ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department is launching a new initiative to teach dog walkers how to spot and report crime in the community.

“When I heard about the program through one of our neighborhood associations, it seemed like a natural extension of our neighborhood watch program. And it really is asking folks that are out and about in their neighborhoods to be an extra set of eyes and ears for the police,” said Laura Kuehn, APD senior crime prevention specialist.

Volunteers with the Dog Walker Watch Program will be trained by APD on what suspicious behavior looks like in neighborhoods. “So that could be someone going around a neighborhood, going into driveways and looking into vehicles, or trying door handles. It could be someone that is observed ringing a doorbell and, when there’s no answer, going to the side or the back of the home,” Kuehn explained, adding that another suspicious behavior commonly seen in communities includes thieves following delivery drivers to steal packages.

If a member of the Dog Walker Watch Program witnesses suspicious activity, they are encouraged to report it to the police department by calling 242-cops for non-emergencies and 911 for crimes in progress.

“The more involved our communities are, it encourages a sense of safety within those communities. So, you know, that’s always our message is, you know, to be out and about, to be observant, and to be involved in the community that you live in,” Kuehn said.

The first training event for the Dog Walker Watch Program will be held Saturday, May 10, at 10 a.m. at Vista del Norte Park, 1005 Osuna NE, near the dog park.

Kuehn said the department plans to hold more trainings in the future and encourages anyone interested in the program to contact her via email at lkuehn@cabq.gov.

The department now has six Tesla Model Y’s ready for patrol duty.

The Anaheim City Council approved the $320,000 pilot program six weeks ago. Gallacher said two of the new police units are ready to go. The other four Teslas will be launched once they’re ready.

The Anaheim City Council approved the $320,000 pilot program six weeks ago. Gallacher said two of the new police units are ready to go. The other four Teslas will be launched once they’re ready.

The Anaheim City Council approved the $320,000 pilot program six weeks ago. Gallacher said two of the new police units are ready to go. The other four Teslas will be launched once they’re ready.

The Anaheim City Council approved the $320,000 pilot program six weeks ago. Gallacher said two of the new police units are ready to go. The other four Teslas will be launched once they’re ready.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) — The Anaheim Police Department is rolling out its latest addition to its fleet of vehicles. The department now has six Tesla Model Y’s ready for patrol duty.

“We were able to get these directly from Tesla’s current inventory,” said Sgt. Jacob Gallacher.

Anaheim police was in dire need of new police cars.

“COVID vehicle production stopped,” said Gallacher. “We have an aging fleet, and some of the vehicles that we’ve been trying to purchase have taken an extended period of time.”

The Anaheim City Council approved the $320,000 pilot program six weeks ago. Gallacher said two of the new police units are ready to go. The other four Teslas will be launched once they’re ready.

“The Tesla does cost a little bit more than a traditional police vehicle, however, over the life cycle of the car, the city will actually make out on it because of maintenance cost as well as fuel savings,” said Gallacher.

He said 16 officers are training to drive the new EV units and will conduct daily evaluations on the cars’ performance to see if they’re a good fit.

“We plan to charge them to 80% every day, so that will be about 260 miles of range,” he said. “Our officers drive between 80 and 120 miles a day.”

APD will monitor reliability and cost-effectiveness in various settings. However, some people like James Poston are skeptical about how the cars will perform as patrol vehicles.

“You have to be the first ones, right?” Poston said. “You’re not going to figure this out until you get one of these on the streets and you start going and patrolling and figuring out what your needs are.”

The department said it’s ready to put the Teslas to the test.

“If they don’t work in patrol then there are options to put them maybe a community policing team or use them as school resource officers,” said Gallacher.

Even though other Southern California police agencies have launched the use electric vehicles, Anaheim police hopes to be the first in a different way.

“We would like to be the first agency in Orange County to have a Cybertruck so Elon, if you’re watching and want to donate a Cybertruck, we’d love to have a Cybertruck,” Gallacher said.

The police department said these cars will help with community engagement and they hope to have them out on the streets in the next couple weeks.

Image via r/roketman117

In response to a significant shortfall in patrol vehicles, compounded by national supply chain issues, aging fleets, and delayed delivery of new cars, the Anaheim Police Department (APD) has embarked on a pilot program testing the Tesla Model Y as a potential patrol vehicle.

The APD’s vehicle shortage prompted the department to seek creative solutions for quickly augmenting its fleet. A partnership with Tesla has facilitated the acquisition of six Model Y vehicles from its existing inventory. Not only that, Tesla said it could get partner vendor UP.FIT from Unplugged Performance to uplift these SUVs for duty.

The choice of the Tesla Model Y was driven by its cutting-edge features suitable for police work, including rapid acceleration, ample storage, cost-effectiveness, and minimal maintenance needs. The vehicle’s advanced technology and safety attributes, coupled with the widespread availability of Tesla’s supercharging network across the city, are expected to enhance the APD’s operational efficiency and community engagement efforts.

