One Glendale caught busted for drinking, how many others get a pass from fellow officers?

An off-duty Glendale police lieutenant was cited on suspicion of DUI early Friday morning in Phoenix, according to Phoenix police.

Lt. Rachael Bousman, 39, of the Glendale Police Department was cited and released by Phoenix police at 1:15 a.m., according to a press release from the Phoenix Police Department.

Phoenix police responded to a call about an impaired driver near Seventh Avenue and Bethany Home Road. A witness reported a car was stuck on a parking block, according to Phoenix police.

Bousman had blood drawn to determine her blood alcohol content, a standard procedure, according to police. That level was not immediately available.

Sgt. Brent Coombs, a spokesman for the Glendale Police Department, said that he is unable to speak about the case until the investigation and any possible appeal have been exhausted.

"All we can say ... right now, is to confirm that it did occur. It is DUI-related, and that an internal investigation is underway," Coombs said.

Bousman is a 14-year veteran of the Glendale Police Department.

She has been placed on administrative leave with pay.

www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/09/17/20120917glendale-police-office-accused-dui-phoenix-abrk.html

No charges for ex-Glendale officer accused of 'sexting'

A former Glendale police officer accused of sending sexually explicit text messages to teenage girls and sexually abusing one of them will not be prosecuted.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office decided not to pursue a case against 25-year-old Christopher Balmaceda, who had worked off-duty at Mountain Ridge High School, despite a recommendation from police that he be charged with one count of sexual abuse and four counts of luring a minor for sexual exploitation.

"We determined there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction in this case," said Jerry Cobb, a spokesman for the County Attorney's Office.

He said prosecutors were concerned about the 17-year-old girl who said she was sexually abused. The teen said she aimed to report the officer's wrongdoing.

The teen told Glendale detectives that "her plan was to get enough information to tell someone what Christopher was doing," according to the police report.

Those statements made it difficult for prosecutors to prove a lack of consent to sexual abuse and explicit text messages, Cobb said.

The spokesman said prosecutors also believed they didn't have the evidence to charge the former officer with luring, as a cellphone provider couldn't provide the text of messages, only the number of messages between Balmaceda and students.

Sgt. Brent Coombs, a Glendale police spokesman, said detectives communicated with prosecutors early in the investigation and submitted what they believed to be a "very thorough investigation."

Glendale police launched an internal probe of Balmaceda in late January after a report that teens had received suggestive messages from Balmaceda.

Police found that Balmaceda, who worked at the school twice a month, had sent about 3,600 text messages to female students from September 2010 through January, according to an internal investigation.

Police began a criminal investigation after a 17-year-old said Balmaceda, a married father, had kissed and touched her in January after she met him at an abandoned grocery store while he was on duty.

Investigators confronted the officer.

"Balmaceda admitted to me that from September 2010 through January 2011 he sent numerous sexually explicit text messages to four female Mountain Ridge High School students for the purpose of gratifying a sexual desire," a Glendale sergeant wrote in an internal review.

According to the report, Balmaceda also admitted to the encounter with the 17-year-old. He submitted a resignation letter two days after the interview.

He did not speak to detectives investigating potential criminal violations. Federal law prevents prosecutors from discussing confessions or admissions during internal police investigations in court.

Balmaceda would not comment on the allegations or the latest decision.

Two former sex-crimes prosecutors raised questions about Maricopa County attorneys' decision not to charge the former officer.

The presence of multiple victims and Balmaceda's status as a police officer made this an important case to pursue, said Robin Sax, who spent 15 years as a sex-crimes prosecutor in Los Angeles.

"The touching plus the texts is way beyond what you would need for some charge," Sax said. "We hold people who take care of our children to a higher level."

Robert J. Campos, a Phoenix defense attorney who spent five years in Maricopa County's sex-crimes unit, said he was concerned by the officer's communications with at least four students.

Still, he acknowledged that prosecutors may have hesitated if the victim didn't seem credible.

"When you talk to somebody who's been a victim, you're either going to immediately believe them or you're going to be unsure," Campos said. "If at a gut level, I believed, I took it to trial and I always won those cases."

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/10/04/20111004glendale-no-charges-ex-glendale-police-officer-accused-sexting-abuse.html

Ex-Glendale sergeant pleads no contest to assault charge

A former Glendale police sergeant has pleaded no contest to domestic-violence assault.

Brent Thomas, 43, was arrested in April after he allegedly assaulted his live-in girlfriend in Oregon and fled.

Lincoln City police found dozens of loaded firearms in Thomas' home, which were not there when they returned to search the house.

Thomas was barred from possessing weapons because of an order of protection filed by his estranged wife in Arizona.

