Recently, the Surprise Police Department’s Volunteer Program won the 2015 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Award for Outstanding Achievement in Law Enforcement Volunteer Programs.

The comprehensive volunteer program consists of citizens participating as members of the Surprise Citizen’s Patrol, Victim Assistance Unit, chaplains, reserve police officers, interns and other volunteers such as those serving in the Records Unit, Training/Recruitment Unit and the Professional Standards Unit.

“The police are the public and the public are the police.” When Sir Robert Peel, the father of modern policing, spoke these words, it is unlikely that even he could have imagined the selfless acts of the Surprise Police Department’s volunteers. The fine men and women that make up the Surprise Police Department’s volunteer program are a true representation of Sir Robert Peel’s words.

The Citizen’s Patrol has grown from 7 volunteers in 1997 to 50 active program participants today. The program was established to assist the Surprise Police Department in responding to the City’s 1000% growth rate over the past 16 years.  Having grown into its role as an integral part of the Department, the Citizen’s Patrol volunteers carry out many operational and administrative functions. In 2014 alone, the volunteers from the Citizen’s Patrol provided 26,483 volunteer hours. That is the equivalent of nearly 13 full-time employees and an estimated cost avoidance of $662,000.

There are very few functions that the Citizen’s Patrol members do not have some involvement in. On any given day, you will likely see numerous volunteers working within the Surprise Police Department; whether it be the day-to-day activities such as going out on patrol, conducting vacation watches and making sure vital police equipment is ready for deployment; or the less common events like traffic control for spring training baseball games, rapid response for emergency incidents and deployment of SWAT vehicles.

The members of the Surprise Citizens Patrol are part of a larger group of auxiliary volunteers here at the Surprise Police Department. These are members of our community who have given up their own time and energy to make their community a safer and better place for all, having done so for over 18 years.  The overall effort of these hardworking volunteers has amounted to more than 280,000 volunteer hours for an estimated cost savings of over $7 million.

While these numbers are substantial, what is even more important is the immeasurable positive impact these volunteers have had on their community. Because of the volunteers, the agency navigated an extremely difficult expansion period with relative ease. As a result, our volunteers, who exist as both citizens and members of the department, also serve as a bridge between the Police Department and the public, further strengthening the agency’s roots within the community and helping to develop trust and cooperation from our residents.

The volunteers in the Victim Assistance Unit provide a continuum of services to support victims of crime and empower them to exercise their rights. Volunteers from this unit assist with obtaining orders of protection, accompanying victims to court, transporting victims for forensic and/or medical examinations, and finding temporary housing for victims in need. In 2014, the volunteers in this unit alone provided an additional 1,245 volunteer hours to assist with some 824 cases and provided direct services to 607 victims.

Our Chaplains always make themselves available for call-outs and respond to assist citizens with grief counselling. They provide timely motivational support for our Department and complete a myriad of other helpful tasks that lend support to our overall mission.

Reserve Police Officers fill in gaps that otherwise might create operational challenges. The unpaid service of these volunteers allows for maximum efficiency in both day-to-day operations as well as during special events.

Interns within the Surprise Police Department fill a wide variety of roles and allow for a direct communication of the Surprise Police Department’s philosophy and mission to educational institutions within our city and partnering communities.

Records Unit volunteers provide additional support for the unit by sorting and filing departmental reports. They also complete time-sensitive data entry projects that allow the Records Unit personnel to continue to meet important deadlines.

Training and Recruitment Unit volunteers routinely donate countless hours conducting background interviews and are deeply rooted in many facets involved in the hiring process with the Surprise Police Department.

The volunteers in the Professional Standards Unit complete interview transcripts and perform a variety of administrative tasks and functions. Their efforts relieve the daily responsibilities placed upon the investigators within the unit and allow for them to focus their own efforts on their assigned administrative investigations.

