Rotation #7: Police

I've spent the last 2 days with the Marana Police Department, and it was truly an educational experience. Aside from a few criminal justice classes taken in undergrad, I didn't have much prior knowledge of the police department. I have tons of notes now, and I've been trying to figure out what the best method is for summarizing everything. Needless to say, 2 days gives you a lot of information. I've decided to go over my rotation by breaking the information down by unit.

Meeting with Terry Rozema, Police Chief

Terry Rozema became police chief at the beginning of the year and has begun new initiatives toward improving communication between officers and with the community. Because he believes that good communication is indicated by how consistently information flows through the workplace, he began addressing his officers through videos that each person has access to. By doing this, Terry Rozema is insuring that his message is delivered directly to his officers and that no miscommunications can occur. I believe that efforts to improve communication internally has been very effective. As I spoke with different people throughout the department, I could see a consensus in ideals and direction.

Additionally, in a move toward improving police and community relationships, officers will now be assigned to a specific patrol district that they will stay in over time. This differs from how patrol officers were assigned previously, where they could be rotated throughout the districts. This new method of assignment is called "Comunity Policing". Police officers come to known the community and its members, and are able to identify problems unique to that district. By being a familiar face, a police officer will gain trust from the community members.

Records

The Records Unit is responsible for creating and filing police reports. They are responsible for requests (insurance, attorneys, etc), providing online reports, and redacting personal information on the forms for public release. Currently most of the records process is on paper, but they are slowly moving to digital forms for efficiency. Miscellaneous incidences can be logged by police through their portable computers, but major forms are still in paper format. I believe going to a paperless format will be  very helpful in multiple ways, specifically in reducing storage and processing time.

Crime Scene

Because of Marana's smaller population size, their crime scene unit is responsible for a wide array of duties, including property and evidence control, video forensics, and investigations. I learned about the process of lifting fingerprints off objects (like a CD), and learned about some common misconceptions about fingerprinting. There are three common types of fingerprints; the arch, the loop, and the whirl. A dry finger on a wooden or paper surface will not leave a fingerprint. A finger typically needs to have oils to leave a print, and usually on a specific type of surface. When a fingerprint is discernable, it needs to be a high enough quality to read the patterns. Many times a fingerprint can be too smeared to read.

Aside from dusting for fingerprints, superglue fuming can also be used to lift prints off of an object.

This is a fascinating process, but one that should be done in a controlled environment by an experienced individual.

Dispatch


Dispatch is a fast-paced and important unit within the police department. The daily job load is unpredictable, and a dispatcher may deal with both emergency and non-emergency situations. A lot of information is passed through this unit. It is mandated by Arizona state law to answer every 911 call that comes through. 911 SHOULD be used for emergency situations, but over 60% of the time calls are not, and are surprisingly completely unrelated.

Despite Marana's smaller size, their dispatch unit takes in a lot of calls, just 200 less than Phoenix, because a majority of freeway calls screen in to Marana. There are also rollover calls that come from neighboring jurisdictions. As a dispatcher, there is a large scope of liability. They have the ability to diffuse situations and build rapport with a caller in order to create a safer environment for police officers arriving on the scene. They also serve as watch tower for police officers on patrol.

Homeland Security and Emergency Management

I was very interested to speak with Sergeant Johnson of Homeland Security because of a project I will be involved in later this summer. Sergeant Johnson is in charge of emergency management, planning, training, and making sure the Town of Marana stays in compliance with the National Incident Management System. He works often with all neighborhing jurisdictions on emergency management.

I learned that flooding is one of the biggest emergency concerns in Marana, as well as wildfires, drought, and thunderstorms. As a desert resident for seventeen years, this did not come as a surprise. The railroad also adds an interesting element, as every city with a railroad will have toxic chemicals traveling through it by way of train.

For resources on what you can do to enhance your own personal safety, check out FEMA's Independent Study Program.

Detective Unit

There are five detectives working for the Marana Police Department. They run general investigations and work with a crime analyst to create predictions based on trends and the history of a specific crime or crime pattern. They are secondary responders who are called in once a situation is considered a felony, or requires interviews or interrogations. Because detectives are often talking with community members, good communication is key. A good technique is to interview a suspect or involved individual once they already have a good idea on what the situation is. This helps to pick out inconsistencies in stories.

Working with robots is also a common practice in situations where it is too dangerous for a human being.  Often time, robots can be used to communicate with a person who is armed and has barricated themselves in a closed area.

Ride-Along with Sergeant Hess


I spent a full afternoon on a ride-along with Sergeant Hess. He was very informative. He took me on a tour of the surrounding neighborhoods and told me about the different socio-economic classes living in the town; migrant farm worker families, poor, wealthy, blue-collar upper middle class. We also discussed economic impacts on the town, like the 17 miles of highway and train, technology industry, large commercial chains, the Central Arizona Project, canal, and surrounding power plants.

The biggest impact for me on this ride was the exposure to the transient communities in Marana. While I was certainly familiar with transients in the urban areas of Tucson, I was unfamiliar with them in the more rural parts of the northwest. We spoke with a few individuals who were staying in their camps. Sergeant Hess was very interested in their welfare and how they were doing and taking care of themselves.

Something I observed during my ride-along that confirmed with a discussion I had with Chief Rozema is the relationship Marana police had with the community. What does policing primarily involve? Is it law enforcement? Public safety? Chief Rozema emphasizes that yes, police officers do enforce the law and ensure safety, but most importantly they are public servants. Because Marana is smaller and slower than neighboring lager cities, police officers are more interactive and take time to help people. There has largely been a lot of positive feedback from the community as a result. Sergeant Hess certainly fell in this category, as I observed him talking to people, asking questions, and being overall approachable and friendly.


Reflection


There is so much more to cover about the police department that I don't think I can fit into a blog entry. I have always admired police officers for their work in the community before, but now I believe I have an enhanced respect knowing the stories they've shared and the risks they take to ensure a safe community for the rest of us. Big thanks to the whole department for hosting me for a couple of days.