NAPO is reporting exciting times in Washington, as the 2009 legislative agenda is in full gear.  Want to know what’s on the agenda?  Here is the link: NAPO Legislative Report

Mesa police shootings doubled in 2008

by Nathan Gonzalez - Jan. 23, 2009 02:49 PM
The Arizona Republic

While overall crime was on the decline last year, shootings by Mesa police more than doubled from 2007.

Twenty-two officers used their firearms in seven incidents in 2008, killing five people who approached police with knives and guns. The year before, police were involved in three incidents and used deadly force in each one.

Mesa Police Chief George Gascón considers the number of shootings “small” compared to the 26,000 arrests and the 300,000 phone calls officers responded to in 2008.

“Our arrests have increased 21 percent from two years ago,” Gascón said. “A real successful operation for us is when everybody walks away without getting hurt.”

While officers are usually cleared of wrongdoing, Gascón said each case is carefully reviewed.

Department officials methodically go through every investigation to determine what officers could have done differently and if additional training could be used.

“We are spending a lot of time training our people in how to use force as well as how to protect themselves and the community,” Gascón said.

The department is always seeking different tactics and new non-lethal weapons such as guns that fire rubber bullets and Tasers.

Police averaged nearly one shooting per week in February 2008 and eight officers were involved in three shootings. Two suspects were killed.

“We have analyzed every one of those shootings and none of them (has) created concerns for us to the level we think the officer acted in appropriately,” Gascón said.

In 2006, 12 officers fired and killed four suspects in six incidents. The year before, police were involved in five shootings.

The way an incident will end is typically up to the suspect, said Sgt. Fabian Cota, president of the Mesa Police Association.

“It usually falls upon a decision the suspect makes,” Cota said. “Our officers for the most part are reactionary - they have to respond to a perceived threat.”

While some shootings may lead to a lawsuit against the city, Cota said he would never settle out of court.

“If were up to the MPA, we would fight them tooth and nail because the officers in those cases were justified,” he said. “If it were my call, we would not have settled a single one.”

Mesa police: Force better trained after new immigration policy

by Nathan Gonzalez - Jan. 22, 2009 03:40 PM
The Arizona Republic

Three weeks after a revised immigration policy went into effect, Mesa police says its officers are better trained to report and detain suspected illegal immigrants.

The department revised its Immigration and Customs Enforcement Protocol last fall after a series of immigration controversies, and it has been training its officers since October.

The changes, which went into effect Jan. 1, have given officers a better understanding of when to ask for a person’s immigration status and report them to ICE authorities, Assistant Chief Mike Denney said.

The policy is similar to those in Scottsdale and Phoenix. All three cities now ask for a suspect’s status when arrested and booked into jail.

If officers suspect an immigration violation or a prisoner admits to being illegal, they can contact ICE.

The policies stop short of satisfying illegal-immigration opponents who believe should arrest anyone in the country illegally regardless of circumstance.

Last year, the issue sparked heavy debate as the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office conducted a series of raids and rounded up undocumented immigrants throughout the Valley, including Mesa.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio criticized Mesa for failing to ask questions about immigration status when dealing with suspects.

The new policy is designed to address those concerns.

“There are times we should be asking questions” of suspected illegal immigrants, Denney said. “There is a vehicle through this protocol to do that.”

The updated protocol provides officers a clearer set of guidelines on how to handle illegal immigrants and when to report them to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities, said Sgt. Fabian Cota, president of the Mesa Police Association.

“Now officers don’t have to guess what to do,” Cota said. The old protocol was overly vague and left officers open to accusations of racial profiling.

“I think it will show that based on what our current resources are, we are doing what we can to eliminate criminal aliens from our city,” he added.

The seven-page protocol outlines instances when an officer can ask a person’s immigrant status.

Officers ask the status of suspects who are part of a criminal investigation or were booked into jail.

Under the new policy, officers are not required to ask the immigration status of those involved in a civil incident, such as a traffic violation.