The members of the Surprise Police Department’s Volunteer Program have truly become an integral part of the DNA that makes up our organization. The support provided by these men and women ultimately plays a key role in the Department’s mission to maintain a safe community by providing extraordinary law enforcement customer service. Their hard work, dedication and exemplary efforts are inspiring and truly deserving of the 2015 IACP Outstanding Achievement in Law Enforcement Volunteer Programs Award.

KaBOOM! recently announced its Playful City USA honorees: communities that are leaders in “playability,” the commitment to providing balanced and active play to children.

The KaBOOM! Playful City USA program honors cities, towns and communities across America that are taking bold steps to ensure that all children, especially the 16 million American kids living in poverty, have easy access to balanced and active play in their communities. 241 cities nationwide have been recognized this year, 14 of which are in Arizona.

Playful City USA honorees include major cities such as Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Chicago. In Arizona, these honorees include cities and towns across the state. They range from nine-time honorees like Chandler, Gilbert, and Tucson, to first-time recipients like Avondale, Florence, and Queen Creek.

Tempe is once again recognized by KaBOOM! as a Playful City USA for its commitment to keeping kids active through accessible playspaces and youth sports programs.

These Playful City USA communities are making a commitment to transform their communities to become more playable by developing unique local action plans to increase the quantity and quality of play in their community. Listed below are the Arizona cities that were given the “playful” title and the number of years they have won:

Avondale: 1

Buckeye: 4

Casa Grande: 7

Chandler: 9

Coolidge: 8

Florence: 1

Fountain Hills: 5

Gilbert: 9

Mesa: 7

Oro Valley: 5

Prescott Valley: 2

Queen Creek: 1

Tempe: 7

Tucson: 9

Playful City USA Honorees in Arizona: 

To see the full list of the 241 communities named 2015 Playful City USA honorees, or for more information on the Playful City USA program, visit www.playfulcityusa.org.

 Thursdays are special during the Summer Reading Program at the Tempe Public Library. Each Thursday in June and July from 2- 4 p.m., children’s entertainers, such as Wildman Phil and his desert animals, Mother Goose and the Arizona Science Center come in for a free, one-hour show. Children’s authors bring their books and library staff helps kids make fun crafts to round out their day. On some Mondays, the portable Stargazers Planetarium visits the library to show the galaxy of stars. The first Totally Tempe Thursday is tomorrow. Got fines? Through June 30, library patrons with overdue fees can bring in a case of water for Tempe’s neediest and the library will waive all your fines. Don’t miss a thing!
Get the library program schedule. 

Click the link below to learn more about participating cities across the county:

http://mcld.azsummerreading.org/

Tempe has a new goal to provide on-site recycling to 70 percent of all multifamily housing complexes by the year 2020. About 38 percent of Tempe homes are in complexes of five or more living units.

“Multifamily homes represent a significant portion of our city’s waste collection operations,” said Tempe Councilmember Kolby Granville. “Increasing the diversion rate will help us become better stewards of the environment while also saving money on landfill disposal costs.”

Tempe’s Solid Waste Division will work to reach the new goal by encouraging voluntary recycling programs in all city multifamily complexes. The strategy includes:

• Working with existing multifamily customers to start new recycling programs or to ensure their existing programs are meeting their full potential
• Developing customized programs that address the needs of multifamily residents
• Participating actively with developers and property owners to provide recycling and to encourage their residents to participate
• Ensuring that new multifamily complex projects include adequate space for collecting recyclables
• Continuing to educate residents and students about the benefits of recycling and why it is so important for the environment and the city’s bottom line
• Working with private haulers as needed to provide recycling programs to their customers to help reach the goal

“Tempe has a long history of taking on challenging environmental issues and coming up with solutions that create positive change,” said Tempe Councilmember Lauren Kuby. “The city’s commitment to sustainability has reached new heights with this recycling goal.”

