring files, an updated applicant-tracking program, neighborhood/home environment checks during background investigations, and a mentoring program focused on long-term retention of new employees. In 2003, testing for police officer recruits will continue approximately 6-8 weeks apart, as well as soliciting applications for non-sworn positions on an "as needed" basis.

Career Development

The Career Development Section is comprised of two full-time positions: a Career Development Coordinator and a Police Administrative Support Assistant. The Career Development Unit administers the Career Advisor Program, Tuition Reimbursement Program and Career Enhancement Program, and houses the Career Development Library.

The objectives of the Career Development section are to promote the development and improvement of the skills, knowledge, and abilities of members by providing access to training and enhancement opportunities, as well as providing a team of career advisors to assist members with achieving their career goals.

Currently there are over 550 employees participating in the Career Advisor Program and over 175 of these employees are in their second, third and fourth years of participation. These numbers include both sworn and civilian members of the department.

The Career Advisor Team added 11 new advisors this year. The team now consists of 38 members of all ranks, both sworn and civilian. The advisors meet and receive training once a quarter. The training includes, but is not limited to, goal setting, cultural awareness, listening and communication skills, interviewing skills, resume writing, and emotional survival, as well as many other topics.

The Career Development Section also houses the department's Tuition Reimbursement program. Presently we have 114 members participating. City employees are currently reimbursed $2,200 per year for full-time employees and $1,100 per year for part-time employees and are reimbursed for tuition costs only. Employees must attend an accredited college or university and must pass the course with a "C" or better to be eligible for reimbursement.

There were four Career Advisor newsletters published this year. Each quarter the newsletter focused on a career-related issue. This year the focus was on achievement and success, change, focus, and a mirage of career-related issues. These newsletters are distributed to all members of the department and are placed on the Lotus Notes Police Bulletin Board.

Marketing for the program continued throughout the year by sending information to members via Lotus Notes and by the career advisors attending many briefings. Marketing the program will continue throughout 2003.

The Career Resource Library is maintained and housed in the Career Development section. New books and materials were purchased for the Career Development Library with the focus being "change" and "leadership". The library is available to all members of the department. The books and materials are all career development related and can be checked out for 2 weeks.

During 2002, City Council approved the new Career Enhancement Program for sworn officers. This first phase of implementation began in October 2002, with 80 officers qualifying for Level 4. These officers will be receiving $80 bi-weekly as compensation for skills and years of service. The program is scheduled to continue in 2003 if Council approval is granted.

The Mesa Police Department Career Advisor program is a one-of-a-kind program developed specifically for Mesa Police Department members. Many other law enforcement agencies from Arizona and other states have contacted the Career Development Coordinator for information about the program.

Volunteers in Police Service (V.I.P.S.)

The City of Mesa Police Department's volunteer program, Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS), experienced growth and challenge in 2002. The 120 volunteers involved in this program were exposed to new opportunities to help throughout the department as the city's budget tightened. New volunteer positions were established working with the felony DUI cases, at the Center Against Family Violence caring for children brought in and assisting office staff, with the Document Crimes Unit collecting video tape evidence in forgery cases, with the Evidence Section providing clerical support, "undercover shopping" at apartment complexes on behalf of the Crime-Free Multi-Housing program, data entry for the Sex Offender Notification, Enforcement and Tracking (SONET) Unit, providing clerical support to the Off-Duty Employment Program, assistance with recruiting for the VIPS program, and several others. As the city budget crisis continues, it is anticipated that the scope of volunteer positions will continue to expand. During 2002, volunteers worked 20,825 hours, saving $334,241.

One of the City Manager's designated Key Result Areas (KRA's) is establishing the City of Mesa as a place where volunteers are a vital part of operations. The VIPS program, as one of the City's established volunteer programs, was featured at the City's Mid-Managers' meeting in January 2002, along with volunteer programs at the Mesa Fire Department and the Mesa Public Library. Managers were encouraged to consider volunteer program possibilities within their own city divisions based upon the demonstrated success of these existing programs. In addition, the VIPS program aided in planning and is represented on the city's new "Inside Mesa" Intranet volunteer programs web page.

With homeland security a reverberating national theme throughout 2002, the VIPS program was officially added to the list of police volunteer programs that President Bush has promoted through his USA Freedom Corps program. (Mesa's listing and further information can be viewed at www.policevolunteers.org.) Mesa Police Department's VIPS program is one of over 300 law enforcement volunteer programs registered. Beyond the varied ways that police volunteers currently bolster public safety, preliminary discussion held in 2002 of how they can be further incorporated into homeland security efforts led to implementation of planning and training for the coming year.

The VIPS program undertook a major project in Summer 2002-researching law enforcement use of volunteers at the municipal and county levels throughout the nation. The objective is to learn what other agencies' most innovative and resourceful volunteer uses are, to determine whether any of these volunteer positions may be desirable for our VIPS program, and to share the compiled results of this research with interested departments around the country. Due to the scope of this project, final results are anticipated in 2003.