Officers also will not ask for information from crime victims, witnesses, those seeking medical attention, victims of domestic violence and juveniles, unless it’s likely they will face adult charges.

Law-abiding community volunteers who are part of neighborhood watches and advisory boards also will not be asked.

“We think it’s a good step in the right direction,” said Sgt. Bryan Soller, president of the Mesa and Arizona Fraternal Order of Police. “Our officers had no clue what to do and what not to do before; now at least we have some guidelines.”

(*DOES THE FOP THINK MESA OFFICERS ARE STUPID?)

Why did you lose pay? Because we don’t have a contract in place…

We need one voice - one representation.

Click here for the Fox 10 interview.

MPA continues to educate the public and media on the immigration issue.  We remind them that we have spoken to delegates, locally and on capitol hill, for years asking for more funding have ICE and Border Patrol in our community, rather than have our local police spend their time doing “immigration sweeps”.

This is a dynamic issue, and your livelihood is our biggest concern.

Dear Members,

Now that the immediate danger has passed, I can report to you and am proud to announce the MPA exclusively saved 40 sworn officers from being laid off this past January. The die had been cast and all 18 officers in the training academy, as well as 20 new field officers were slated to be cut effective Jan. 5, 2008. The MPA alone met with council members and was later that day informed there would be no cuts to sworn officers. Numbers were adjusted and other cuts made to stave, what had up to that point been termed as inevitable. This is the ultimate test of a labor organization and the MPA proved we have the right stuff and delivered. We saved 40 sworn officers from being laid off!

Unfortunately, the budget continues to worsen. We have further talks coming up and July will be another test. Although the budget passed was termed as an 18 month budget, if the financial picture gets bad enough, we may have some more big hurdles in front of us.

Other cities had financial difficulties, but police salaries were unscathed. Never before has the fact we have two police unions costs our membership so dearly. The other agencies are represented by one police union, which allows them to enter into a contract. This allows some protection to the extent the city has an ability to meet its financial obligations. We need a contract (MOU); this would allow our members salaries to be somewhat protected, like Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert and Phoenix PD’s were.

Mesa’s police need to wise up and recognized the great disadvantage they are in. They need to demand one voice, as we have been preaching since I joined this union. Doing otherwise will allow your pay and benefits to erode further. We want to help you, but you have to do your part and support one voice. As long as there are two, you and your benefits will continue to suffer. You will be much better off once there is one voice.

Lastly, I am very proud of what the Officer Assistance fund has done. In a relatively short time, we have done the following thanks to donations and contributions from Officers, the community and businesses:

· * Brought Christmas cheer to the children and families of Arizona Officers killed in the line of duty.

· *Kept some Officers out of foreclosures and vehicle seizures.

· *Assisted with clean-up and funeral arrangements for an Officer’s family

· * Provided Christmas presents to the family of an officer too injured to do so.

· *Helped lodge and feed out of state family of an Arizona Officer killed in the line of duty.

· *Contribute to the leukemia treatment of an officer’s child who was in need of assistance.

· *Donate to the 100 club.

Visit www.MesaPolice.org for information. If you want to be a part of this special charity, donations can be made to any Wells Fargo or if you are interested in direct deposit, email: President@mesampa.com. Helping Police Officers, that’s what the MPA is all about.

Stay safe, Sgt. Fabian Cota

President

Thoughts and prayers to our brothers and sisters in NY that rescued passengers from US Airbus 320.

Dear MPA Members,

There has been recent discussion regarding settlements the City of Mesa has made due to past officer-involved shootings. The city has every right to decide to settle on behalf of the citizens of Mesa.  However, we are reminding the public and the media that these pay-outs DO NOT suggest that the officers involved are at fault, and they have all been cleared administratively by the police department and criminal by the county attorney’s office. They acted appropriately due to protocol.

We back our members 110%, and refuse to let public perception get in the way of facts.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact a board member.