In February 2015, Tempe City Council provided direction to form a working group to discuss multifamily recycling, which can often be more challenging than curbside because of space constraints on apartment properties and a lack of convenient options for residents. The working group included Tempe Vice Mayor Corey Woods, Councilmembers Kolby Granville and Lauren Kuby and several staff members with recycling and solid waste expertise. After several meetings and research, the working group developed a resolution proposing the new goal. The City Council adopted the goal at its June 10 Regular Council Meeting.

For more information on Tempe’s recycling programs, visit www.tempe.gov/slashthetrash.

Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer, Tempe History Museum and Tempe Public Library have amazing free activities for your kids featuring music, arts and crafts, children’s authors and entertainers. There are even a few special Mondays and Saturdays, too!

Music from Around the World Is Also From Your Hometown Sounds of Summer – Tempe History Museum Sounds of Summer at Tempe History Museum is an extension of the Tempe Sound exhibition, which features Tempe musical groups throughout the last century. From 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on most Wednesdays and some Saturdays, kids can play drums and other instruments, do crafts and watch shows featuring many local performing groups, such as Mariachi Corazon, Jam Pak Bluegrass, School of Rock’s Sugar Skulls, African drums with Keith Johnson and more. The first Sounds of Summer happens Wednesday, June 10. There is no admission to the Tempe History Museum.  Get the schedule.

Kids can have fun and learn about Sonoran Desert ecology at Glendale libraries this June and July. The Great Arizona Puppet Theater will present a free puppet show, “Hotel Saguaro,” at the Foothills Branch Library, 19055 N. 57th Ave., on June 15 at 2 p.m. and at the Glendale Main Library, 5959 W. Brown St., on July 29 at 3 p.m.

“Hotel Saguaro” is sponsored by the Glendale Water Services Department – Conservation and Sustainable Living Division. The show is funded by the Arizona Game and Fish Department Heritage Fund.

This award-winning puppet show features Sammy Saguaro, his wise Grandpa, and all the desert animals that call the saguaro their home. Audiences will discover how the saguaro supports a diversity of Sonoran Desert wildlife by providing food and shelter. An entertaining and educational post-show discussion is included.

The 45-minute play is recommended for kindergarten to third grade students and families. No registration is required. For more information, call 623-930-3550.

NerdWallet ranked Sierra Vista as one of the best small cities in the nation based on economic health, affordability and quality of life, in a study published on June 1.

Out of more than 1,300 cities with a population of less than 75,000, Sierra Vista is ranked 44, making it the top Arizona community on the list. The study ranked cities using data from the 2007 and 2013 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, giving equal weight to the three categories considered: affordability, economic health and quality of life.

“I’m not surprised to see our community recognized for what those of us who call it home already know—Sierra Vista is a great place to live, work, and raise a family,” Sierra Vista Mayor Rick Mueller says.

In an April, 2015 analysis, NerdWallet also ranked Sierra Vista as one of Arizona’s top 10 places for young families.

“Clearly, Sierra Vista is already on the radar,” says Assistant City Manager Mary Jacobs.

The key attributes identified by NerdWallet also surfaced in the City’s own recent community survey that is being used to develop a concise and memorable brand message.

“Sierra Vista is filling its economic development toolbox with vital elements like this research, along with the brand messaging and powerful collateral, all of which work in unison to help make our community vision a reality,” Jacobs says.

To learn more, read NerdWallet’s report at www.nerdwallet.com/blog/cities/best-small-cities-america-2015.

After a thorough hiring and training process, the El Mirage Fire Department (www.cityofelmirage.org) is pleased to welcome four new Firefighters.  Candidates were chosen from hundreds of applicants that met the minimum EMT and Firefighter I&II certification requirements.

These recruits not only met the minimum requirements, but exceeded the high standards of the El Mirage Fire Department.  Mayor Lana Mook stated, “El Mirage is very excited to have these four Firefighters as the newest members of the El Mirage Fire Department.”  As part of El Mirage’s recruitment process, the Fire Department also has a cadet program, volunteer program, and offers citizen ride-alongs.