Category Archives: Coconino County Sheriff

Timberline/Fernwood Neighborhood Watch Holiday Meeting

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta would like to invite residents of the Timberline and Fernwood communities to the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Tuesday, June 2, 2015. The meeting will be held from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at Summit Fire Station 33, located at 6050 Firehouse Lane, off of Highway 89N.

Our guest speaker Zach Schwartz will speak about the Coconino County Comprehensive Plan. The Sheriff’s Office will give a presentation on the Woods Watch Program.

Neighborhood Watch is similar to the Block Watch program commonly conducted in urban areas and goes back to the concept of “neighbors looking out for neighbors” that many people remember from 30 years ago. It is one of the most effective ways to prevent and deter criminal activity, attend to home and personal security, address the safety of our children and the elderly, and to alleviate fear and isolation. Residents learn how to observe and report suspicious activity and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

For more information about the Neighborhood Watch program and the meeting schedule, please call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Memorial Weekend 2015 Activity

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coco-sheriff-300pxCoconino County, AZ — Historically holiday weekends attract large numbers of people to northern Arizona. Deputies responded to multiple calls for service and initiated many contacts with the public over the Memorial Day weekend Friday, May 22 (noon) – Monday, May 25 (midnight). They responded to approximately 270 citizen requests for assistance and conducted over 500 patrol activities (e.g., area patrols, business checks, traffic stops, etc.).

In efforts to enhance highway, roadway, and recreation safety throughout Coconino County, Deputies in the Flagstaff, Williams, Page Districts, officers conducted approximately 115 traffic stops resulting in: one Aggravated DUI arrest, 19 citations (including two for child restraint offenses, 3 seat belt offenses, several speed citations, and one Title 4 alcohol offense), 8 repair orders, 28 verbal warnings, and 21 written warnings.

Outdoor recreation being higher this time of year, we received over 25 emergency medical related calls, 18 fire related calls, and numerous other calls reporting shooting near public areas, disturbing the peace, large parties, and suspicious activity. Many of these calls were in campground areas or on public land. In an effort to help educate people about off-road, ATV, and boating safety, officers made contact with riders and boaters to ensure safety measures were being followed. We had four reports of off-road related injury accidents in the county.

There were 97 total bookings processed at the Flagstaff and Page Coconino County Detention Facility from May 22 (8:00 am) – May 25 (midnight). Bookings are processed for agencies including: Flagstaff Police Department, Page Police Department, Williams Police Department, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety as well as other law enforcement agencies in the county.
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One Vehicle Rollover Crash on Lake Mary Road Results in Two Deaths

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FLAGSTAFF — On May 18, 2015 at around 1:30 pm, the Sheriff/Police 911 Dispatch Center in Flagstaff received a report of a one vehicle rollover crash that occurred near milepost 328 Lake Mary Road. On scene responders found two female victims who had been ejected from the vehicle and were deceased, and a male who was trapped inside the vehicle and who was still responsive. First responders extricated the male who was then transported via air to Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC).

The three victims are siblings. The driver who was transported to FMC is 21 year old Nathan Bighorse. He is in stable condition. The two females who succumbed to injuries were his 9 year old and 13 year old sisters. The vehicle was a Chevy ½-ton pickup.

Responding agencies included Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Guardian Medical Ground, Guardian Air, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Blue Ridge Fire Department, and Highlands Fire Department.

At this time the cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office; speed is likely to have been a contributing factor.

Community Emergency Response Team Training offered in Page

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coco-sheriff-300pxPAGE — The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Emergency Management Division will present a three-day Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training class in Page. The training will be held at the Page Public Safety Facility located at 808 Coppermine Road. More than fifty CERT classes have been delivered to urban, rural and reservation communities throughout Coconino County.

The class will be conducted on Friday, May 29, 2015 from 6 pm to 9 pm, Saturday, May 30, 2015 from 8 am to 5 pm and Sunday May 31, 2015 from 8 am to 5 pm. This training session is offered to all community members free of charge.

CERT Classes are offered by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and upon successful completion each participant will receive a Community Emergency Response Basic Certification and a back pack containing basic community emergency first responder gear.

