Patrol FAQs
Why does Oro Valley have a greater number of motor officers compared to other agencies?
Why are officers always sitting in parking lots, talking instead of working?
Why do police officers drive while talking on their cell phones? Isn't this dangerous?
Do patrol cars drive through neighborhoods?
Why do I see officers drive past stranded motorists?
I saw a police motorcycle go between two cars to pass, isn't that illegal?
Do the Oro Valley police officers have quotas?
Why do police motorcycles appear to be hiding in the bushes?
Why do you have so many officers on a routine traffic stop?
Why are officers writing tickets instead of catching real criminals?
Why do police officers respond to medical calls for service?
Why does Oro Valley have a greater number of motor officers compared to other agencies?
The Oro Valley Police Department is a full service organization, dedicated to the prevention of crime, disorder and social harm. In order to be effective, there must be a balance of officers assigned to different units within the organization. To find the balance of the Traffic Unit, the command staff looks at several different factors, including, but not limited to the following:
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Citizen surveys consistently rate traffic issues in the top three areas of their concerns. The Department acknowledges that the citizens of Oro Valley want a proactive police department rather than to be a victim of a crime or being injured or killed in a traffic accident.
In 2005, the Department’s philosophy was confirmed when a Fresno, California study titled “Aggressive Traffic Enforcement” was completed by a group of health care professionals, including doctors and nurses. This study indicated aggressive traffic enforcement did reduce crime, traffic related injuries and fatalities. It also indicated that if there were reductions of aggressive traffic enforcement, the benefits gained, would diminish after two to eight weeks.
The Oro Valley Traffic Unit consists of one (1) Motor Sergeant and eight (8) Motor Officers. The Traffic Unit works under the philosophy of the three E’s: Education, Enforcement and Engineering. With this philosophy, the Traffic Unit determines the daily needs of the Town and takes the proactive approach at prevention, which reduces fatal and injury related vehicle collisions. A significant portion of the equipment utilized by the Motor Officers is provided by grant funding through the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).
The Traffic Unit is tasked with the following:
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For traffic related questions or concerns, please call our Traffic Hotline (520) 229-4933 and an officer will contact you.
Why are officers always sitting in parking lots, talking instead of working?
One of the missions of the Oro Valley Police Department is to provide a very rapid response time for dispatched calls for service. This drastically increases the chances of catching a criminal during the commission of a crime. Knowing their Police Department can respond to any situation quickly, citizens have an instilled safe feeling. Having officers in their vehicles ready to respond is vital to the success of this mission.
Patrol officers are assigned to one of four beats (areas of deployment) for 10-hour shifts. The most proactive way to address our response commitment is to have officer’s complete as much work as possible inside their vehicles. To do this, they often park their vehicle somewhere inside their beat. During these 10 hours, their vehicles become their offices; allowing them to handle all responses for service, paperwork generated, investigations and communications with other involved officers, will occur from the vehicle.
Officers are also trained to prevent crime and to be available to the public. One of the best ways to deter crime is to park in a business complex while completing paperwork. This invites the community to approach the officer with any questions and concerns they may have.
On most calls for service, more than one officer will respond. Officers work as a team and will split up investigative responsibilities. Once the investigation is complete, officers sometimes need to meet to exchange paperwork and information.
It should be noted that police officers do not have a designated lunch hour. Officers must find time during their shift to eat between calls. It is common for officers to bring their meal and eat in their vehicle.
Why do police officers drive while talking on their cell phones? Isn’t this dangerous?
During the police academy, a police recruit is required to go through 40 hours of intensive driver training. This training includes; pursuit driving, escape driving, backing, braking and reaction time testing. Each of these components of driving are considered multitasking as the officer must also listen to, react and transmit on the police radio. The police recruits are required to successfully complete driver training prior to becoming certified police officers.
Once certified, Oro Valley Police Officers are required to attend annual in-service driver training.
Although talking on the cell phone and driving can be dangerous, officers may need to use their phones while responding to calls for service. They may be obtaining additional information from other officers, dispatchers or the reportee of a call.
Do patrol cars drive through neighborhoods?
The philosophy of the Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD) is to deter crime proactively. To do this, officers are expected to patrol the residential communities and business complexes within their assigned beats. We also rely on our citizens to assist us in reporting suspicious activities within their neighborhoods. If a citizen observes something unusual, they are encouraged to call the police and report the activity. In addition to regular patrol, OVPD utilizes a variety of resources to patrol neighborhoods, which includes the Community Action Team and Bike Officers.
Bicycle Officers supplement marked patrol units. They concentrate their efforts on patrolling commercial complexes and parks, which allows marked units the ability to patrol neighborhoods more frequently.
