Run.Hide.Fight.

Unfortunately, active shooter incidents in the workplace or other large public venues have become a reality in today's society. Although infrequent, the impact of these events has far reaching effects, not only on the victims and their loved ones, but on their communities and our nation as a whole. Law enforcement nationwide has responded decisively with a variety of dynamic training approaches designed to direct first responders during incidents of this nature. Many citizens have probably imagined themselves in similar situations and wondered what they would or should do. Law enforcement is now reaching beyond the ranks of our first responders and offering citizens some guidance. This video was created by the City of Houston and is designed to assist citizens with some scenario-based training regarding active shooter events.
View the video here.  (Video is available in Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese here.) This video contains dramatized scenes of violence that may be disturbing to some viewers.

Media Release

Firehouse Subs Presents New Dog to Mesa Police Department

Firehouse Subs is a well-known supporter of public safety. The Mesa Police Department is very proud to announce that the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation is providing more than $10,000 in support by the donation of a new police dog (K-9). Kira, a 2-1/2 year old Belgian Malinois, is the latest addition to the Mesa Police Department K-9 Unit. She is trained for drug and narcotics detection under the direction of her handler, Officer Bryan Cochran.

One of the biggest challenges in law enforcement today is stopping the flow of drugs in our communities. Highly trained drug detection dogs, such as Kira, are an integral part in keeping these drugs out of our community. Donations of this type by Firehouse Subs show how vested they are in our city. It clearly shows that they are not just another business, but a partner in making the City of Mesa a great place to live.

Come and meet Kira and join us in thanking Firehouse Subs for their generous donation.

Firehouse Subs
1829 N. Power Rd. #109
Tuesday, October 30 at 2:30 pm

View video from the event here.   View photos from the event on our Facebook page here.

Cool Nights + Open Windows = Access for Thieves

With the wonderful cool nights we are now having, make sure you are not leaving your windows or Arcadia doors open at night. Open windows are an invitation to thieves. Screens can be easily removed and a thief can then enter your home while you sleep. More Crime Prevention Tips can be found here.

Crime Prevention Tip of the Week

Keep your little ghosts and goblins safe this Halloween by following some simple tips. More Halloween Safety tips can be found here.

• Choose light or brightly colored costumes and use light-reflective tape.
• Masks restricts vision; make-up doesn't obstruct vision.
• Toy weapons, wands, brooms, etc., should be made of cardboard. They are much safer than plastic, wood or metal.
• Put your child's name, address and phone number INSIDE their costume in case of an accident or they get lost.
• Plan your child's route and only visit homes in your neighborhood that are well lighted.
• Carry a flashlight or glow stick.
• Tell your children to NEVER go inside a home when they are trick or treating.
• When crossing a street, stop, look and listen.  Look both ways before crossing.
• Watch for cars backing out of driveways.
• Don't eat unopened candy. Look for any discoloration, torn wrappers or holes.
• Fruit and soft candies should be cut into bite-sized pieces before eating.
• Homemade treats should be avoided unless you are absolutely sure they came from a safe source.
• Don't play pranks. Damaging property is a crime.

CRIME STATS - SEPTEMBER

The following are the top 5 calls for service and arrests for each patrol district -- 09/01/2012 through 09/30/2012.

DOBSON		CENTRAL
Call Type	Frequency	Call Type	Frequency
Subjects Disturbing	422	Subjects Disturbing	417
Check Welfare	338	Check Welfare	319
Other Agency Assist	164	Other Agency Assist	221
Suspicious Activity	159	Suspicious Activity	187
Loud Music/Noise	152	Civil Matter	147
Arrests	Frequency	Arrests	Frequency
Robbery	1	Homicide	2
Aggravated Assault	10	Robbery	2
Breaking & Entering	5	Aggravated Assault	12
Theft	53	Breaking & Entering	13
GTA	1	Theft	67
Alcohol/DUI	90	GTA	4
Other Assaults	36	Alcohol/DUI	110
Disorderly Conduct	8	Other Assaults	61
Drugs	31	Disorderly Conduct	39
Fiscal/Forgery	13	Drugs	53
Loitering/Runaway	7	Fiscal/Forgery	15
Sex Offenses	3	Loiter/Runaway	8
Vandalism	28	Sex Offenses	7
All Other	128	Vandalism	25
		All Other	358
TOTAL	414	TOTAL	776

RED MOUNTAIN		SUPERSTITION
Call Type	Frequency	Call Type	Frequency
Check Welfare	389	Check Welfare	296
Subjects Disturbing	380	Burglary Alarm	268
Burglary Alarm	269	Subjects Disturbing	241
Other Agency Assist	234	Other Agency Assist	204
Suspicious Activity	225	Suspicious Activity	180
Arrests	Frequency	Arrests	Frequency
Homicide	1	Robbery	2
Robbery	4	Aggravated Assault	8
Aggravated Assault	16	Breaking & Entering	7
Breaking & Entering	4	Theft	76
Theft	75	GTA	1
GTA	3	Alcohol/DUI	59
Alcohol/DUI	117	Other Assaults	37
Other Assaults	51	disorderly Conduct	11
Disorderly Conduct	23	Drugs	36
Drugs	50	Fiscal/Forgery	8
Fiscal/Forgery	18	Loitering/Runaway	14
Loitering/Runaway	21	Vandalism	17
Sex Offenses	1	All Other	92
Vandalism	37
All Other	123
TOTAL	544	TOTAL	368

Crime Prevention Tip of the Week

Here are some tips to avoid fraudulent charitable contribution scams. More tips on the topic can be found here.

