Chandler Police Department
2021 Annual Report

"Letter for All” Nonprofit Organization

SWOT Analysis Presentation

Our Mission: To Provide a Safe Community Where People can Live, Work, and Thrive.

A Message from the Chief
I am pleased to present our 2021 Annual Report.
Last year, the men and women of the Chandler Police Department continued to carry out our mission of ensuring
Chandler remains one of the safest cities in America.
We realize there are many variables that contribute to Chandler’s safe-city status, such as our dedicated and very
talented employees as well as strong support from our Mayor and Council.
We also realize that, in order for us to continue to accomplish our mission, we must have the confidence, support,
and trust of the people who visit, live, and work in our city.
So last year, we continued our emphasis on community engagement to help strengthen trust and respect in order
to provide effective police services.
We also achieved a number of significant accomplishments.

.

• Last year, we helped drive down overall Part 1 crime by 2% from the prior year, making 2021’s crime rate the lowest ever recorded in
Chandler.

Add short body of text

• We successfully achieved law enforcement accreditation for the 9th consecutive time demonstrating in a variety of ways that we are a
modern, transparent and community focused agency utilizing the best practices in policing.
• Our Forensic Services Section last year was one of 15 forensic laboratories recognized by the American Society of Crime Laboratory
Directors with the prestigious Foresight Maximus award which recognizes top performing laboratories around the world.

Demographics
Organizational Chart
Department Budget
Beats & Facilities Map
Crime Rate
Part I Crimes
Response Times

• We partnered with the FBI and the Gila River Police Department and joined the Safe Trails Federal Task Force to help address crossborder violent crime

Section Reports

• We purchased and installed a state-of-the-art firearms training simulator which, together with our shoot house, provides us with the
most advanced decision-making training platform available for officers.

Promotions

• We promoted 17 leaders throughout the department. Leaders who will help shape our culture and ensure we meet the challenges of
21st century policing.

Retirements

• We successfully transitioned to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) for Uniform Crime Reporting which provides us
with a more comprehensive view of crime in our city.

In Memoriam

• And last year, our personnel demonstrated incredible teamwork and professionalism ensuring people had the right to protest
peacefully in our city. Once again, providing ample reasons for Chandler to be proud of their police.
Developing and maintaining community partnerships is the cornerstone of our system of policing in here Chandler. So, I want to thank
all of you who worked alongside us this past year helping us safeguard our city.
I am very proud of our police department and what we accomplished last year, and I look forward to continued successes and
achievements throughout 2022.

Demographics

268,313
2021

Population

66

Square
Miles

335 Sworn
172 Civilian
507 Full Time
Employees

Department Budget

Chandler Police Department Historical Crime Rate

37%

Decrease in Part I crimes per 1,000 population
in the last ten years

Chandler Police Department Part I Crime
2021 UCR Part I Crime Breakdown
Arson
0.41%

Homicide Rape
0.13% 1.50%

Motor Vehicle Theft
7.28%

Robbery
1.58% Aggravated Assault
6.71%
Burglary
10.14%

In 2021

90%

Of Part I crimes in the City of
Chandler were non-violent

Theft
72.25%
Violent Offenses
Non-Violent Offenses

Criminal Homicide
Burglary

Rape
Theft

Robbery
Motor Vehicle Theft

Aggravated Assault
Arson

DOWNTOWN

PRECINCT

12.4 Square Miles

The downtown precinct encompasses 12.4 square miles serving
the residents of north and central Chandler. Bordering streets are
generally Elliott Road (Western Canal) to the north, Pecos to the
south, Gilbert to the east and Alma School to the west.
Throughout the year, members of the Downtown Precinct worked
diligently to reduce criminal activity. The Downtown Precinct
received 47,205 calls for service during 2021, handling each call with
professionalism and courtesy. Downtown precinct officers were able
to respond to all Priority 1 calls for service averaging less than a 4minute response time, exceeding department 5-minute response
time goal. In addition to responding to calls for service, officers
made a concerted effort to reduce gun related crimes through
proactive contacts. These efforts helped in reducing major crimes in
the Downtown Precinct by 2.3%, for a record low crime rate in
2021.
Part of this 2.3% reduction can be attributed to the positive
ongoing partnerships between the police department and
community. Officers continued to focus on strengthening our
relationships with community members, as well as with businesses
and organizations. These organizations include the Islamic Center
of the East Valley, Improving Chandler Area Neighborhoods,
AZCEND, AZ Boys and Girls Club, Chandler Chamber of Commerce,
and the Chandler Unified School District to name a few. The
positive relationship Chandler Police Department has with our
community builds trust and legitimacy in our mission.