Oro Valley Police Department maintains law enforcement statistic records, which include calls for service, the number of officers per 1000 residents and the types of crimes that occur within the Town.
| 1997 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Calls for Service | 8,550 | 16,757 | 17,186 |
| Population | 22,834 | *43,223 | **41,011 |
* 2008 population is a PAGNET estimate
** 2010 population based on actual Census 2010 data
The increase in calls for service and the population rise show a correlated increase with both categories nearly doubling since 1997.
Despite the rise in calls for service, it is the mission of OVPD to remain very proactive. High visibility is a key element of crime deterrence. Being visible to the community is essential and will remain a priority for OVPD.
Why do I see officers drive past stranded motorists?
The Oro Valley Police Department is very proud of the service it provides to all citizens. The Police Department routinely receives letters of appreciation from citizens thanking an officer for providing assistance by changing a tire or calling a tow truck for them. Unfortunately, there are times when an officer must pass by a stranded motorist while en route to a call.
Officers have very strict guidelines to follow regarding the response to calls for service. Most of the time officers respond to calls without their lights and/or sirens on. There is no visible distinction when an officer is responding to 911 calls for service. An officer’s priority is the 911 call they are dispatched to; therefore, you may see an officer drive by a stranded motorist in need of assistance. Because public safety is paramount to the Oro Valley Police Department, the officer is expected to conduct a visual check of the motorist, while passing. In most cases, if it appears the motorist is in immediate jeopardy, the motorist immediately becomes the priority. If the officer determines the motorist is in no serious danger, they will continue to respond to the dispatched call. It is also commonplace for the officer to return to the stranded motorist area after their dispatched call, to check on the motorist or for the officer to call another available unit to check on the motorist.
I saw a police motorcycle go between two cars to pass, isn’t that illegal?
No. Arizona Law [A.R.S. § 28-903(B)(C)] prohibits motorcycles from passing between two vehicles or passing within the same lane as another vehicle. A.R.S. § 28-903(E) states this does not apply to police motorcycles operating in performance of their official duties.
Oro Valley motorcycle officers have successfully completed rigorous training before they are allowed to operate a police motorcycle. Part of that training includes traveling between cars, known as “white lining”. There are several reasons you may see a motorcycle officer white line. Several examples are as follows:
An officer is responding to a call for service where lights and sirens are not warranted, but there is a need for a timely response. In order to get in front and around traffic, the officer may white line.
When motorists see a police motorcycle operating with its lights and sirens on, they often pull to the left instead of the right, or stop abruptly. The motor officer may determine in congested traffic, it is safer for him/her to white line, rather then try to get vehicles to move to the right with their lights and sirens.
An officer is looking for violations or criminal activity. Officers are trained to white line while vehicles are stopped for a red light. This gives the officer the opportunity to look for such violations as registration violations, children not in the required child seats, or violations of having an open alcoholic beverage container. White lining also allows a motorcycle officer the opportunity to smell such things as burning marijuana coming from a vehicle.
Whatever the reason an officer might white line, all officers are required to operate police vehicles with due regard for the public. The motorcycle officer goes through extensive training and if he does not feel he can safely white line, he won’t.
Do the Oro Valley police officers have quotas?
Oro Valley officers do not have a daily, weekly or monthly quota. In addition to responding to dispatched calls for service, officers are expected to create self-initiated activity such as motorist assists, conducting field interviews with suspicious persons, enforcing traffic laws and patrolling business and residential areas. An officer’s supervisor will ensure the officer is being productive by monitoring his/her activity.
Why do police motorcycles appear to be hiding in the bushes?
The police motor officers do not seek out trees and bushes with the intent to hide from the motoring public. They sit under trees as a matter of self-preservation. The dedicated officers that volunteered for this assignment gave up the climate control that other officers have while operating a car, truck or SUV. Sitting under a tree while monitoring traffic, is a simple way for the motor officer to battle the hot Oro Valley sun while pursing the overall mission of public safety on the Oro Valley roadways.
Why do you have so many officers on a routine traffic stop?
Modern police training emphasizes there is no such thing as a “routine” traffic stop. An officer is more likely to be killed on a “routine” traffic stop than during almost any other activity.* The driver being stopped may be fleeing a serious crime, transporting illegal drugs, be in a stolen car or have a warrant. The officer making the stop does not know whom he has until he is standing at the driver’s window. Faced with this reality, officers are trained to make a stop, hoping for the best, but planning for the worst. Part of this training includes having a numerical advantage. Our officers are encouraged to stop with their colleagues whenever possible, as it is certainly better to have additional officers at a scene before they are needed. At a minimum, the presence of an additional officer allows the stop officer to concentrate on the administrative tasks associated with the stop while his “back up” focuses on the safety of all involved.
