More bad news about the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The Oct. 25 Phoenix New Times story, "DPS Honchos' Ethics Are Questioned After Sports-Ticket Probe," told about the coziness of DPS Director Bobby Halliday, some of his command staff and members of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit with the Arizona Trucking Association and its lobbyist. DPS is Arizona’s lead agency in enforcing laws that deal with commercial trucks.
According to the story, “DPS officials took expensive baseball tickets from the trucking association in 2010 and 2011.” A 2011 internal investigation of Jack Hegarty, a former lieutenant colonel, “revealed that the practice of DPS supervisors accepting baseball tickets from representatives of the industry they regulated had become routine.” Hegarty retired in lieu of suspension over his involvement in the scandal. Hegarty and Halliday were reportedly very close friends.
The story said the internal investigation revealed “Halliday remembered going to only two Diamondbacks games with the lobbyist. The first was in 2009, during the break in his service between retiring and becoming director and a second time after becoming director, either in the "early 2010" or "early 2011" season. Halliday said he was "under the impression" that Hegarty bought the tickets from the lobbyist.
Free or paid for, either way, DPS officials shouldn’t be getting baseball tickets from an industry they regulate.
During Halliday’s Arizona Senate confirmation hearing, the former DPS middle manager was quizzed about his coziness with the trucking industry. After his confirmation, DPS altered its policy and prohibited officers from making “administrative stops” on trucks, which do not require probable cause but are done to check drivers’ log books and look for safety violations. Safety checks aren’t the only concerns when it comes to truckers.
Rogue elements within the trucking industry play a key role in the supply chain of Mexico-based organized crime groups.
Retired U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Phil Jordan, who commanded the El Paso Intelligence Center, told me, “The cartels have deep infiltrations in the trucking industry. Law enforcement cannot afford to look the other way. Commercial trucks are used extensively to carry drugs throughout the United States and then return the proceeds to cartel bosses in Mexico. Arizona’s highways play a major role in this process.”
DPS’s troubles aren’t just with the trucking industry.
In recent years, local police have been forced to take on duties that DPS is supposed to perform. From investigating organized crime to running crime labs, to collecting and exchanging statewide information on criminals, cities are increasingly having to perform DPS’s statutory duties.
City officials may complain quietly about DPS, but the U.S. Senate complains openly.
In the Cronkite News story featured in the Oct. 7 East Valley Tribune, "Arizona police agencies criticized in Senate," there was criticism of the DPS-run Arizona Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center, ACTIC, for “questionable spending” and building a secret wiretap room. Program guidelines prohibit “surreptitious intelligence gathering.”
The story also said “the ACTIC was linked to incorrect information after the 2011 shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Many of the claims they made were later proven false. This showed how weak analysis could hinder law enforcement efforts.”
Sen. John McCain, said the Senate investigation “found a remarkable degree of ineffectiveness, ineptitude and waste.” That would describe the ACTIC that many have told me has failed to live up to expectations.
While the border and immigration continues to get the bulk of attention from state elected officials, someone needs to start paying attention to our own homegrown public safety failures that have allowed organized crime to put down roots and grow throughout Arizona.
Since Halliday was handpicked by Gov. Jan Brewer, DPS has been plagued with morale problems, cronyism, ethical questions and concerns about its inability to perform statutory duties.
There are reasons organized crime from Mexico likes doing business in Arizona and an inadequate statewide law enforcement system could be one of them.
Has DPS become another failed state agency?
chatmandu002 posted at 9:55 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Bill,
Good questions about the DPS. We need some answers and maybe some more money for the DPS. How about bringing back the speed cameras to make some extra money? LOL
Engaged Voter posted at 10:52 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
No Gestapo cameras, thanks anyway.
DPS doesn't require more money, they just need to stop wasting so much of it on nonsense like "secret wiretap rooms".
Rich posted at 2:41 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
"...a remarkable degree of ineffectiveness, ineptitude and waste.” Isn't that pretty much true of American government in general, focusing on one agency is more smoke and mirrors than anything else. Too much money leads to nonsense like "secret wiretap rooms" and such, and just the feds are trillions behind because they encourage this type of nonsense. Pare government to the bare essentials and a lot of the "ineffectiveness, ineptitude and waste" goes away, give them too much money, they find ways to spend it which deteriorates rather than enhances what they need to get done.
samkat posted at 3:45 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Bill, you are smearing all of DPS with a broad tar brush when it is actually the DPS leadership, who are cozy with Jan that are the problem. Your statement would be akin to someone referring to your old department as rotten to the core.
Now, if you said our Arizona top elected officials consist of the best government that special interest money can buy, I would agree wholeheartedly. Jan doesn't budge from her seat without Chuck Coughlin's approval.
billrichardson posted at 4:40 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
samkat,
I thought I made it clear it was a leadership issue that is dragging DPS down and not the employees. My many friends at DPS tell me the workforce is as dedicated as ever but they increasingly find it hard to come to work due in part to lousy leadership, self serving interests taking precedence over serving the people and politicizing the DPS mission. DPS has great workers, civilian and sworn alike, they carry the agency.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:46 am on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Dear Bill,
How about answering my "oft" repeated questions on how many of the 1,480 Rapes that were committed from 2002 - 2011 were solved? How many of the criminals who raped these 1,480 Mesa women were brought to justice ???
