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ODESSA POLICE DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 1994
JAJt.1ES H. JEJtlKINS
ClHEF OF POLlCE
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CITY OF ODESSA
JAMES H. JENKINS
Chief of Police
April 3, 1995
Mr. Jerry McGuire
City Manager
Odessa, Texas
Police Department 205 N. Grant Odessa, Texas 79761
It is with pleasure I submit to you the Odessa Police Department's 1994Annual Report.
The year of 1 994 was one with many unprecedented accomplishments by the men and
women of the Odessa Police Department. The following is an overview of those
accomplishments and other activities resulting from the hard work of our employees and
associates.
From the Office of the Chief of Police, it is with great pride that I report, on behalf of
all the Odessa Police Department employees, that serious crime in Odessa fell 21 % during
1994. This drop brings the 1992-94 three year drop in Part I criMes to a total reduction of
45.5%.
Also from my office, our Police Chaplain's Program is flourishing with 20 chaplains who
responded to approximately 45 calls during 1994. Additionally I the Inspectional Services Unit
documented 25 personnel complaints, down 14% from 1993 and down 66% from 1991.
These 25 complaints alleged 88 violations against 53 employees. Thirty two of these
violations were either unfounded, not sustained or exonerated.
The patrol shifts i:1 the Patrol Services Bureau initiated the ten hour deployment plan
in January 1994. Our patrol officers responded to 101,881 police incidents with 57% being
dispatched and 42 % being field generated by the officers themselves.
Our Traffic Division, among many other duties, was responsible for investigation of
3,347 accidents in 1994, which was an increase of less than 1 % (.8%) over 1993. The
division also investigated 885 hit and run accidents, which was a 9% decrease from 1993.
In 1994, the K-9 Unit responded to 1,959 calls, made or assisted in 183 arrests,
conducted 98 searches and spent 1,046 hours in training. The unit also conducted 81 police
demonstrations before approximately 5,000 citizens.
Telephone: 915-333-3641 FAX: 915-335-3308

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REFLECTIONS FROM THE PAST
Captain Kessler worked for the Odessa Police Department until 1952. Just prior to
Jess Cariker taking over as Chief of Police in November, 1952, Captain Kessler ran the
Department as the interim Chief of Police. "I left the Department on the day that Cariker took
over to run my business, H&K Armored Car Service," Captain Kessler stated. "I formed the
company with Cubby Heaton, but later bought him out." H&K Armored Car Service is still
in business today, and is still operated by the Kessler family.
TRAFFIC OFFICER. circa 1954. NOTE: BARS ON THE
2ND FLOOR OF WHAT IS NOW THE CENTRAL FIRE
STATION CAN BE SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND. THE
BARS DATE BACK TO WHEN THE CITY JAIL WAS
LOCATED IN THAT BUILDING.
been hired. The next night we rode about three
or four hours with him and then got in the car
with an experienced patrolman. The following
night I was turned loose in district seven as a full
fledged trained police officer with a map of the
city because I had just moved here and could
just then find my way to the station."
Equipment and training has changed a lot
in the lasi: forty odd years according to
Lieutenant Baker. "There was a lot of guessing
back then ap, to what laws to enforce; at least
that's what I did because there was no training
until after I had been here a few years and the
D.P.S. and FBI put on some classes," Lieutenant
Baker said. "As far as police cars, we drove cars
that had no music radio, no air conditioner, and
manual transmissions."
Captain Kessler was one of many former
servicemen to serve the Department over the
years. One of those servicemen, Lieutenant
Rusty Baker, Odessa Police Department,
(retired), remembers well his career with the
Department.
Lieutenant Baker was hired "straight off of
the ranch" on February 21, 1956, and became
one of 27 officers in the patrol division. "Jess
Cariker was the chief at the time, although I was
actually hired by Jack Tomlin who was then one
of the assistant chiefs,t' says Lieutenant Baker.
"I came to work on the 11-'/ shift," recalled
Lieutenant Baker. "The first night I rode with
Captain Thompsoil along with two other guys
t hat
had
LIEUTENANT RUSTY BAKER. circa 1956.