Remember, it is not uncommon for traffic stops to develop into something more serious and end with an arrest. The single most dangerous time for police officers is while making an arrest. Both common sense and good police practice demand more than one officer if possible.* Excluding arrests, many activities such as D.U.I. investigations, vehicle searches, inventories and impounds require two officers in order to conduct a stop safely and within policy.
* For more information regarding officers killed in the line of duty, visit F.B.I Uniform Crime Reports Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted website.
Why are officers writing tickets instead of catching real criminals?
Utilizing traffic stops is one of the most effective and common ways for a patrol officer to come into contact with and apprehend “real criminals”. Tickets and warnings are written by officers but they are specifically written to promote public safety. Writing a ticket/warning is just one outcome of a traffic stop.
The traffic stop itself is a useful tool to combat criminal activity. The “high visibility” of a traffic stop is noted by the Oro Valley community and by those who wish to engage in criminal activity. Because of the traffic stop’s high visibility, it is not uncommon for a defendant to tell an officer they knew better then to drive through Oro Valley. With that, criminals are not shy to admit it is good practice not to conduct criminal activity in Oro Valley.
The Oro Valley Police Department works hard to maintain its proactive policing philosophy, opposed to waiting for crime to happen and be reactive. In addition to traffic stops, officers’ conduct a significant portion of crime prevention, criminal investigation and criminal prosecution. The following are officer assignments in the Oro Valley’s Patrol Bureaus:
Traffic Unit is comprised of motorcycle officers whose specific job descriptions are to investigate motor vehicle collisions, respond to traffic complaints and enforce traffic laws. The goal of the Traffic Division is to utilize proactive traffic enforcement to promote safe driving behavior thus reducing the number of motor vehicle collisions on Oro Valley roadways. Among other offenses, traffic officers apprehend people driving with a suspended license, operating a vehicle without mandatory insurance, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and possessing illegal drugs and paraphernalia. Traffic officers ensure the roadways are safer for all motorists.
Community Action Team is a specialized unit focusing on property crimes and other specific problems affecting the Oro Valley community. As most property crimes support drug habits, the Team often finds itself targeting repeat offenders / habitual drug users and dealers. Over an 18-month span, the Team made 122 felony arrests and seized a large amount of heroin, crack and methamphetamines. In addition, they seized and/or recovered 22 vehicles. The unit was also recognized by ANOA (Arizona Narcotics Officers Association) as the “2009 Unit of the Year”. By removing these criminals from the streets, the Team drastically reduced the number of property crimes in Oro Valley.
Patrol Officers have many tasks, which include taking corrective action if traffic violations are observed. Patrol officers also utilize traffic contacts as a gateway to apprehend “real criminals”. Conducting numerous traffic stops increases the probability of having contact with a “real criminal”. Officers are able to apprehend those who are using and possessing illegal drugs have outstanding warrants and those who intend to commit a crime. The following are examples of “real criminals” being apprehended as a result of a traffic stop:
Nationally
- Colorado State Patrol - Trooper T. Marnell stopped a vehicle for a speeding violation. He identified the driver as an extremely dangerous fugitive who had escaped from a Utah correctional facility, was convicted for murder, armed robbery and attempted murder of a police officer. The suspect made a furtive movement, reaching for a semiautomatic pistol in a shoulder holster and was subsequently taken into custody at gunpoint. He was also in possession of two illegal knives and a sawed off shotgun.
- Ted Bundy was a crafty individual that committed horrible acts of violence and escaped from police custody twice. He was first taken into custody when his vehicle was reported as a “suspicious vehicle”. An officer responded and upon locating the vehicle, Bundy tried to elude the police by speeding through stop signs and turning off the vehicle’s lights. When he finally stopped, the officers found Bundy in possession of disturbing items such as handcuffs, an ice pick, a crowbar and pantyhose with eyeholes cut out. They also noted the passenger side’s front seat was missing. From this, authorities launched the successful investigation connecting Bundy to the serial murders. Bundy escaped during a court appearance. Again, he was taken into custody after an officer stopped Bundy’s vehicle for traffic violations. Bundy escaped a second time, from a prison facility. He was taken into custody after an officer ran a license plate check and found the vehicle was reported stolen.
