Judd named new MPD public information and community service officer

Officer Steve Judd is Maricopa Police Department’s new Public Information Officer (PIO) and Community Service Officer (CSO).

Judd comes to the MPD from Mesa with 12 years of police-related experience and training. He graduated from the Mesa Police Academy in 1995 as their top recruit, served as a Mesa patrol officer for several years and a School Resource Officer (SRO) for five years.

After his first three years on patrol, Judd completed D.A.R.E. training and was a five-year instructor in five Mesa elementary schools. As part of a regional, multi-agency D.A.R.E. America training team he traveled throughout the Southwest, Canada, Alaska and the South Pacific training local police officers to be D.A.R.E. officers.

Judd has specialized training in drug detection and recognition, drug intervention and education, as well as the “hardening of soft targets” like schools and hospitals.

A fourth generation Arizona native, he was born and raised in Mesa where he and his wife of 19 years still reside. The couple has six children, three boys and three girls, ages 7-17. In addition to his new duties with the MPD and a busy family life, Judd is finishing a bachelor’s degree in education from NAU.

Judd’s new job title as PIO/CSO puts him in charge of all media releases and official information distributed to the public from the police department. He will also be the official liaison to the public during any critical incident, from an Amber Alert to a citywide catastrophe or when the Emergency Broadcast System is activated.

As the new CIO Judd will be involved with block watches, community action, events, committees and groups like the M.A.S.H. Anti-substance Abuse Coalition.

Judd and the MPD hope to have several new community outreach programs up and running by the first of the year. One program, V.I.P.S. (Volunteers in Police Services), will involve volunteers working with the MPD to aid other citizens in times of tragedy and loss. They will also assist with parking enforcement and other general duties.

According to Judd, VIN etching, “watch your car,” fingerprinting children and the local school district’s Parent University are also in the planning stages.

“I am excited to be a part of such an excellent organization with such outstanding leadership as the MPD,” said Judd. “I am even more thrilled with the prospect of working closely with the citizens of this community. Maricopa is already being recognized by other county and state agencies as a progressive, professional and proactive community.”

Photo by Joyce Hollis