2013-Annual-Report-SMALL

NORTHWESTAREA COMMANDThe Northwest Area Commandcontinued to implement initiatives toreduce property crimes. A commonfactor in many property-relatedcrimes was drug use.The Northwest Area Commanderdevised an idea to help reduce theavailability of prescription narcotics.He suggested that APD should makeit easier for people to dispose oftheir unwanted prescriptions. Theprescriptions would often find theirway into the hands of teenagersor they would be inappropriatelydisposed of by flushing them andcontaminating our water system. Alock box was placed in the lobby ofeach substation where people coulddrop off any unwanted prescriptions.The unwanted prescription drugswould later be destroyed by theCrime Lab. The program hascollected and disposed of hundredsof pounds of prescriptions drugs.The Northwest Area Command baitcar program became a proactivetool which was utilized throughoutthe Northwest Area Command.The Area Command made it apriority to increase the amount ofbait (ETS) equipment and propertyduring operations. In 2013, thearea command doubled the sizeof the amount of bait propertyand deployment. On numerousoccasions, bait vehicles were brokeninto and the offenders were takeninto custody.In 2013, the Northwest AreaCommand began a major projectthat focused on Sector 63. Thearea of the command has manychallenging factors that contributeto crime. The goal was to addressthe overall health of the communityto reduce the fear of crime andbuild community partnerships. Tohelp increase positive contacts withthe community, Northwest officerswere required to make at least twoburglary prevention contacts eachmonth. For example, if officers notedan open garage door, they contactedthe homeowner and explain tothem the benefits of keeping thegarage door closed and othercrime prevention tips. The HorseMounted Unit patrolled Sector 63on horseback. During these patrols,the officers were extremely visibleand made numerous contacts withcitizens in the area. The combinedcommunity / police approachresulted in Sector 63 having a 33%reduction in auto thefts.The Northwest Area Commandplaced an emphasis on buildingcommunity partnerships in 2013.The Northwest Area Command has216 neighborhood watch programs,an increase of 20 from last year.The Area Command also has 45extremely active NeighborhoodAssociations.Crime Prevention Specialist PeteGelabert attended approximately100 Neighborhood CommunityMeetings/Events for the NorthwestArea Command in 2010. In 2011,Pete attended approximately 60meetings, while in 2012, he attendedapproximately 65 meetings. So farthis year, Pete has attended 100Neighborhood meeting, Events, andApartment contacts. The NW AreaCommand Community continues tobe proactive starting neighborhoodwatch programs for NeighborhoodAssociations and Home OwnersAssociations.Crime Prevention Specialist PeteGelabert worked with businessesowners and apartment managers,offering crime prevention trainingand the avoidance of propertycrimes. Gelabert also conductedMulti Crime Free Housing training forvarious apartment complexes in theNorthwest Area Command.31John WhisonantCommander“We take pride in our chosenprofession, we cherish ourpersonal and professionalintegrity, and we respect ourcommitment to each other andour mission as the guardianangels of this City.”Area Command Location:10401 Cibola Loop NWGeographical Area:154.09 Square Miles