• Do not respond to unsolicited (SPAM) e-mail.
• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
• To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
• Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization’s website rather than following an alleged link to the site.
• Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: providing such information could compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identify theft.
• Trust your gut — and check your records if you have any doubt about whether you’ve made a pledge or a contribution. Callers may try to trick you by thanking you for a pledge you didn’t make. If you don’t remember making the donation or don’t have a record of your pledge, resist the pressure to give.
• Be wary of charities that spring up overnight in connection with current events or natural disasters. They may make a compelling case for your money, but as a practical matter, they probably don’t have the infrastructure to get your donation to the affected area or people.

Tip A Cop Event Results

A huge THANK YOU to all who came out and supported Special Olympics and Mesa PD at our Tip A Cop Event at Red Robin Saturday. We raised a total of $2,497.00 for Special Olympics at this event. Watch for more Special Olympics events to be posted in the future.

RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) Training

The next RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) class will be held on November 29, December 4 and December 6 from 5p to 10p. This is a free 15 hour self defense class for women 18 and older. Teens 16/17 may attend when a female parent/guardian attends. You must attend all three dates.  THESE CLASSES FILL FAST. Contact Brenda Thorek at 480-644-4423 or brenda.thorek@mesaaz.gov to register. If class is full, ask her to place you on the waiting list for the next class. More information on the RAD program can be found here.

Crime Prevention Tip of the Week

When talking on your phone, be aware of your surroundings and who is coming and going. Concentrating  more on your phone conversation than what is going on around you makes you more likely to become a victim of a crime. Don’t give out personal information (bank information, social security number, home address, driver's license number, etc.) over the phone; you don’t know who is listening to your conversation and they can use your personal information to steal your identity. Visit our Crime Prevention Literature page for more crime prevention tips.

Axon Flex Cameras

Last week, the Mesa Police Department finished training the last of 50 officers who will be wearing the new officer mounted Axon Flex Camera System from Taser International. These officers are primarily assigned to patrol throughout all four of our patrol districts; however, we also have three each assigned to motor and SWAT officers. The cameras are either head-mounted (via head/hat bands or eyeglasses) or shoulder mounted on the officer's lapel. This will be a one year pilot program designed to assess the benefits this system has to offer our department. Our goal is to provide world class policing to our community and offer the highest level possible of professionalism, investigative quality and transparency. Our policy regarding these cameras can be viewed here.

Annual Awards Dinner Award Recepients

Congratulations to the following Mesa Police Department employees who were recognized at our annual awards dinner:

Detective of the Year: Mark Germaine
Officer of the Year: Don Williams
Civilian of the Year: Barb McReynolds
Chief's Community Partnership Award: Karen Stegenga
Mesa Public Safety Foundation's Pat Tillman Award for Bravery: Todd Pascarella
Mesa Public Safety Foundation's Milt Lee Award for Valor: John LaFontaine

MEDIA RELEASE

Tempe & Mesa Police Joint Investigation; Arrest Armed Robbery Suspect

From Tempe PD, October 4, 2012 - Tempe Police Department's Criminal Apprehension Surveillance Team (CAST) have arrested a suspect involved in a string of armed robberies being jointly investigated by Tempe and Mesa Police.

On September 30, 2012, Gabriel Bedoy (29) was placed under arrest after detectives from the Tempe Police Department and Mesa Police Department began a joint investigation into the robberies, which occurred over a four day span between September 24 and September 28, 2012 at the following locations:

• Subway located at Alma School and University in Mesa (09/24/12)
• Shell Gas station located at 2180 E Broadway in Tempe (09/25/12)
• Little Caesar's located at 1151 W University in Mesa (09/27/12)
• Subway located at 1332 S Country Club in Mesa (09/28/12)
• 7-11 convenience store located at 1310 W Broadway in Tempe (09/28/12)
• Little Caesar's located at 711 E Broadway in Tempe (09/28/12)

Suspect Gabriel Bedoy committed these robberies by entering the business with a semi-automatic handgun and forcing the clerks to give him money. At each incident, Bedoy fled the scene in the suspect vehicle. Evidence obtained from one of the robbery locations was used to help identify Bedoy as a suspect in the crimes.

Both Tempe and Mesa are partner agencies of the East Valley Fusion Center.  Crime Analysts from Tempe Police Department's Criminal Intelligence Center and detectives from the Tempe and Mesa Police Departments all worked together to gather information on the suspect.

The suspect was located by the Tempe Police Department Criminal Apprehension Surveillance Team (CAST) in the area of Longmore and Southern in Mesa, driving the same vehicle used to commit the robberies. He admitted his involvement in the crimes during interviews with detectives.

Tempe Police Chief Tom Ryff stated, "This successful joint investigation between Tempe and Mesa Police Departments exemplifies the importance and effectiveness of strong law enforcement partnerships. Wherever the crime is committed, wherever the suspects flee -- police are working together, linked by technology, affiliation and the determination to locate, arrest and hold criminals accountable. Chief Milstead and I remain committed to sharing information and resources to fight crime in our communities and keep them safe."

The suspect was booked into the Tempe City Jail and is currently facing felony charges of armed robbery and aggravated assault.

Tip A Cop for Special Olympics

Join us on Saturday, October 13, from 11am to 3pm and 4pm to 8pm, when local law enforcement will trade in their handcuffs to spend the day at Red Robin serving you! 100% of the "special tips" donated to officers will benefit Special Olympics. Bring the family, enjoy a great meal and support the Special Olympics program. Red Robin is located at 1636 S. Stapley in Mesa (between the 60 and Baseline). See you there!! Print the flyer to distribute to family members, friends and co-workers.

Crime Prevention Tip of the Week

When shopping, do not leave your purse, wallet or other valuables in the shopping cart unattended. It only takes a few seconds, while your back is turned, for a thief to make off with your purse and whatever else they can grab quickly.