Richardson: Has DPS become another failed Arizona agency?
Bill Richardson
Retired Mesa master police officer Bill Richardson lives in the East Valley and can be reached at bill.richardson@cox.net.
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chatmandu002 posted at 9:55 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Bill,
Good questions about the DPS. We need some answers and maybe some more money for the DPS. How about bringing back the speed cameras to make some extra money? LOL
Engaged Voter posted at 10:52 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
No Gestapo cameras, thanks anyway.
DPS doesn't require more money, they just need to stop wasting so much of it on nonsense like "secret wiretap rooms".
Rich posted at 2:41 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
"...a remarkable degree of ineffectiveness, ineptitude and waste.” Isn't that pretty much true of American government in general, focusing on one agency is more smoke and mirrors than anything else. Too much money leads to nonsense like "secret wiretap rooms" and such, and just the feds are trillions behind because they encourage this type of nonsense. Pare government to the bare essentials and a lot of the "ineffectiveness, ineptitude and waste" goes away, give them too much money, they find ways to spend it which deteriorates rather than enhances what they need to get done.
samkat posted at 3:45 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Bill, you are smearing all of DPS with a broad tar brush when it is actually the DPS leadership, who are cozy with Jan that are the problem. Your statement would be akin to someone referring to your old department as rotten to the core.
Now, if you said our Arizona top elected officials consist of the best government that special interest money can buy, I would agree wholeheartedly. Jan doesn't budge from her seat without Chuck Coughlin's approval.
billrichardson posted at 4:40 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
samkat,
I thought I made it clear it was a leadership issue that is dragging DPS down and not the employees. My many friends at DPS tell me the workforce is as dedicated as ever but they increasingly find it hard to come to work due in part to lousy leadership, self serving interests taking precedence over serving the people and politicizing the DPS mission. DPS has great workers, civilian and sworn alike, they carry the agency.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:46 am on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Dear Bill,
How about answering my "oft" repeated questions on how many of the 1,480 Rapes that were committed from 2002 - 2011 were solved? How many of the criminals who raped these 1,480 Mesa women were brought to justice ???
Speaking of Women's Safety in the East Valley.
302 RAPES OCCURED IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
1,480 RAPES OCCURED IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE MESA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
5,102 RAPES OCCURED IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE STATISTICS (OFFICIALLY PROVIDED BY EACH DEPARTMENT) CLEARLY SHOW THAT.........IT IS A HECK OF A LOT SAFER FOR WOMEN IN SHERIFF JOE'S MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT'S JURISDICTION......ALMOST ..............350%......SAFER.
Retiree2000 posted at 5:48 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Leon,
Since only 1 out of every 3 rapes is actually reported, even these statistics are skewed. However, I will point out that the Mesa Police Department implemented the Center Against Family Violence nearly 20 years ago and aggressively investigates sexual assaults and crimes against children. Over the years, the clearance rate has been about 90% for cases with a suspect. Victims are encouraged to report these crimes and the department has advocates for them as they interact with the criminal justice system. It is obvious that MCSO not only does not encourage victims to report the crimes against them, but that the agency, under Joe Arpaio, rarely investigates these crimes, especially if the victims are Latino.
IceCat posted at 6:35 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety can't even be remotely compared to the top three state police agencies, Michigan State Police, California Highway Patrol, and the New York State Police. It comes down to leadership from the very top. Since I retired from one the three listed agencies, I've seen a County Attorney from Graham County, a Pinal County Sheriff, and retired DPS officer get appointed to the top stop. Not one of these gentlemen should have been appointed. Leaders need to have a stake, history and pride in the organization. Political appointments do not.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 8:37 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Dear Retiree2000,
I posted Crime Statistics that had been reported to the DPS and then on to the FBI.
Could you do me the courtesy of supplying me with your "official statistics"?
90% of exactly who many rapes suspects were convicted.....let's take the2009 officially reported number of 123 Rapes within the jurisdiction of the Mesa PD. How many of these 123 Rape suspects were convicted. I have asked Mr. Bill Richardson over and over and over to supply these numbers. If it is any easier how about 2010 there were 124 Rapes that year in the City of Mesa or 2011, when 131 Rapes were reported. How many of these rape cases were solved?
Give out "questimates" is insulting. If the Columnist and the Commenter "know so much" about the in-house practices and programs of the Maricopa County Sheriff Department....then surely, they should have the statistics of their own Mesa PD.....at their fingertips.........[wink]
Retiree2000 posted at 10:11 am on Sat, Nov 3, 2012.
Leon,
The answer to your questions are public record from Mesa PD and all law enforcement agencies via the Uniform Crime Report which lists the number of crimes and the number of clearances. Cases without suspects cannot be cleared. Cases with suspects can be cleared once an arrest is made. You are confusing the number of rapes with convictions since there can only be convictions when there is a suspect. With the numbers you mention, there is no correlation between the number of rapes and the number of rapes with suspects. The issue with the Sheriff's department is that they DID NOT INVESTIGATE over 400 cases. Without an investigation, there can be no arrest or conviction.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 5:14 pm on Wed, Nov 7, 2012.
Dear "Retiree" (sorry that I don't address you by your first name but it seems that you don't have the guts to put your first or last name on your "comments"...well, that's your problem not mine)
You and our Guest Columnists and all your Ultra-Left Liberal allies in the TV News Rooms and our locat Newspapers keep throwing out the number ...400.
Where did that number come from officially ?
Was that 400 rapes in 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 or 2002.
I can give you the "official" Mesa Police Department Statistics as reported to the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation;
2002 = Mesa reported 129 rapes, MCSO reported 23.
2003 = Mesa reported 116 rapes, MCSO reported 50.
2004 = Mesa reported 124 rapes, MCSO reported 24.
2005 = Mesa reported 194 rapes, MCSO reported 24.
2006 = Mesa reported 203 rapes, MCSO reported 30.
2007 = Mesa reported 175 rapes, MCSO reported 13.
2008 = Mesa reported 161 rapes, MCSO reported 23.
2009 = Mesa reported 123 rapes, MCSO reported 39.
2010 = Mesa reported 124 rapes, MCSO reported 47.
2011 = Mesa reported 131 rapes, MCSO reported 45.
Total = Mesa reported 1480 rapes in a 10 year period, MCSO reported 302 rapes in a 10 year period.
Now where does this number of ...400...come from if in this 10 year period....only ...302...rapes were reported.
Now if you and the Guest Columnists are privy to information that 400 "extra" rapes occured....then it is incumbered upon you both as ex-Officers of the Court to report this discrepancy to the US Department of Justice and/or the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
I think before you throw out these............."400 un-investigated, un-reported rapes" ....any further...the reader should see some ............"OFFICIAL PROOF".....of these allegations. But that's just my "opinion".....and as we all know......."opinions are like..................................belly buttons (family newspaper).......everybody has one..........
[wink]