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SERGEANT RICK PIPPINS EXAMINES A REPORT
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE
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liThe internal affairs function of InspectionaJ
Services is of paramount importance in the
Department's effort to preserve a high degree of
integrity and to maintain the public's trust in the
Department," according to Lieutenant Blanco. II In
1994, Inspectional Services documented 25
personnel complaints. This represents a decrease
of 14% from the 29 complaints registered in 1993
and a 66% decrease since 1991. These 25 cases
generated 88 alleged violations against 53
employees requiring resolution. Of those
resolutions, 22 were sustained and 5 were found
to be a violation of departmental regulations not
related to the original complaint; also, 10 were
unfounded, 3 were not sustained and 19 were
exonerated."
Inspections provide the Chief of Police the means
for evaluating the quality of work performed by the
Department. "Quality control is the function of ensuring
that personnel, material and performance conform to the
prescribed standards of the Department, Lieutenant
Blanco said. II In essence, the objective for the
inspectional process is for maximum development of the
strength of the Department. In 1994, all three bureaus
were inspected by Inspectional Services. II
Inspectional
Services also
conducts extensive
INSPECTIONALSERVICESSECRETARYNANCY b a c k 9 r 0 u n d
MCKEE AND CPL. STEVE BALLEW
investigations on all
prospective
employees with the assistance of officers who have
received specialized training in employment law and
applicant background investigation. In 1994, 129
applicant backgrounds were investigated ranging from
sworn police officers, communications dispatchers and
interns, to animal control officers and clerical staff. The
investigations resulted in 21 positions being filled, or
slightly more than 16% of all applicants successfully SERGEANT CLOVIS STACEY REVIEWS A FILE
completing the arduous application process.
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CRIMINAL INVESTIGA TIONS BUREAU
METRO HOMICIDE UNIT
The Metro Homicide Unit, formed on November 1, 1993, was fully operational
throughout 1994. This unit is comprised of Odessa Police Department Sergeant Snow
Robertson and investigators from the Ector County Sheriff's Office, Texas Rangers, and the
Medical Examiner's Office. It had the
responsibility of investigating all unsolved and
current homicides trlat occurred in the City of
Odessa and in EctOi County. The concept of
pooling the resources of these agencies was
successful, resulting in a clearance rate of 78%.
SGT. SNOW ROBERTSON INSPECTS A SCENE ALONG
WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF METRO HOMICIDE.
During 1994, the Metro Homicide Unit
investigated 9 homicide cases that occurred in the
City of Odessa and successfully cleared 7. Also
in 1994, Metro Homicide investigated 4 homicides
in Ector County, clearing 3. Additionally, a
homicide that occurred in 1993 was cleared
during 1994. These investigations have resulted
in the arrest of 19 suspects, 8 of which were
charged with Capital Murder.
JUVENILE CASE COORDINATOR
Investigation of juvenile crime, including 1,903 juvenile /!!"':IT
arrests in 1994L was distributed throughout the Criminal
Investigations BfJreau. The Juvenile Case Coordinator for 1
1/2 years, Detective Chris Cole, was responsible for
coordinating the final distribution of each juvenile case. His
mission was to act as the Department's liaison with various state
and local agencies and with citizens who were involved in these
cases. He presented all Department juvenile cases for
prosecution to the Juvenile Court, Municipal Court and the Ector
County Youth Center.
GANG UNIT
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CORPORAL CHRIS COLE
JUVENILE CASE COORDINATOR
The Gang Unit was created in August, 1994, to actively monitor and investigate the
approximately 196 members who make up the 15 recognized street gangs involved in
criminal activity within the City of Odessa. Cpl. Dean McCann was designated as the Gang •
Unit officer. He, along with the assistance of Crime Analysis, was responsible for the tracking ,
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CRIMINAL INVESTIGA TIONS BUREAU
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The Midessa Metro Auto Theft Task Force covers the 17 county area of the Permian
Basin and offers investigative and technical support to over 30 law enforcement agencies,
Since its inception, the task force, which targets organized crime relating to vehicle theft, has
been responsible for the recovery of $473,780 in stolen vehicles and property. The unit
maintains a working relationship with law enforcement agencies in the Republic of Mexico and
offers assistance to any law enforcement agency involved in vehicle theft cases.
