Reading through the investigation files of four detectives the Tucson Police Department pushed out within the past three years after they failed to properly investigate serious crimes — homicide, child abuse, a juvenile gang rape — is enough to make the blood boil.
These four detectives violated what should be one of the public’s most essential trusts in law enforcement: that if you or a loved one has been victimized, the police will investigate thoroughly, that you will not be forgotten.
The details are sickening. One detective mishandled or failed to fully investigate 36 cases, most involving children or vulnerable adults. Another falsified records in an attempt to cover up a slipshod investigation into the gang rape of a juvenile girl, even when a witness came forward to identify suspects and provided crucial information.
The Tucson Police Department is taking definitive action to answer the crucial questions: How did this happen? How to keep it from happening again?
These four were among a detective force of 137. While they are a small fraction of the investigations staff, they’re a demoralizing influence, said Chief Chris Magnus, adding that the failures cast a shadow on others’ good work.
Magnus has been police chief for almost two years, and he’s significantly reorganized the department. Since these abuses were discovered, every sergeant and command position in the central investigations division has turned over after reassignments and retirements. “Sometimes a fresh set of eyes is helpful,” he said.
Other changes, some spurred by the discovery of these failures, are putting TPD on better footing to catch shoddy work sooner and to prevent it.
According to Magnus and senior staff, TPD is auditing 204 random case files and the results will be known in a few weeks. Assistant Chief Carla Johnson said she’s found that case management has been “wildly different” from department to department. The process is being standardized.
Three months ago sergeants began holding weekly case-status meetings with their investigators, which, while necessary, is more difficult than it sounds. Each unit has five to 10 detectives, and each detective carries 10 to 20 cases at a time.
TPD sergeants review about 30,000 reports a year, and about 19,000 of those are assigned for follow-up. Captain James Scott said the department’s software system is now set to ping cases after specific time intervals.
Training, including for supervisors, is being revamped and intensified, Magnus said. Recognizing that the nature of the job — investigating infant deaths, assaults, homicides — can take a mental and emotional toll on a person, the department is working that into evaluations and making resources available, he said.
TPD is also changing how it hires detectives, looking not only for knowledge of Arizona laws, but also for emotional intelligence and a sense of advocacy. Outside organizations, including the Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse, the Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center and the city and county attorneys’ offices, have been brought into the selection process, Johnson said.
TPD’s response to discovering the four detectives’ deplorable failures has been encouraging. Officials determined termination was warranted in each case, a decisive and deserved move — and that’s encouraging. “I’m all for having our feet held to the fire,” Magnus said. “It’s a public trust.”
We, and the rest of Tucson, will be watching.