- Timothy McVeigh was convicted of bombing the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. Shortly after the bombing, McVeigh was stopped by Oklahoma State Trooper Charles J. Hanger who noticed the vehicle had no license plate. McVeigh admitted to the police officer he had a gun, and McVeigh was subsequently arrested for having driven without plates and illegal firearm possession. Three days later, while still in jail, McVeigh was identified as the subject of the nationwide manhunt.
Oro Valley
- A corvette was stopped for speeding. A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded $100,000 in drug money; this resulted in seizure of the money and vehicle.
- A stop was made for speeding. The occupants were found to be undocumented aliens. The investigation revealed they were on their way to a “stash house” in Oro Valley (a house that the provider stores drugs before passing onto dealers). They were also in possession of an AK-47 with ammunition and a sawed off shotgun.
- A traffic officer made a stop for expired out of state registration. At the same time, other officers were responding to an audible alarm at a nearby Oro Valley residence. The traffic officer noted specific items in the back seat of the car that seemed out of place. Further investigation revealed the items in the back seat were stolen from the house with the alarm activation. A search warrant was served on the driver’s residence, also in Oro Valley, and additional items were recovered that were reported stolen during other burglaries.
Other Non-Traffic Related Arrests in Oro Valley
- A suspect committed burglary while the homeowner’s teenaged daughter was in the residence. Officers confronted the suspect, who had previous burglary arrests, as he exited the residence. He fled on foot, was pursued and taken into custody.
- An officer conducted a field interview with a subject walking the wrong direction along Oracle Road. The suspect had two felony warrants out of North Carolina for homicide. He was extradited to face those charges.
- A patrol officer took a phone report referencing possible child pornography. Detectives conducted the follow up and subsequently served a search warrant. Thousands of illegal images were recovered.
These are a few examples of how officers utilize multiple resources to catch “real criminals”. When you see an Oro Valley officer on a traffic stop, please remember the following:
- Not every vehicle stopped by an Oro Valley officer is suspected to be occupied by a criminal. There are traffic safety concerns that are addressed through the issuance of citations and warnings. The purpose is to modify driving behavior, and reduce the number of collisions on the Oro Valley roadways, thus making it a safer community.
- Not every traffic stop results with the issuance of a ticket. The traffic stop is an invaluable tool to combat criminal activity in our community. It is the most effective and common way for a patrol officer to contact and apprehend the “real criminals”. The high visibility of frequent traffic stops in itself is a deterrent to criminals.
Why do police officers respond to medical calls for service?
Officers respond to medical calls for service for numerous reasons. While each circumstance is unique, there are common issues addressed on a regular basis. The following are some examples of the police officer’s role and responsibilities when responding to medical calls for service.
Police officers are considered first responders. While police officers do not have the extensive training paramedics have, officers do have training and tools for basic life saving techniques. Because officers are in the community during their shift, they are able to respond quickly. As such, it is not uncommon for a police officer to arrive at a medical call for service before the fire department. This is important to the preservation of life when the patient is not responsive and not breathing. Individual Oro Valley Police Officers have received the Department’s “Life Saving Award” for prolonging life until the paramedics arrive.
The Town of Oro Valley has a significant senior citizen population. Responding to medical calls for service provides an opportunity for officers to look for signs of abuse or neglect. In addition, the citizen may not have family or support to help care for them. It becomes the officer’s responsibility to recognize signs indicating if the citizen is not able to properly care for themselves. In the event this happens, it would be incumbent on the officer to get a social service, such as Adult Protective Services, involved. Elder Abuse Information
In the unfortunate event that a medical condition was to cause the death of a citizen, there are specific responsibilities that fall on the shoulders of the responding police officer. One of the most difficult tasks is to assist the surviving family members in coping with their loss. The Police Department also has access to resources available to assist with this task. One such resource is the Victim Services Program. The volunteers involved with this program have specific training to help the family with the grieving process. The officer also has the responsibility to conduct an appropriate investigation to ensure there are no signs of suspicious activity. In addition, they are responsible for staying on scene until the remains can be removed.
The Oro Valley Police Department is proud to have an outstanding working relationship with the local fire departments that service Oro Valley residents. When responding to a medical call for service it is the police officers’ responsibility to ensure the paramedics’ safety. For example, when the patient is diabetic, he/she may be extremely emotional and not thinking rationally. Diabetic patients undergoing diabetic shock, which is life threatening, can be very combative. The officer has the training to safely and effectively restrain the patient while the paramedics administer the proper care. In incidents that involve serious medical conditions, family members can be very emotional and sometimes irrational. They can hinder the paramedic’s ability to properly care for the patient and jeopardize the patient’s safety. By speaking with the family member, away from the patient, the officer provides a stable environment for the paramedics to properly care for the patient.