The professional dedication and commitment of the men and
women in the Downtown Precinct during 2021 cannot be
overstated. Their commitment to advancing community
partnerships and intelligence driven policing contributed to a
historic low crime rate.

CHANDLER
HEIGHTS

PRECINCT

Chandler Heights Precinct encompasses 31.9 square miles
serving the residents of south Chandler. Bordering streets are
generally Pecos to the north, Hunt Highway to the south, Val
Vista to the east, and Price to the west.
While continuing to adapt to the unique challenges of the
COVID-19 Pandemic, Chandler Heights personnel remained
steadfast in building community partnerships with citizens and
local businesses, utilizing intelligence-based policing for crime
prevention and suppression, forecasting future trends, while
maintaining exceptional customer service.
Chandler Heights focused on the department strategic plan
goal: Develop, Strengthen, and Sustain Partnerships in their
crime prevention efforts. Shoplifting calls for service, vehicle
burglaries, and auto thefts were reduced, in part, from the
strengthened partnerships with retail businesses. Shared
response plans were formulated to provided efficiency for
the police department response to shoplifts and protocols to
mitigate crime. In addition, precinct personnel gathered with
community members at various events, such as coffee with a
cop, birthday parades and crime prevention presentations.

31.9 Square Miles

DESERT
BREEZE

PRECINCT

21.2 Square Miles

The Desert Breeze Precinct encompasses 21.2 square miles
serving the residents of west Chandler. Bordering streets are
generally Elliott Road (Western Canal) to the north, Germann to
the south, Alma School to the east and Interstate 10 to the
west. The precinct has diligently worked to reduce crime and
address quality of life issues such as transient concerns,
narcotics activity, and theft.
Specifically, officers partnered with local hotels and retailers to
address criminal activity through education, focused
enforcement, and visible presence. With these efforts, a
significant reduction in criminal activity was made in specific
areas. Utilizing a collaborative approach between officers,
businesses, and the Criminal Investigations Bureau proved to
be successful in preventing crime and addressing quality of
life issues.
The Desert Breeze Precinct experienced an increase in
vehicle burglaries, specific to catalytic converter theft. To
reduce this crime trend, Desert Breeze personnel partnered
with our Criminal Investigations Bureau and leveraged
technology to focus police resources. The precinct utilized
the Ring application to share information and provided
community updates.

In 2021, the Desert Breeze Precinct focused on strengthening relationships
with our faith-based communities and continued to build partnerships
within our Retail District. The continuation of these relationships has led to
numerous opportunities for community outreach and education on crime
reduction and prevention.

OPERATIONAL
SUPPORT

BUREAU

The Operational Support Bureau includes the Community
Resources, Traffic and Special Operations Sections. The Community
Resources Section includes the School Resource Officer Program,
the Crime Prevention Unit, and the Volunteers in Policing Program.
The Operational Support Bureau is dedicated to supporting the
men and women of the Chandler Police Department so they may
best serve to Citizens of Chandler. Recent national events as well as
a global pandemic have created several challenges for law
enforcement. All members of the OSB have adapted to societal and
environmental changes to answer specific challenges with changes
in protocol and in training.
To ensure all new officers were instructed in best booking and
detention practices, the Chandler Unified Holding Facility (GCUHF)
and Detention staff were incorporated in the post-academy training
for new officer familiarization. All new officers in training gained an
understanding of the requirements needed for properly and safely
booking a suspect into jail.
To meet the evolving needs of patrol operations, the SWAT Team
developed a smaller, scalable team (Tactical Response Team – TST)
to assist patrol and specialty units facing smaller incidents requiring
less than a large-scale SWAT response. TST was utilized 14 times
during 2021.

