On Monday Dec 16, 2013, there was a police pursuit and standoff involving an armed subject in the East valley; however, what the media failed to mention is this incident originated in student housing at the ASU Polytechnic Campus.
24 hours prior to being apprehended, the suspect threatened to shoot and kill his girlfriend, as well as himself. He also had the means to carry out those threats by claiming he owned several guns (he was later apprehended with a shotgun and a handgun in his vehicle). After the victim reported the threats, ASUPD Sgt Phil Osborne claimed they had no charges against the suspect (please see ARS 13-1202, Threatening and Intimidating, for more info). According to Sgt Osborne, because they had no charges against the suspect, ASUPD was unable to detain or arrest him when/if they had the chance.
Eventually, the suspect was located outside of the victim’s workplace, but took off when officers attempted to stop him. ASUPD Polytechnic Commander, L. Scicilone was stepping over the ASUPD officer’s radio traffic (who was trying to stop the suspect) in an attempt to cover policy, repeatedly (and excitedly) asking over and over, “ you are not in pursuit are you?!?”. ASUPD officers eventually lost the suspect. Gilbert and Mesa officers who were in pursuit of the vehicle (which got up to speeds of 100 mph!) eventually found the suspect. An ASUPD officer responding to the scene driving code three was told by Mesa and Gilbert PD to stay out of their scene. Ultimately the standoff came to a peaceful end and the suspect was taken into custody in Mesa after negotiating with officers.
This situation could have been resolved much sooner had Sgt Osborne reacted appropriately by identifying the fact a crime had occurred and attempted to get the subject into custody soon. What would have happened if the subject would have come back to the victim’s room a day later and killed her? Or fired rounds at police? It is by sheer luck ALONE that ASUPD did not have this situation turn much worse.
This story illustrates perfectly how ASUPD is ill equipped—both with personnel and equipment—to deal with a major incident on campus. The blame lies upon ASUPD command staff who refuse to prepare a contingency plan for a major incident, and provide their officers with adequate training to be able to respond to a barricaded subject or an active shooter. Constantly functioning with the blasé attitude that “it can’t happen here” will eventually get someone seriously harmed/killed and is purely negligent on behalf of command staff.
This is the reason that many are calling for virtually all members of the command staff to be replaced. The incompetence of these individuals is both appalling and chilling! Their actions, or lack of actions, continue to put all in danger–faculty, staff, students, visitors, and members of the department.
The incompetence doesn’t end with the command staff, we also have a few sergeants and at least one corporal that fit the bill.
Top-level ASU administrators are well-aware that many in the department have grave concerns regarding the command staff, et al.
Was Crow and Olsen made aware of this or was this swept under the rug again by Chief, Hardena, etc who fit the traditional ASUPD management model? The model that lies it’s ass off with nothing but good news, fluffy explanations, leaving false impressions that will get people hurt.
The misinformation the boss of our bosses get must be off the charts. That’s the only way to explain Crow’s acceptance of his police department’s incompetence.
This is yet another potentially huge disaster we dodged by luck alone. This isn’t a joke, but it’s treated as one by people who don’t know any better.
We keeps dodging bullets because other police departments are there to save the day by doing the police work. Our people could be on top of the issues instead underneath them, overwhelmed by them if we had the support we need.
We need real leaders who put the organization, patrol first, and themselves second. We need people and a way to make people want to stay, instead even new guys are looking for a way out of a miserable workplace.
We need access to advanced training, a real AR rifle program, so many things that aren’t too much to ask for unless you’re under the Pickens administration where his chief financial concern is himself and upper command. I would be reluctant to follow them into an amusement park, let alone a dangerous police scene, they would get people killed because they don’t know what they are doing.
If you don’t have enough people you can’t have a team. You can’t carry the ball down field without a team. You can’t have a team full of individuals, look out for yourself types. If the real training and equipment go to a few individuals, leaving out most of your department, then our police department won’t be ready for real emergencies.
Apparently some of our guys aren’t even ready for routine calls like 804’s (opening doors), police aide calls, during the last power outage. We have officers drawing their pistols out on facilities maintenance employees, a football coach, proning them out, handcuffing them, for people who aren’t committing a crime, nothing. What a great way to make us look like the slow kids of law enforcement.
I heard about this and we lucked out! We are lucky there isn’t a dead body over this call. Command is lucky the news delicately kept ASU and ASUPD out of the news on this potential public relations hand grenade. More evidence, more facts, proving yet again the relevancy of this blog and the incompetence of our command staff to manage a police department.
Another dodge, another chance to make our PD right, only a matter of time before planning by chance falls through.
Looking for some answers, can someone please contact me at asuasu282@yahoo.com?
As usual. Under-staffed, under-trained, under-equipped, and under-valued by our command. How can anything go wrong?