Sheriff Paul Babeu: tow contract, radios and recruits

Sheriff Paul Babeu explains PCSO towing contracts, portable radios and recruit training in his July message.

Towing contract

There has never been a tow contract between the sheriff’s office and tow companies. Pinal deputies request dispatch to call local tow companies when there is a car accident, disabled motorist, abandoned vehicle, DUI arrest, impound for 30 days (for suspension or no insurance) or recovery of a stolen vehicle. Like you, most Pinal motorists and tourists expect that since the sheriff’s office is calling a tow company on your behalf, then the tow company should be legitimate and charge fairly.

To the surprise of many motorists, this fair treatment and uniform pricing does not occur. I have many horror stories of price gouging where our citizens are charged hundreds of dollars for simple tows, or hundreds in impound fees. In some cases the vehicle title has already been transferred from the registered owner to the tow company.

We are now requiring standard pricing and uniform practices. We have requested proposals from tow companies that wish to participate. If a tow company wants to be on PCSO’s rotation tow list, they must comply with our standardized rules and pricing. This establishes allowable charges for motor vehicle tows and storage services.

This increases fairness, where all tow companies have a chance to bid and motorists get the best pricing in return. The contract allows PCSO to supervise tow and storage service, implements maximum rates and charges, while allowing tow companies to make a reasonable profit. A byproduct will be improved, predictable response times to accidents or breakdowns on county roads.

Portable radios

Deputies in many areas of Pinal County step out of their patrol vehicles and can’t communicate with dispatch due to a poor signal from their portable radio. Deputies often pull their portable radio from their duty belt and raise it in the air with one hand (for better reception) and click on the talk button with their other hand. Deputies sarcastically refer to this as the Statue of Liberty pose. Imagine the safety concerns if a deputy is out with a suspect or may even have their gun in one hand.

This poor radio reception occurs largely due to cheap $400 dollar construction grade portable radios. My new grant administrator, Tim Gaffney, has been awarded three grants, where PCSO will purchase as many as 81 Motorola XTS 3200 portable radios in September. These enhanced radios cost $3,200 each and will greatly improve communications, quicken emergency response and improve officer safety. Other grant sources should fund new portable radios for every patrol deputy by December 2009.

Six deputy recruits to attend SALETC in Tucson

We are still hiring for vacant positions for deputies and detention officers. Our six deputy recruits just started training at the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Center (SALETC) located in Tucson. This is a live-in academy, much like our local police academy at Central Arizona College (CAC) in Coolidge. I am committed to sending future deputy recruits to Central Arizona Regional Law Officers Training Academy (CARLOTA) with their next academy class, starting Sept. 13.

Local law enforcement agencies need to step up to equally share the responsibility to train our future peace officers. Maricopa Police Department has stepped up and assigned a full-time sergeant. I will select a quality PCSO sergeant through a competitive process to be assigned to the academy for one year, starting in late August.

Every reform we are implementing is designed to enhance public safety and modernize the sheriff’s office in order to best protect Pinal families. I am honored to serve as your sheriff, and I will be relentless in the pursuit of improved service through increased discipline, training and accountability.

Respectfully,

Paul R. Babeu, Pinal County Sheriff

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