Successful participants who wish to serve their community will be invited to join a team in Coconino County and will receive additional in-service training. They will assist their local First Responders during Emergency and Non-Emergency events. CERT Team members in Flagstaff meet monthly for additional training.

CERT Volunteers have been utilized during responses to Wild Land Fires, Flooding, Tornados, Heavy Snow Storms and many other natural disasters. CERT Volunteers have served in a variety of capacities to include staffing road blocks, assisting with neighborhood evacuation notification, staffing joint information call centers, assisting with Incident Command Centers, distributing neighborhood safety information and in many other areas.

Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services may not be able to meet the demand for these services. Factors such as number of victims, communication failure, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment’s notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate lifesaving and life sustaining needs.

Community members who would like additional information or who wish to register for the basic training that will be conducted in Page, AZ are encouraged to call the Community Programs Office of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089 or Lieutenant Bret Axlund at (928) 679-8705.

Multi-Agency Response to Injured Hiker in the Area of West Clear Creek

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FLAGSTAFF — On May 10th at approximately 2:30 pm the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit responded to a report of an injured hiker in West Clear Creek. The adult male victim was believed to have a broken leg and was in need of rescue.

The Blue Ridge resident deputy sheriff and the Pine-Strawberry Fire District responded and requested Search and Rescue. The Search and Rescue team responded for a litter carry. Given the time of day and the conditions in the bottom of West Clear Creek it was determined that a helicopter short-haul rescue would be the safest option.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Central Air Rescue in Phoenix responded to the area and a Coconino County Sheriff’s Office SAR volunteer who is trained as a heli-rescue technician boarded the helicopter and performed heli-rappel into the scene.

Once on scene the SAR heli-rescue technician and Pine-Strawberry Fire District personnel packaged the patient on a backboard and then placed him in a Bauman Bag device for the short-haul. The patient and the SAR heli-rescue technician were then short-hauled out of the canyon to the intersection of State Route 260 and State Route 87 where a ground ambulance was waiting for the patient.

This mission was another good example of interagency coordination among northern Arizona responders and the Department of Public Safety Aviation Bureau.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, and US Forest Service Offer Woods Watch Training and Orientation

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Coconino-County-3FLAGSTAFF — Concerns regarding very dry conditions and the impending Wild Land Fire Season are on the minds of many community members who live in cities and unincorporated areas throughout Coconino County. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, and the US Forest Service are offering “Woods Watch” training and orientation.

This volunteer program is similar to Neighborhood Watch and is of vital importance in residential areas that interface with forested land. Volunteers are trained to assist local officials in watching for and properly reporting people accessing closed areas or people who are using fire carelessly or against fire restrictions, especially on forested lands.

Woods Watch has been very successful in years past. Volunteers assist Northern Arizona law enforcement officers in watching access points to the forest. By providing additional sets of eyes in our community, Woods Watch Volunteers assist law enforcement officers in keeping unlawful fire activity under check. With the extremely dry and windy conditions our communities often experience, a fire start may spread very quickly endangering lives and property.

This year, we are offering Woods Watch re-certification and new volunteer training on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 6:00 pm at the Law Enforcement Administration Facility located at 911 E. Sawmill Rd. Citizens who have attended this training in previous years are asked to attend again as a review and to receive updated information. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will also provide Woods Watch training to our established volunteer groups such as Search and Rescue, existing Neighborhood Watch Programs, and CERT during their regular meetings. The training takes approximately one hour.

The Woods Watch Program is a commitment to join local law enforcement officers with community members to keep our communities and our forests beautiful, safe and free of wild land fires. For any additional questions or information, please contact Gerry Blair of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at 928-226-5089 or Sergeant Margaret Bentzen at 928-556-2300.

Multi-Agency Response to a Wild Land Fire Results in the Arrest of Two 13 year-old Suspects

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FLAGSTAFF — On Sunday, May 3, 2015 at about 2:20 pm Coconino County Emergency Dispatchers received multiple reports of suspicious smoke from motorists who were traveling on I-17.

The responding Deputy arrived in an area located north of Tovar Trail in the Kachina Village Community. U.S. Forest Service and the Highlands Fire Department personnel were in the process of suppressing the fire that the deputy estimated to be 150 square feet in size. The deputy observed that the fire appeared to be advancing in a north direction with a burnt structure that appeared to be a child’s fort at the south end.