6,332

Dedicated
Volunteer Hours

In addition, the K-9 Team welcomed an explosive detection dog
to address security demands brought on by special events, as
well as providing assistance with pre-event explosive ordinance
detection (EOD) to our law enforcement partners at high profile
venues across the valley.
Our Volunteers in Policing Services (VIPS) program supports
members of the Chandler Police Department in providing police
service and promoting community partnerships. During 2021
The department benefited through the participation of over 40
active volunteers who dedicated 6,332 hours to the department
and the community, amount equivalent to approximately 3 fulltime employees
The members of the OSB are dedicated
to service and committed to excellence.
They provide exceptional service to the
community and to all divisions within the
Chandler Police Department.

Welcome
Brutus!

BUREAU
CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS
The Criminal Investigations Bureau (CIB) is committed to serving the citizens
of Chandler through professionalism, tenacity, and dedication. The Bureau
consists of the Persons Crimes Section, Property Crimes Section, and the
Special Investigations Section. In 2021, the Bureau investigated over 2,000
criminal cases and provided critical services to over 700 victims through the
Family Advocacy Center.
The Persons Crimes Section includes the Robbery/Homicide Unit, the Sex
Crimes Unit, the Family Crimes Unit, and the Victim Services Unit. In 2021,
the section investigated over 900 criminal cases. During 2021, members of
this section completed the first phase of the Cold Case Registry program,
which identified 4,300 case that require further investigation.
The Property Crimes Section consists of Auto Theft, Financial Crimes, Arson
Unit, and the Computer Forensics Unit. In 2021, the Property Crimes
Section Investigated over 1,000 property related crimes. The Property
Crimes section mobilized during November and December for a week-long
suppression and surveillance detail to combat vehicle related property
crimes targeting vehicle burglaries and catalytic converter thefts, resulting
in several arrests.
The Special Investigations Section consists of the Criminal Intelligence Unit,
The Narcotics Unit, Vice and Human Trafficking and the Gang Unit. In 2021
the section was responsible for over 300 investigations and 100 arrests. The
Human Trafficking Unit conducted numerous community outreach

Over

2,000

Criminal Cases
Investigated

programs to include classes and trainings for the public to
recognize the indicators of human trafficking.
The members of the Criminal Investigation Bureau are
dedicated to service and committed to excellence. They
provide exceptional service to the community and to all
divisions within the Chandler Police Department.

PROFESSIONAL
STANDARDS

DIVISION

The Professional Standards Division is made up of the Internal Affairs Unit, the
Hiring Unit and maintains the department’s accredited status. The Internal Affairs
Unit oversees the handling of all internal investigations as well as internal and
external complaints. In 2021, the unit logged 5 external complaints, 24 internal
complaints, 127 counseling statements, four performance improvement plans, and
no early intervention program.
The Hiring Unit handled all aspects of recruiting, hiring, and pre-employment
background checks, which included hosting recruitment processes for positions of
police officer, dispatcher, and detention officer. In 2021, the unit hired 31 police
officers and 28 civilian employees. Due to COVID restrictions, the Hiring Unit was
limited to eight recruitment events, seven of which were police officer and lateral
testing processes. Throughout the year, the unit worked closely with the Media
Relations Unit to increase the social media and online presence for recruitment
purposes.
During 2021, 24 audits were conducted ensuring quality control, while
confirming that department and accreditation standards were met. The
accreditation manager oversaw all components of the re-accreditation process
and performed 73 policy revisions.

59 New Employees
Hired in 2021

31 Sworn
28 Civilian

SUPPORT
SERVICES

BUREAU

Records Unit
The Police Records Unit is the first point of contact for people who walk into the
Main Police station. In October 2021, the Records unit began a renovation that
will be completed in late March 2022. The Records staff was relocated to the
Desert Breeze substation during this renovation project.
In addition to greeting walk-in customers and answering their questions,
Records is responsible for a variety of other tasks including processing requests
for report copies, imaging documents to reports, entering and clearing
warrants, validating information that has been entered into the Arizona and
National Crime Information Center systems, running criminal histories, taking
bonds, and many others. This year, the Records Unit received and processed
over 9,500 report requests.