You can see the two images we’ve shared courtesy of Reddit user r/roketman117.

Throughout the duration of the pilot program, APD officers will evaluate the Model Y’s performance, reliability, and overall cost-efficiency in a variety of law enforcement scenarios. The findings from this evaluation will inform future decisions regarding the potential wider integration of electric vehicles into the department’s operational fleet.

“Due to our patrol vehicle shortage, we had to seek out alternative vehicle options, which led us to explore utilizing Teslas as police vehicles,” said Chief Rick Armendariz in a statement. “We are enhancing public safety for Anaheim by getting patrol vehicles into service faster.”

The APD has extended an invitation to media representatives for a preview of the Tesla patrol vehicles. The event is scheduled for Monday, April 15, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and will take place in the Grand Plaza at the Anaheim Convention Center, located at 800 W. Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92802.

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the Albuquerque Police Department announced plans for a revamped Open Space Unit. Open Space conservation officers will patrol open space areas by foot, vehicle, and mountain bikes. They will investigate criminal activity, make arrests when appropriate, work to help protect open spaces.

“Open spaces in Albuquerque are important resources to everyone who lives and visits our town, and we know that we need to keep them safe for those who use them and the wildlife that calls them home,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “APD knows that the way things have always been done is not always the best way to continue doing things, and they are making changes to improve safety throughout our city.”

“Before January, our open space officers were street cops, trained to patrol city streets and urban areas,” said Chief Harold Medina. “These new Open Space conservation officers will have specialized training, education, and knowledge to focus on lawful use and preservation of our open spaces.”

The Department has signed an agreement with the Albuquerque Police Officer’s Association to create 12 Open Space Conservation officer positions and hire directly to that position. This agreement will allow APD to find officers with specialized knowledge in patrolling open spaces, rather than urban areas.

“I’m so happy to let the citizens of Albuquerque know that this new APD Open Space unit will give us all the peace of mind we need to know that our precious and vital open space network will be protected now and in the future,” said City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn. “Thanks to APD and Parks & Recreation for ensuring that the city is living up to the expectations of the community by safeguarding every piece of land in our open space network.”

“Bernalillo County and BCSO stand ready to work with the City to establish proactive law enforcement in our Major Public Open Space and we hope to soon develop a joint dispatch for visitors to call and report any activity in our Open Space,” said County Commissioner Barbara Baca. “The citizens of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County have supported our nationally recognized Open Space Program for decades. Since 1983, the City Open Space Division has preserved and protected our Open Space, from the Sandia Foothills, to the Rio Grande Bosque to the Petroglyphs and the Volcanoes on the west side. I support Mayor Keller and the Albuquerque City Council in this effort to protect our natural resources and the safety of the recreational users.”

“The conservation officer model works and is what Open Space needs,” said Parks and Recreation Department Director Dave Simon. “APD’s new approach will strengthen the Open Space program, provide better service to the public, and increase professional opportunities for officers.”

Previously, the Open Space division worked Sunday through Thursday with three or four officers on patrol. Since reallocating officer resources from the previous Open Space division in January, APD has conducted open space operations through collateral duty officers. The Open Space Conservation officers will nearly double the coverage, with teams of six officers and two or three Police Service Aides on patrol seven days a week.

APD is currently accepting applications for the position of Open Space Conservation Officer. This is a lateral position and offers a $15,000 hiring bonus. Interested candidates can find more information and apply here.

###

Department Mission and Guiding Principles

We provide the highest level of police services in partnership with the community to enhance the quality of life. We provide public safety and maintain order, enforce the laws of North Carolina, uphold the United States Constitution, and support National security. We adhere to the guiding principles of integrity, fairness, respect, and professionalism.

Guiding Principles:

Integrity – honesty, compassion, trust, and accountability. Police Officers have the courage to do what is morally, ethically, and legally right regardless of risk.

– honesty, compassion, trust, and accountability. Police Officers have the courage to do what is morally, ethically, and legally right regardless of risk. Fairness – The Police Department will treat everyone impartially without favoritism or bias.

– The Police Department will treat everyone impartially without favoritism or bias. Respect – The Police Department will treat everyone with dignity and courtesy without prejudice.

– The Police Department will treat everyone with dignity and courtesy without prejudice. Professionalism – The Police Department will deliver quality services through cooperation, open communication, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

The Asheville Police Department is a CALEA-accredited agency.

If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1.

If you have a question, issue, or don’t know who to contact you can reach the Asheville Police Department Communications Center 24/7/365 on the non-emergency line at 828-252-1110.

How to submit a tip to the police.

Latest from @ashevillepolice on Instagram