The Deputy recalled investigating a similar incident that occurred at the same location in 2014 that resulted in the arrest of two 13 year-old boys. He drove to the residence of one of the two boys that had been arrested as the result of the 2014 fire but was unable to make contact with him there.

As he was driving on Tovar Trail he observed two boys riding bicycles in the middle of the street in the opposite direction of the fire. He made contact with the two and identified one of them as being involved with the 2014 fire. The second boy admitted to being in the area when this fire started and identified a second suspect who was not present. The second subject lived in the City of Flagstaff and the Deputy asked that a Flagstaff Police Officer contact and interview him.

As the result of statements made by the two suspects and items of evidence that were discovered and collected by the Deputy, one 13 year-old boy was arrested for the charges of Reckless Burning and Disorderly Conduct and booked into the Coconino County Juvenile Detention Facility; the other 13 year-old boy was referred to Juvenile Court for the same charges.

Doney Park Neighborhood Watch Meeting

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger would like to invite residents of the Doney Park community to attend the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Thursday, May 7, 2015. The meeting will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Summit Fire District Station 32 and Administrative Offices located at 8905 Koch Field Road Flagstaff, AZ.

Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger will be available to answer questions and provide support to this partnership between law abiding citizens, law enforcement and county government.

Our guest speaker will be Rick Emry who is the Housing Rehabilitation Specialist for the City of Flagstaff. He will speak about how the project applies to rural unincorporated areas of Coconino County. Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benetar will speak about Coconino County Property Tax and tax exemptions.

Neighborhood Watch is similar to the Block Watch program commonly conducted in urban areas and goes back to the concept of “neighbors looking out for neighbors” that many people remember from 30 years ago. It is one of the most effective ways to prevent and deter criminal activity, attend to home and personal security, address the safety of our children and the elderly, and to alleviate fear and isolation. Residents learn how to observe and report suspicious activity and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

For more information about the Neighborhood Watch program and the meeting schedule, please call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089.

Timberline/Fernwood Neighborhood Watch Holiday Meeting

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta would like to invite residents of the Timberline and Fernwood communities to the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Tuesday, May 5, 2015. The meeting will be held from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at Summit Fire Station 33, located at 6050 Firehouse Lane, off of Highway 89N. Chief Deputy,

Jim Driscoll staff will be at the meeting to share information and encourage continued neighborhood participation.

Our guest speakers Rick Emry who is the Housing Rehabilitation Specialist for the City of Flagstaff. He will speak about how the project applies to rural unincorporated areas of Coconino County. Coconino County Public Works Deputy Director Lucinda Andreani will speak about the ongoing flood mitigation working being done in the Timberline, Fern wood and Doney Park Neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Watch is similar to the Block Watch program commonly conducted in urban areas and goes back to the concept of “neighbors looking out for neighbors” that many people remember from 30 years ago. It is one of the most effective ways to prevent and deter criminal activity, attend to home and personal security, address the safety of our children and the elderly, and to alleviate fear and isolation. Residents learn how to observe and report suspicious activity and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

For more information about the Neighborhood Watch program and the meeting schedule, please call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089.

Local Attorneys Given the Opportunity to Advertise Services in Detention Facility

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FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has developed a unique program by which attorneys are given the opportunity to advertise their services at the Coconino County Detention Facility.

Attorneys who choose to invest in this advertising will be able to reach out to individuals who may be in need of legal services. At the same time, an advertising purchase will assist in funding important programs in the Coconino County Detention Facility to include the Inmate Welfare Fund.

The cost of advertisement displayed in a 14” x 11” space in the detention lobby is $5,000 per year. This works out to a little more than $400 per month which is far cheaper than many other forms of advertising. The cost includes the cost of printing a color poster of personalized advertisement and the acrylic display frame with a holder for business cards.

The advertisements in the lobby can assist individuals coming into the jail lobby in connecting with legal assistance. All moneys generated from renting an advertisement space will go to the Inmate Welfare Fund which supports important programs such as Exodus (our in-custody drug and alcohol treatment program), re-entry programs, and other services that directly benefit our inmate population.