On April 15, 2024, the Town of Oro Valley turns 50 years old! Join us as we commemorate a half-century of history, growth, and community in Oro Valley! Our 50th Anniversary landing page has all the information you need about this year of community celebration.
Biographical Information: Deputy Chief Curtiss Hicks joined the Oro Valley Police Department in 1992. As an officer he served as a patrol officer, DUI officer, bicycle officer, and as a school resource officer. He also has ten years’ experience as a SWAT tactical operator and served as the training coordinator for the department. In 2005, he was promoted to sergeant where he served in patrol, criminal investigations, and as a negotiator with Pima Regional SWAT. Deputy Chief Hicks was promoted to lieutenant in 2007, serving in patrol and as the executive officer. In February 2020, he was assigned to commander and was assigned to the position of deputy chief in November 2022. Deputy Chief Hicks is a graduate of the 278th Session of the FBI’s National Academy.
Current Assignment: Field Services Division
Biographical Information: Commander Teachout joined the Oro Valley Police Department in 1995. As an officer he served in patrol, DUI unit, as a motorcycle officer, including focuses on collision investigation and reconstruction and commercial vehicle enforcement, as well as a defensive tactics instructor. In 2002, he was promoted to sergeant where he served in patrol, special operations, and the traffic unit. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2007 and most recently served as the executive officer. He was promoted to commander in November of 2022. Commander Teachout holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Park University in Criminal Justice Administration. Commander Teachout is graduate of Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, West Point’s Leadership in Police Organizations. He is also a graduate of the 263rd Session of the FBI National Academy. Commander Teachout is an Aviation Committee member for the IACP and the Second Vice President for the FBINAA.
Current Assignment: Support Services Division
Biographical Information: Commander Gracie joined the Oro Valley Police Department in 2008, after serving with the Tucson Airport Police Department for two years. As an officer, he was assigned to patrol and also fulfilled other ancillary duties within the department such as instructing in firearms, patrol rifle, defensive tactics, force-on-force, and verbal de-escalation. Lieutenant Gracie served on the Pima Regional SWAT Team for nearly ten years and functioned as a sniper, team firearms instructor, sniper section sergeant, and sergeant of Tactical Squad Delta. In 2017, he was promoted to sergeant, where he served in patrol and in the office of professional standards. He was promoted to lieutenant in February 2020. He served as the patrol lieutenant and executive officer before being promoted to commander in December of 2023. He has an undergraduate degree in Corporate Finance and a Master’s Degree in Education both from the University of Notre Dame.
Current Assignment: Executive Officer
Biographical Information: Lieutenant Zachary Young joined the Oro Valley Police Department in 2006. Lieutenant Young served as a patrol officer, DUI Enforcement Officer, Oro Valley Community Action Team and was an Investigator for five years with the Pima Regional Bomb Squad. Lieutenant Young was promoted to detective in 2012 and then promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2017. He served in patrol, community action team, the Criminal Investigations Crimes Against Persons Unit and is a member of the Pima Regional Critical Incident Team. He was promoted to lieutenant in September 2022 where he was assigned to the Special Operations Bureau prior to being his recent assignment as Executive Officer. Lieutenant Young oversees canine, community action team, traffic, UAV program, and the Pima Regional assignments.
Current Assignment: Investigative Services Bureau
Biographical Information: Lieutenant Carmen Trevizo joined the Oro Valley Police Department in 1998. She served as a patrol officer, a detective with the State Gang Task Force, assigned to the community resource unit and was a lead patrol officer. In 2007, Lieutenant Trevizo was promoted to sergeant. She was assigned to the office of professional standards and as the public information officer. Lieutenant Trevizo also served as a hostage negotiator for 15 years with Pima Regional S.W.A.T. She was promoted to lieutenant in January 2020 and currently serves in the investigative services bureau overseeing the community action team, criminal investigations unit and task force assignments. Lieutenant Trevizo has a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from the University of Arizona.
Current Assignment: Community Services Bureau
Biographical Information: Lieutenant Jeff Thomas joined the Oro Valley Police Department in 2006. Lieutenant Thomas served as a patrol officer, motorcycle officer, lead police officer and was a member of the Child Abduction Response Team. Lieutenant Thomas was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2017. He served in patrol and traffic units. He was promoted to lieutenant in November of 2022 where he currently serves in the Community Services Bureau. Lieutenant Thomas oversees property and identification, school resource officers, and the community resource unit.
Current Assignment: Patrol and Special Operations Bureaus
Biographical Information: Lieutenant Kevin Peterson joined the Oro Valley Police Department in 2008. He served as a patrol officer, a detective with the Counter Narcotics Alliance, and as a patrol K-9 handler. In 2019, Lieutenant Peterson was promoted to sergeant where he served in a patrol capacity and was later assigned to the office of professional standards. Lieutenant Peterson was promoted in July of 2023 and was assigned to the patrol bureau before beginning his new assignment in the Special Operations Bureau. He has a Bachelor’s of Science in criminal justice from the University of Arizona and is currently working towards his Masters in Human Relations at Northern Arizona University.
Current Assignment: Communications Bureau
Biographical Information: Michelle started her public safety career in 1989 when she joined the US Army Military Police Corps. After her military service, in 1998 Michelle became a member of the Oro Valley Police Department as a police dispatcher. Michelle was assigned as a certified training officer in 2000 and a lead dispatcher in 2004. In 2012, Michelle earned her NENA Emergency Number Certification and is currently one of only 23 in the state of Arizona who hold this prestigious certification in the field of emergency communications. Michelle was promoted to Emergency Communications Center Manager in 2015. Michelle is also a member of the department’s CISM team and serves on several boards and working groups throughout the region.
Biographical Information: Catherine joined the Town of Oro Valley in 2004 after receiving her paralegal associate’s degree from Pima Community College and working as a workers’ compensation and social security paralegal. Catherine started her career with the town as the Development Review Board recording secretary and senior office assistant for the Parks and Recreation Department. She then worked in the Legal Department as a civil paralegal. In 2008, she started with the Police Department as a senior office specialist. Her responsibilities were purchasing office and custodial supplies, Public Safety Personnel Retirement System recording secretary, processing invoices and managing the travel and training budget. In 2018, she was promoted to Administrative Services Manager and now oversees the department’s budget, coordinates command staff schedules, grant administration, facilities management, contract agreements and policy administration. Catherine is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management and a member of the department’s peer support team, Government Finance Officers Association of Arizona and Southern Arizona Women Leading Government.