|
LEAPS El
Paso
Deputy Chief Ken Adcox
Webster defines cooperation as �the practice of individuals or larger societal entities working in common with mutually agreed-upon goals, instead of working separately in competition, and in which the success of one is dependent and contingent upon the success of another.� Fostering this same spirit of cooperation, the City of El Paso�s Law Enforcement and Private Security program adheres closely to this definition. By bringing dozens of local law enforcement and private security officers together each month, the LEAPS program promotes trust, mutual respect and openness among the program�s participants and the agencies they represent.
While improved relations are enjoyed by the members of both of these groups, the benefits of having public law enforcement and private security entities work in concert with one another toward the common objective of public safety greatly benefits the community in general. No longer can the police and private security view themselves as independent of one another. Instead, they must view themselves as different sides of the same coin � one complementing and adding value to other. Never before has the success of each of these groups been so dependent on the actions of the other. The nation�s 700,000 sworn public law enforcement officers pale in comparison to the more than two million people currently employed by the private security industry. Outnumbered by more than three to one, police officers have learned to embrace, rather than shun, those in private security, accepting them as equal partners in the fight to keep the streets of our cities safe.
LEAPS recognizes the symbiotic nature of the relationship between the police and private security and strives to promote closer working relationships between the members of these two groups. To this end, public and private officers who join forces in response to criminal activity are often acknowledged at the monthly LEAPS meetings. Each officer recognized is given a plaque, which is accompanied by a certificate of appreciation signed by the chief of police. This year�s awards participants have included Security Officer Antonio Rodriguez and El Paso Police Officers Paul Chavez and Tom Quinn for their joint apprehension of two auto thieves. The incident in question began Jan. 28 when a 2003 Ford Expedition was stolen from the parking lot of the Speaking Rock Casino. Upon discovering the vehicle missing, the owner reported the theft to Antonio Rodriguez, who was working security at the casino at the time. Rodriguez took the time to view the surveillance tapes of the facility�s parking lot and observed two subjects entering and driving away with the stolen vehicle. He recognized one of the thieves as a frequent patron of the casino. For the next few days, Rodriguez remained vigilant, looking for the subject to return. His vigilance paid off two days later when he saw the same subject enter the casino. Rodriguez immediately notified the police. El Paso Police Officer Paul Chavez promptly responded to the scene and held the subject for Auto Theft Prevention Task Force Detective Tom Quinn. As a result, the subject not only confessed to stealing the vehicle in question, but also implicated his accomplice. The vehicle was subsequently recovered and both subjects were tried and convicted for its theft.
Security Officer Dustin Novotny was also recognized by LEAPS this year for his role in the apprehension of a serial robber March 16. Novotny was working as a loss-prevention officer for a department store when he observed a vehicle and subject that appeared to be out of place parked in the mall�s parking lot. Since the vehicle was parked legally and the subject was not causing a disturbance of any type, Novotny limited his actions to simply making note of the suspicious vehicle�s license plate. Approximately two hours later, Novotny became aware of the fact that an armed robbery had taken place at another of the mall�s stores. A masked suspect had entered the store and demanded money from the store�s manager, while brandishing a handgun. Novotny quickly sought out detectives from the El Paso Police Department�s Robbery Unit and provided them with the license plate number he had recorded earlier. The information provided by Novotny proved invaluable as a registration check provided detectives with the name and address of a suspect who had a long criminal history. The suspect was located at his home later that same day. The suspect subsequently confessed to having committed a total of seven armed robberies in the area and the vehicle and weapon used in the crimes were recovered. This would not have been possible but for Novotny�s keen sense and willingness to cooperate with law enforcement.
Crimes such as those mentioned here are not new. What is new is the willingness of public law enforcement and private security officers to cooperate with one another toward a common and overriding objective � public safety for the masses. With organizations such as LEAPS continuing to foster trust, respect and openness between these two groups, improved relationships and additional partnerships are being forged each day. The city of El Paso is happy to set the example as its public law enforcement and private security entities continue to unselfishly commit themselves to working together toward a safer tomorrow.
|