Property & Evidence Unit
The Police Property & Evidence Unit receives and disposes a wide variety of
property items that are found, held for safekeeping or seized during an
investigation. During this past year, over 19,000 items were impounded and
over 19,200 items released or destroyed. The Unit also held two bicycle giveaway events this year. A total of 120 bicycles were distributed among several
participating charities.

9,500 Report Requests
Processed in 2021

FORENSIC
SERVICES

SECTION

Responded to

2,966

Crime Scenes

In 2021, the Forensic Services Section (FSS) forensic scientists processed 854
blood-alcohol cases, 1,036 drug cases, and 1,168 latent print analyses, which
included 182 comparisons generated by the Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS) that may identify investigative leads in criminal
cases. The Crime Scene Unit responded to 2,966 crime scenes ranging from
vehicle burglaries to major crimes such as homicide and sexual assault. In
addition to its main function, forensic analyses, the FSS continues to participate
in community outreach events such as the Citizens and Youth Academy as well
as the Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods (GAIN) event.
The FSS continues its commitment to quality by
maintaining international accreditation. This
requires the FSS to open its doors to the ANSI
National Accreditation Board (ANAB) assessors
who rigorously inspect laboratory practices
against more than 400 standards. The FSS also
shows its commitment to this process by
supporting the activities of the ANAB with nine
of the 21 FSS employees acting as technical
assessors. These employees are available to be
part of assessment teams who visit forensic
laboratories across the United States. This
ensures that the FSS team is well versed in their
understanding of accreditation standards,

current forensic practices and strengthens the quality of the
forensic science field on a national level.
The FSS was one of 15 forensic laboratories recognized by
the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors with the
Foresight Maximus award.
The award recognizes top
performing forensic laboratories and is presented to those
operating at 90% or better of peak efficiency.

PLANNING &
RESEARCH

SECTION

The Planning and Research Section is responsible for the department’s
budget, grant and forfeiture fund administration, police facilities
planning, capital improvement program planning, strategic planning,
crime analysis, uniform crime reporting, investigative assistance,
deployment and efficiency analysis, and special project research. The
section is comprised of three units which include the Planning Unit, the
Crime Analysis and Research Unit (CARU), and the Tactical Crime
Analysis Unit (TCAU).
The Planning Unit administered sixteen new grants awarded to the
Police Department in 2021. When combined with all other active
grants, the value exceeded $1.6 million. They also administered 49
Intergovernmental Agreements / Memorandum of Understandings
with a value exceeding $1.3 million. They conducted a workload and
staffing analysis for deployment efficiencies and workload.
In 2021, Crime analysis personnel were transitioned to specialized
crime analysis units. CARU is responsible for Uniform Crime
Reporting as well as strategic and administrative crime analysis.
TCAU is responsible for tactical crime and intelligence analysis.
Both units provide data analytics to support the department’s crime
suppression goals.

$1.6 Million
in Grants Administered
CARU developed processes and educational tools to successfully
transition the department to the National Incident-Based Reporting
System (NIBRS) for Uniform Crime Reporting. NIBRS collects data on
a wider array of offenses with substantially more details creating a
more comprehensive view of crime than the former Summary
Reporting System (SRS).
The newly created TCAU enhanced relationships, increased tactical
crime analysis products, and developed processes to provide
actionable and timely information. This directly supports officers in
their crime suppression and criminal apprehension efforts.

COMMUNICATIONS SECTION

365,289

Calls Received in 2021

The Communications section provides emergency and non-emergency police
services to the public and supports other City departments in carrying out their
public safety responsibilities by providing radio and computer aided dispatch.
In 2021, the section surpassed the City performance measure of answering
90% of all 9-1-1 calls within 15 seconds or less, answering the incoming 9-1-1
calls 98% of the time within 15 seconds. In addition, the Communications
section integrated new programs and technology to provide exceptional service
to citizens.
The section expanded the tactical dispatch program for special events and
Emergency Operations Center operations, to include remote support and
additional technology to provide the incident commander with additional
information and on scene visibility.
This year marked the integration of the 911Eye livestream video platform with
Rapid SOS 9-1-1 platform. This integration minimizes the number of platforms
dispatchers are required to monitor and allows for seamless use of livestream
video for in-progress 9-1-1 calls.
In addition, a multimedia team was implemented to provide support to the
primary call taking and dispatcher functions. This role centralizes advanced
technology tools to a multimedia team member who accesses multimedia,
mapping, enhanced data tools, open source, law enforcement databases, and
other technology tools to assist in the public safety emergency response.

