Kato, our police service dog, has been making great strides of late and has been involved in several large narcotics seizures. During the past week, two traffic stops resulted in large seizures of methamphetamine. Kato was also used by the Narcotics Task Force in their highly publicized search warrant execution on the upriver 
residence of a county employee. With the increase in summer traffic, Officer Nation and Kato are becoming busier and seeing a dramatic increase in the amounts of illegal substances being seized.
Officer Bailey is planning a mock accident for the high school next Friday.
The purpose of the accident is to warn students of the dangers of drinking and driving. Several area agencies have been lined up to participate including all surrounding fire and law enforcement agencies. Several students and parents are scheduled to participate as actors and support staff. The accident is tentatively scheduled for next Friday morning at 9:00 a.m.
La Paz Task Force warns of counterfeit currency
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 9:22 AM MST
The La Paz County Task Force is advising residents and merchants to be on the alert for counterfeit $100 bills.
A press release from the task force said the counterfeiters are removing the ink from $5 bills and reprinting them as $100 bills. As the bills are printed on U.S. currency, they will not be detected by a counterfeit marker. To determine if a $100 bill is counterfeit, it should be held up to a light source. If the bill was originally a $5 one, a security strip reading USA FIVE will be visible, as will a watermark, the face of Abraham Lincoln.
If you have received any of these counterfeit bills, contact local law enforcement immediately. The non-emergency number is (928) 669-2281. If you have any questions, or for more information, all the task force at (928) 669-6681.
Parker Police hold business crime prevention meeting
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 9:00 AM MST
The Parker Police Department wants local businesses to be able to better protect themselves from crime. They'll be holding a business crime prevention meeting from noon to 1 p.m. on March 10 at the Parker Community/Senior Center. Lunch will be provided. Among the subjects to be discussed will be vandalism, burglaries, fraud, bad checks, and identity theft. There will also be discussions of the number and types or crimes which have occurred in the community in the last several months.Police Chief Rod Mendoza had spoken of wanting to hold such meetings and forming a business crime watch in the wake of several break-ins of area businesses. In most of these cases, the burglars would break a window and steal the cash register. Four of these break-ins occurred in the area of the Joshua Street Mall, which is located between Arizona Avenue and 14th Street.In a prepared statement, the Parker Police stated the meeting will concentrate on businesses working together with the police to deter criminal activity in the community."Criminals know the police cannot be everywhere at once, and the easiest targets are in un-watched areas." the statement said. "The best deterrent to business-related crime is business owners, managers, and employees working together and developing a 'community crime prevention attitude.'" (Parker Pioneer)
Suspect arrested in Parker break-ins
By John Gutekunst
Saturday, February 9, 2008 8:56 AM MST
A Parker resident has been arrested in connection with a series of break-ins of area businesses. Ronald Alewine, 20, was arrested in the early morning hours of Feb. 8 in downtown Parker. Parker Police Chief Rod Mendoza said Alewine allegedly entered a restaurant in the Joshua Street Mall through a broken window. The restaurant, El Perico, had been burglarized twice before in the same week. Alewine is a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. He was turned over to CRIT authorities. Mendoza said others are also being sought in connection with the break-ins. Parker business have seen a rash of break-ins since Jan. 20. Among the business which have been hit are June's Bait Shop, The Lemon Tree Nursery, Cafe Xpress, and Parker Texaco. There were four break-ins in the area of the Joshua Street Mall in the 1300 block of Joshua Avenue between Feb. 1 and Feb. 7. In addition to the two at El Perico, Classy Closet was hit on Feb. 1 and Mike's Barber Shop was hit on Feb. 7. In the barber shop break-in and the second one at the restaurant, the interiors were ransacked and equipment was vandalized. Mendoza said the arrest came about through a cooperative effort between the law enforcement agencies in the area, including the Parker and CRIT Police Departments, the La Paz County Sheriff's Office, the Quartzsite Police Department, and the La Paz County Narcotics Task Force. He said a total of 12 officers were involved. The officers maintained surveillance over the area of the Joshua Street Mall. Mendoza said this cooperative effort was known as the Burglary Task Force, and they will continue their surveilance for some time to come. Mendoza said he understood area business owners were upset about the break-ins, and he said they had every right to be. He said he was glad law enforcement agencies were able to make an arrest before persons took matters into their own hands. "They voiced their opinions, and they gave us a chance to take care of things," Mendoza said. "We want to prevent anyone from getting hurt." Mendoza said he hoped the situation would lead to the forming of a community business watch. Such an organization would have businesses in contact with each other, sharing ideas and information. Such an organization could meet once a month. He suggested persons interested in forming such a group should contact the Parker Police Department at 669-2264. Mendoza also praised CRIT's new police chief, Richard Armstrong. He said the two departments are working well with each others, and said this cooperation will be a benefit to the community.
