2004 Annual Report - City of Fairbanks

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Sergeant Dan Welborn has written traffic grants for the Department for the last nine years. These grants involve Federal and State funding through the Alaska Highway Safety Office (AHSO). Much of the Department’s traffic equipment, as well as training, have been funded through AHSO, for which our Department is grateful. Due to the fact that a new Transportation Bill was not passed during 2003 or 2004, the Department was not allowed to submit our annual requests. However, based on continuing efforts by the AHSO and FPD, the Department did receive funds in 2004 for the “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose” and the “Click It or Ticket” directed-enforcement campaigns. The Fairbanks Police Department conducted three specialized traffic- enforcement periods between July 2 rough the nd and the end of 2004, funded th aforementioned ASHO grants. These directed-enforcement operations resulted in 66 arrests, 473 written citations, and 464 traffic-stops. A tremendously important “secondary benefit” that arises from these grant-funded enforcement projects: the “extra” Officers assigned on these details are out “on the road,” and can assist on numerous calls as “back-up” officers for safety purposes, as well as providing a strong visible presence and deterrent to crime. Page 20
PURSUIT TRAINING In 1996, Officers with F.P.D. and A.S.T. were involved in a pursuit of a motorist who had committed a traffic violation and then refused to stop at the direction of the following police vehicles. Despite the use of emergency lights and sirens, the fleeing suspect collided with a vehicle at the intersection of Airport and Cowles. The collision resulted in serious injuries to Jason Weaver, and caused the tragic and untimely death of John Weaver, both innocent third-parties. This incident, as with other similar scenarios experienced across the nation, caused our community and the Fairbanks Police Department to re-examine and evaluate its policy on vehicle pursuits. The result has been a much more restrictive policy, requiring officers and on-duty supervisors to carefully weigh the risks and hazards created by any pursuit, versus the necessity for an immediate apprehension of a criminal suspect. In 2004 the Fairbanks Police Department successfully met one of its 2003 goals, sending Sgt. Doug Whorton to Pursuit-Driving/Instruction school where he was successfully certified as a Department Instructor. This training was put to immediate use, as Sgt. Whorton returned and conducted a series of eight-hour classes, attended by all commissioned personnel. Lessons in vehicle operations were coupled with reviews of current policy, procedure, and discussions on proper decision-making. All F.P.D. Officers are made keenly aware of the risks inherent in any vehicle pursuit and are reminded that in many circumstances the dangers created by a pursuit far outweigh the necessity for capture. In 2004 F.P.D. Officers initiated twentyfour traffic stops which evolved into pursuits, seven of which were immediately terminated due to the perceived risks involved with time-of-day, area traffic, road conditions, etc. Of the seventeen which continued, all culminated in the apprehension of the driver, with no injuries Other, 8 CONTINUED PURSUITS DUI, 9 Continued, 17 TOTAL PURSUITS: 24 Terminated , 7 or further collisions resulting. It should be noted that nine of the drivers were charged with DUI, which presents one of the most problematic situations for Officers: the paradoxical decision as to whether to try and stop a significant hazard on the road (as presented by an obviously impaired driver), versus “letting the driver go,” knowing that they will present a continuing- and possibly deadly-threat on our community’s roadways. In 2004 F.P.D. also assisted other area law-enforcement agencies three (3) times with their pursuits. In December of 2004 Sergeant Jim Geier responded to assist Airport Police Units as they attempted to track a suspect who had attempted to elude them. The fleeing suspect opened fire with a 9mm handgun, wounding Sergeant Geier. The suspect was then shot and killed by the Airport Police Officer. Page 21
Page 2 and 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS Director’s Lett
Page 4 and 5: CITY OF FAIRBANKS The City of Fairb
Page 6 and 7: Our uniformed staff averages just l
Page 8 and 9: Custodian (.5) Communications Lead
Page 10 and 11: GOOD-BYES, HELLOS AND PROMOTIONS 20
Page 12 and 13: Highlights of 2004 February: First
Page 14 and 15: GOALS FOR 2005 Director Paul Harris
Page 16 and 17: watched as the weight of the jade c
Page 18 and 19: of 30,224 inhabitants in the City o
Page 20 and 21: USE OF FORCE Incidents which requir
Page 24 and 25: F.P.D. MOTORCYCLE PROGRAM The Fairb
Page 26 and 27: In 2004, Detective Randy Coffey com
Page 28 and 29: ABADE/METRO The term METRO is short
Page 30 and 31: North Star VFD 13% Rural Deltana 0%
Page 32 and 33: Department. In addition, a comprehe
Page 34 and 35: EVIDENCE The Evidence Unit is manne
Page 36 and 37: The team responded, with support fr
Page 38 and 39: DEPARTMENT FLEET The Fairbanks Poli
Page 40 and 41: Director Paul Harris congratulates
Page 42 and 43: PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION On Novembe
Page 44 and 45: # OF CITATIONS 450 400 350 300 250
Page 46 and 47: 2004 STATISTICS MAJOR CALLS FOR SER
Page 48 and 49: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On June 24, 2004 t
Page 50: The Volunteers In Police sponsored

2004 Annual Report - City of Fairbanks

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