9-1-1 Calls Answered
Within 15 Seconds
(Industry Standard 90%)

TECHNOLOGY

SECTION

PDIT Help Desk
Response Rate within
One Business Day

Unlike most municipal police agencies, the Chandler Police Department has
a dedicated Police Technology Unit that provides services to various aspects
of the department’s public safety effort. Staff assigned to this unit provide
application and device support, database management, network
connectivity and security, software and application development, and project
management.
During the 2021 calendar year, this unit facilitated substantial improvements
to a crucial network that is required for sensitive investigations. Police
Technology staff also redesigned and managed comprehensive data-related
applications to support the overall mission of crime-reduction and asset
allocation.
Some of the notable accomplishments by the Police Technology Unit during
the past year include a significant upgrade to the department’s primary
records management application, an update to the infrastructure necessary
for the department’s transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting
System (NIBRS), deployment of laptop computers to every workstation and
police vehicle, transitioning the department’s public website to a .gov
domain, and creating enhancements to the public online reporting system.
The Police Technology Unit strives to support the overall mission of the
Chandler Police Department of providing a safe community where people

can live, work, and thrive. The unit hosts a robust internship
program (which yielded a web-application firewall) and
partners with various local organizations to support
advancements in technological exposure and training in
Chandler schools and community centers.

2021 Promotions

Jeffrey Depodesta
Police Lieutenant

Melissa Deanda
Police Commander

Kevin O’berry
Police Sergeant

Renee Bayne
Police Records Supervisor

Brian Dunn
Police Lieutenant

Carole Speranza
Police Field Ops Support
Mgr

Keith Aguiar
Police Lieutenant

Donna Reno
Police Lieutenant

Melanie Smith
Police Planning &
Research Analyst

Jayme Foland
Police Crime Analysis Data
Tech

Zackary Bansner
Police Sergeant

Timberly Matson
Lead Park Ranger

Jason Alnas
Police Sergeant

Zachary Waters
Police Sergeant

Elisa Meeker
Dispatch Supervisor

Amanda Brown
Police Field Ops
Support Supervisor

2021 Retirements

Carmen Torres
Police Admin Specialist

Scott Picquet
Police Lieutenant

John Durham
Police Lieutenant

Michael Heikes
Police Commander

Jason Justus
Police Officer

Robert Lenz
Police Officer

Travis Miller
Police Officer

Jon Correll
Police Officer

Zachary Scott
Police Officer

Daniel Williams
Police Officer

Kristen Leonard
Police Records
Supervisor

Daryl Nyby
Police Officer

Karen Gaddy
Police Records Specialist

Daniel Chavarria
Police Officer

Jeremiah Stout
Police Officer

Daniel Mejia
Police Sergeant

Lori Caminiti
Leonard Bettendorf
Crime Scene Technician II
Police Officer

Thomas Nemeth
Police Officer

Janet Grammar
Emergency Call Taker

Diane Schneider
Management Analyst

Thomas Zaworski
Asst. City Attorney
Police Legal Advisor

In Memoriam

Officer Jeremy Wilkins #662
EOW: 12-16-21

Officer Chris Farrar #528
EOW: 04-30-21

Officer Bryant Holmes #638 Officer Carlos Ledesma #600
EOW: 07-28-10
EOW: 10-28-14

Officer Tyler Britt #490
EOW: 01-11-21

Officer Robert Nielsen #445
EOW: 06-12-2002

Officer David Payne #574
EOW: 10-31-14

Officer James Snedigar #312
EOW: 04-16-99

Officer Richard Felix #151
EOW: 09-09-95

Acknowledgements

Produced by:
Project Manager:
Editor:
Team Members:

Planning & Research Section
(480) 782-4090
Alina Baer
Candace Hammond
Cathie Gura
Melanie Smith
Judy Mandt

Chandler Police Department
250 E. Chicago Street
MS 303, PO Box 4008
Chandler, AZ 85244-4008
For more information about the Chandler Police
Department, please visit our website at:

www.chandlerpd.com