"Sergeant Echols recently assisted in the training of 93 police officers in the Chihuahua,
Mexico Department of Public Safety," Commander Dodson said. l'This training consisted of
stolen vehicle recognition and apprehension. That agency will be starting an auto theft unit
in the future and it will be the first of its kind in Mexico. Sergeant Echols was also honored
in 1994 with an appointment to the Governor's Border Crime Solution Committee which
explores solutions to the problem of international crime along the border with Mexico."
The auto theft task force conducted 6 south bound vehicle checks periodically at the
Mexican/Texas border. It helped the Texas Department of Public Safety in "Operation Gate",
another statewide south bound check for stolen vehicles. Three of the task force agents were
cross designated as U.S. Customs Agents for this purpose.
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION
The Special Investigations Division is a r!ivision
whope primary function is the investigation of narcotics
and vice offenses through both overt and covert
methods. During 1994, the Special Investigations
Division was supervised by Sergeant Lou Orras and
Sergeant Zearl Clark. Five investigators, one K-9
handler/investigator, two crime analysts and two clerical
support personnel were also assigned to this division
during the year.
During 1994, the Special Investigations Division
continued to be very active in many inter-agency
investigations with the Ector County District Attorney's
Office, the Ector County Sheriff's Office, the Texas
Department of Public Safety, the Midland Police
Department, the New Mexico State Police, the Drug
Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. During the year, this division seized
$1,001,595 in illicit drugs and filed for $276,701.36 in
asset seizures. A total of $80,968.80 in asset seizures
was awarded with the remainder still pending.
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CHIEF JENKINS CONDUCTS A NEWS
CONFERENCE REGARDING THE SEIZURE OF
103 LBS, OF MARIJUANA,
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SUPPORT SERVICES BUREAll
The Support Services Bureau is the centralized organization of the Department's
community based policing efforts and also provides
foundational support assistance to the main
operations of the Department.
During 1994, this bureau was comprised of 5
divisions of 60 sworn and civilian personnel. It was
commanded by Commander Marvin Crumrine until
his retirement in August. Deputy Commander,
Lieutenant Billy Hammitt, finished the year as acting
Commander of the Support Service Bureau.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS DIVISION
COMMANDER MARVIN CRUMRINE RETIRES IN
AUGUST 1994.
The Community Relations Division was created in December, 1991 as part of Chief
Jenkins commitment to community policing. In 1994, this division was supervised by
Sergeant J. D. Wingrove. The Community Relations
Division coordinated the Department's activities and
programs relating to the education and interaction with
the community, its citizens, organizations and especially
the youth. The Community Relations Division
coordinated 4 youth programs; the Police Athletic League
(P.A.L.), Drug Awareness Resistance Education
(D.A.R.E.), Drug Free Youth In Texas (nD FY IT"), and the
Explorer Scouts, Post # 55.
SECRETARY CINDY JARAMILLO
In addition to the youth programs, Community
Relations was also composed of the Media Relations
Unit, the Crime St0ppers Unit, the Neighborhood Watch
Program, the Crime Prevention Program, the storefront
operations and "McGruff" the crime dog. These all were
valuable parts of this multifaceted, community oriented
division in 1994.
The personnel of Community Relations
coordinated, and were involved in 360 public presentations and activities throughout the
community through December 31, 1994. There were approximately 74,862 people exposed
to these programs during these presentations .