The VIPS continued their generous community outreach projects throughout 2002. They maintained support of their Shoe Program for financially deprived students at the Mesa Arts Academy, purchasing new shoes for every student identified as being in need of them throughout the school year. They also collected stuffed animals for residents of the Laurel Mesa nursing home during the holiday season and held a Christmas party for 22 Kindergarten students in need. The volunteers who participate in these projects particularly enjoy this extra means to represent the Mesa Police Department within the community beyond their usual VIPS roles.

The department presented Ken Smith with its VIPS Rookie of the Year award and Carol Okerson with its VIPS of the Year award. VIPS Supervisor of the Year was Cheri Felger of the Superstition substation.  [News Articles: "In Mesa, Police Seek Dedicated Volunteers" and "A Shoulder to Cry On, A Helping Hand"]

Crime Prevention

The Mesa Police Department Crime Prevention Unit initiated several new and creative crime prevention programs in 2002. These new programs, "Be-Alert" Child Safety Program, Rape Aggression Defense (RAD), and Violence in the Workplace Preparedness, are in direct response to current crime trends and community needs.

"Be-Alert" Child Safety Program
Due to various publicized kidnappings throughout the United States, the Crime Prevention Unit looked at creating a child safety program that would provide children with education on child abduction safety, 9-1-1 education, good decision making, telling the truth, self esteem, team building and helmet safety. The "Be-Alert" Child Safety Program was created providing children with necessary information presented at their level utilizing magic, props and puppets to better educate the children.

Rape Aggression Defense Program
The Rape Aggression Defense Program (RAD) was introduced in 2002 in conjunction with Mesa Parks and Recreations. Mesa Crime Prevention Specialists were certified as RAD instructors and are now training women in self defense concepts and techniques against various types of assault, by utilizing easy, effective, and proven self-defense/martial arts tactics. This training is being offered to women through Mesa Parks and Recreations and has received great praise in its inaugural year.

Violence in the Workplace Program
The Mesa Crime Prevention Unit also enhanced its Violence in the Workplace Program during 2002. Several educational presentations were made to various businesses in Mesa and two mock disaster drills were held at local hospitals. Both scenarios gave the employees an opportunity to see first hand what it would be like if they encountered a potentially violent situation at their workplace. It also allowed the employees to see how their employer handles the situation and how the Mesa Police Department would respond to this type of incident.

Neighborhood Watch
The Mesa Crime Prevention Unit continues to administer the Neighborhood Watch Program, which boasts approximately 800 Block Watch groups in the city. Along with the Neighborhood Watch Program, the Crime Prevention Unit continues to educate the business community on ways they can reduce crime at their businesses by participating in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) assessments.

Senior Programs
Another highlight in 2002 was the Crime Prevention Unit's SAFE Senior Program. Many accomplishments were made including the Bank Reporting Project, which educates bank personnel on what to look for when conducting large withdrawal transactions for elderly customers. This helps ensure that the customers they are servicing are not being a target of fraud.

Elder Abuse training was also offered to the public as well as internal customers including a large program at the Mesa Senior Center in conjunction with the Attorney General's Office. In addition four, four-hour training sessions were offered through MPD training on elder abuse and a two-hour session on elder abuse in the recruit academy.   [News Article: "Senior Fraud"]

To learn more about crime prevention programs and to view or request crime prevention literature, visit the Crime Prevention website at http://www.Mesaaz.gov/police/crime_prevention/default.aspx.

Crime Free Programs

The Crime Free Programs Unit completed another remarkable year in 2002. Currently there are 845 rental properties in the various Crime Free Programs. They break down as 681 apartment communities, 89 manufactured housing communities, 56 self-storage facilities, 10 condominium (townhouse) communities and 9 hotel motel communities.

In the Dobson Patrol District, 162 rental properties, representing more than 21,000 rental units belong to the Crime Free Programs. In the Central Patrol District, 322 rental properties have joined the Crime Free Program, representing more than 15,800 rental units, while in the Falcon Patrol District, 211 rental properties belong, representing more than 20,400 rental units. The Superstition Patrol District is growing, and currently has 150 rental properties representing more than 18,800 rental units.

In March of 2002 the United States Supreme Court scrutinized the substance of the Crime Free Lease Addendum. In a unanimous decision, they overturned the 9th U.S, Circuit Court of Appeal's 2001 decision questioning the fairness of a California crime free eviction case. This has cleared the way for certain expansion of the already International Crime Free Programs which started in 1992, right here in Mesa, Arizona.

Visit the Crime Free website at http://www.Mesaaz.gov/police/crime_free/default.aspx.

Off Duty Employment

During 2002, the Mesa Police Department's Off Duty Employment Unit coordinated 5,875 jobs between off-duty police officers and local businesses and schools. These jobs included 844 different vendors from the community who were in need of off-duty police officer services.

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