Speaking of Women's Safety in the East Valley.
302 RAPES OCCURED IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
1,480 RAPES OCCURED IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE MESA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
5,102 RAPES OCCURED IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE STATISTICS (OFFICIALLY PROVIDED BY EACH DEPARTMENT) CLEARLY SHOW THAT.........IT IS A HECK OF A LOT SAFER FOR WOMEN IN SHERIFF JOE'S MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT'S JURISDICTION......ALMOST ..............350%......SAFER.
Retiree2000 posted at 5:48 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Leon,
Since only 1 out of every 3 rapes is actually reported, even these statistics are skewed. However, I will point out that the Mesa Police Department implemented the Center Against Family Violence nearly 20 years ago and aggressively investigates sexual assaults and crimes against children. Over the years, the clearance rate has been about 90% for cases with a suspect. Victims are encouraged to report these crimes and the department has advocates for them as they interact with the criminal justice system. It is obvious that MCSO not only does not encourage victims to report the crimes against them, but that the agency, under Joe Arpaio, rarely investigates these crimes, especially if the victims are Latino.
IceCat posted at 6:35 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety can't even be remotely compared to the top three state police agencies, Michigan State Police, California Highway Patrol, and the New York State Police. It comes down to leadership from the very top. Since I retired from one the three listed agencies, I've seen a County Attorney from Graham County, a Pinal County Sheriff, and retired DPS officer get appointed to the top stop. Not one of these gentlemen should have been appointed. Leaders need to have a stake, history and pride in the organization. Political appointments do not.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 8:37 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Dear Retiree2000,
I posted Crime Statistics that had been reported to the DPS and then on to the FBI.
Could you do me the courtesy of supplying me with your "official statistics"?
90% of exactly who many rapes suspects were convicted.....let's take the2009 officially reported number of 123 Rapes within the jurisdiction of the Mesa PD. How many of these 123 Rape suspects were convicted. I have asked Mr. Bill Richardson over and over and over to supply these numbers. If it is any easier how about 2010 there were 124 Rapes that year in the City of Mesa or 2011, when 131 Rapes were reported. How many of these rape cases were solved?
Give out "questimates" is insulting. If the Columnist and the Commenter "know so much" about the in-house practices and programs of the Maricopa County Sheriff Department....then surely, they should have the statistics of their own Mesa PD.....at their fingertips.........[wink]
Retiree2000 posted at 10:11 am on Sat, Nov 3, 2012.
Leon,
The answer to your questions are public record from Mesa PD and all law enforcement agencies via the Uniform Crime Report which lists the number of crimes and the number of clearances. Cases without suspects cannot be cleared. Cases with suspects can be cleared once an arrest is made. You are confusing the number of rapes with convictions since there can only be convictions when there is a suspect. With the numbers you mention, there is no correlation between the number of rapes and the number of rapes with suspects. The issue with the Sheriff's department is that they DID NOT INVESTIGATE over 400 cases. Without an investigation, there can be no arrest or conviction.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 5:14 pm on Wed, Nov 7, 2012.
Dear "Retiree" (sorry that I don't address you by your first name but it seems that you don't have the guts to put your first or last name on your "comments"...well, that's your problem not mine)
You and our Guest Columnists and all your Ultra-Left Liberal allies in the TV News Rooms and our locat Newspapers keep throwing out the number ...400.
Where did that number come from officially ?
Was that 400 rapes in 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 or 2002.
I can give you the "official" Mesa Police Department Statistics as reported to the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation;
2002 = Mesa reported 129 rapes, MCSO reported 23.
2003 = Mesa reported 116 rapes, MCSO reported 50.
2004 = Mesa reported 124 rapes, MCSO reported 24.
2005 = Mesa reported 194 rapes, MCSO reported 24.
2006 = Mesa reported 203 rapes, MCSO reported 30.
2007 = Mesa reported 175 rapes, MCSO reported 13.
2008 = Mesa reported 161 rapes, MCSO reported 23.
2009 = Mesa reported 123 rapes, MCSO reported 39.
2010 = Mesa reported 124 rapes, MCSO reported 47.
2011 = Mesa reported 131 rapes, MCSO reported 45.
Total = Mesa reported 1480 rapes in a 10 year period, MCSO reported 302 rapes in a 10 year period.
Now where does this number of ...400...come from if in this 10 year period....only ...302...rapes were reported.
Now if you and the Guest Columnists are privy to information that 400 "extra" rapes occured....then it is incumbered upon you both as ex-Officers of the Court to report this discrepancy to the US Department of Justice and/or the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
I think before you throw out these............."400 un-investigated, un-reported rapes" ....any further...the reader should see some ............"OFFICIAL PROOF".....of these allegations. But that's just my "opinion".....and as we all know......."opinions are like..................................belly buttons (family newspaper).......everybody has one..........
[wink]