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MEDIA RELATIONS
Media Relations Officer, Corporal Sherry
Sparks, provided daily departmental interaction
with the local news media as well as other media
outlets from outside the area. Corporal Sparks
furnished the media with newsworthy information
during the year. The Media Relations Officer
distributed departmental information to several
local radio stations, 3 local television stations, 2
newspapers and numerous other media outlets
from various parts of the country. Her
responsibilities included the dissemination of all
news releases, media notification of all news
CORPORAL SHERRY SPARKS conferences, scheduling of personnel for
interviews when requested by the media and
maintained all report blotters for media personnel use. A total of 63 news releases, 206
interviews and 7 news conferences were conducted by this unit in 1994. The Media Relations
Officer responded to all major police scenes to coordinate departmental information to the
media.
In addition to media contact, Corporal Sparks arranged all promotional, retirement and
swearing-in ceremonies for the Department, as well as taking part in the "Are You OK"
program for senior citizens an,j the Crime Victim Compensation Notification program. "We
started the Alzheimer program out of this office during the year," according to Lieutenant
Hammitt. "This is where we have Alzheimer patients fill out information forms which are then
verified by the Alzheimer Association. This information is very useful should an Alzheimer
patient need help or become lost." Lieutenant Hammitt went on to say that the Department
is also planning to take pictures of these patients in the near future to be attached to their
information forms.
The "Are You OK JI program is designed to check the welfare of Odessa and Ector
County senior citizens. The program is for those citizens who might face medical
emergencies in their homes and do not have friends or relatives to check on them. "Are You
OKIJ utilizes computer technology to contact these citizens daily by telephone and alerts
authorities to check on them when they don't answer. In 1994, approximately 5,475 "Are You
OKJI calls were made by the Odessa Police Department.
Corporal Sparks is also involved in the Crime Victim Compensation Notification
Program makes sure that victims of violent crimes are aware of possible assistance to which
they may be entitled. The Media Relations Officer made 319 notifications under this program
during 1994.
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SUPPORT SERVICES BUREAU
SUPPLY / MAINTENANCE UNIT
The Supply / Maintenance Unit was staffed by Senior Supply Clerk Carole Taggart
and Supply Clerk Sue Jenkins during 1994. They maintained and provided necessary
uniforms, office supplies, and other related equipment throughout the Department. They also
ensured that the police vehicle fleet was well maintained. There were also 3 custodians on
staff to clean the police/municipal court building.
RECORDS DIVISION
The Records Division coordinated computer services and records keeping for the
Department during 1994. Computer coordination primarily supported the police computer
system (COPS).
The Records Division was administered by Ms. Paula Beetem and was the repository
for all departmental records. Each report that was received was entered into the COPS
computer system by data entry clerks. The Records Division compiled statistical data from
the reports received each month and generated the Uniform Crime Report which was
forwarded to the Texas Department of Public Safety. They were also responsible for the
Department's compliance with Open Records Act
requests as well as taxi and vendor permits. i '\\ •
During 1994, the Records Division processed
23,641 offense/incident reports, 3,264 accident
reports, 1,605 alarm registrations, and 1,564
Brady forms. They also collected $29,261 from
the sales of reports, printouts, and permits. 'The
major improvement in Records during the year
was the increased level of stability that was
provided by the civilianization of the management
of the division," said Lieutenant Hammitt. ''This
provided stable leadership. The employees of the
Records Division did a great job during the year
by keeping up with more duties such as the Brady RECORDS DIVISION SUPERVISOR JEAN WALDRIP
Bill without any increase in personnel."
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December 6, 1994
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
The Honorable Lorraine Perryman
Mayor of Odessa
Mr. James H. Jenkins
Chief of Police
Odessa, Texas 79761
Dear Lorraine and James:
Thank you so much for your letter. I am pleased
that you were able to be at the White House for
the October 12 event.
I share your optimism for the effectiveness
of community poli.cing and am convinced that
additional law enforcement officers contribute
greatly to preventing crime and restoring public
safety. I am particularly delighted and encouraged
to hear about the Odessa Police Department's work
to reduce crime and build trust among its citizens
through the use of community policing.
I look forward to your continuing support and
involvement.
Sincerely,
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CORPORAL MARK ROWDEN AND \(..9 ALKO PREPARE TO U"fAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME"\
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