Thomas, a 14-year Glendale officer, resigned from the Police Department last November amid an investigation sparked by an anonymous report he had abused his wife.

The couple were in the midst of a divorce when the allegations surfaced. Thomas' wife said he had abused her for years and shared pictures of her injuries.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office decided in February that it would not file charges against Thomas.

Thomas, a former Glendale SWAT officer, later moved to Oregon.

On April 10, police responded to Thomas' new home to find his 27-year-old girlfriend's face covered in blood and her eyes swollen, according to Lincoln County Circuit Court records.

Thomas was held without bond in the county jail on suspicion of three counts of felony assault and misdemeanor counts of domestic-violence assault, menacing, strangulation and harassment. He also faced 71 misdemeanor counts of continuing to possess weapons.

Last Tuesday, Thomas agreed to enter a no-contest plea for misdemeanor assault as part of an agreement with prosecutors. All other charges were dropped and Thomas has since been released from jail.

Court records show the former officer was ordered to complete a batterer's intervention program, undergo an alcohol evaluation and to return his firearms to his estranged wife in Arizona.

He will also be required to return police uniform patches seized during the investigation to the Glendale Police Department and to pay more than $11,000 in fines, according to records.

Last month, Thomas agreed to permanently surrender his certification to serve as an Arizona police officer.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/08/01/20110801glendale-sergeant-pleads-no-contest-assault-brk.html

Former Glendale police sergeant arrested in Oregon

A former Glendale police sergeant is being held without bond in an Oregon jail after he reportedly assaulted his live-in girlfriend, records show.

Brent Thomas, who resigned last November amid an internal investigation, is also accused of continuing to possess firearms despite an order of protection filed by his estranged wife that bars him from doing so.

Last summer, an anonymous caller reported Thomas, 44, had abused his wife. The couple was in the midst of a divorce when the allegations surfaced. Thomas's wife said he had abused her for years, and shared pictures of her injuries.

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office decided earlier this year not to file charges against Thomas.

Thomas, who spent 14 years as a Glendale officer, recently moved to Oregon.

Lincoln City, Ore. police responded to Thomas's new home early Sunday after a caller reported he had assaulted his girlfriend. They arrived to find his 27-year-old girlfriend's face covered in blood and her eyes swollen, according to a probable cause statement filed in Lincoln County Circuit Court.

The woman said the two had been arguing when Thomas told her to leave because their "relationship was not going to work."

He reportedly grabbed the woman by the throat when she tried to get money from a safe and later punched her "multiple times in the face and head," according to court filings.

She was treated at a hospital and later released.

Police responding to the couple's home also discovered dozens of loaded firearms including AR-15 rifles and semiautomatic handguns.

A July 2010 order of protection bars Thomas from possessing guns. Police allege Thomas has continued to operate a website that sells firearms and accessories despite the order.

In the hours after the reported assault, police struggled to find Thomas. A gun was noted to be missing.

Police later arrested Thomas along a Benton County highway, about 75 miles away.

Officers found $400,000 cash in Thomas's trunk but not the handgun, according to a court filing.

Thomas was arrested on suspicion of 71 counts of contempt of court for possessing firearms in his home, as well as felony assault, menacing, strangulation and harassment.

On Monday, a Lincoln County judge denied bail for Thomas after prosecutors argued he had failed to abide by the rules of the protective order, fled his home after the alleged assault and removed a handgun before he left.

A Monday court filing by prosecutors also cited Thomas's training as Glendale SWAT officer.

An attorney representing Thomas has previously denied abuse allegations against him.

Thomas had no major disciplinary problems and good performance reviews before the July 2010 call which spurred a criminal and internal investigation of Thomas.

Glendale police have said Thomas was relieved of enforcement duties immediately after the abuse allegations surfaced. He was ordered to return his department weapons and told he would be reassigned to administrative tasks during the investigation.

He never returned to work and chose not to speak to police investigators, a spokesman said.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/04/12/20110412glendale-police-sergeant-arrested-oregon-brk.html

Former Glendale police officer won't face abuse charges

Two Glendale police officers resigned months after an internal investigation was launched by an anonymous call.

The unidentified caller reported in July that Glendale Sgt. Brent Thomas had abused his wife, according to documents released to The Republic after a public-records request.

Those allegations will not result in criminal charges, a Maricopa County Attorney's Office spokesman said on Tuesday.

However, by December, Thomas and another officer with whom he had a romantic relationship had resigned and a third officer was reprimanded.

Investigation starts

Last summer, when the allegations were reported, Thomas and his wife were in the midst of a divorce.

Thomas' wife told police Thomas had abused her for seven to 10 years. She also shared photos of injuries she said resulted from the abuse. Glendale police redacted details about the injuries and the abuse allegations in the documents released to The Republic.

Police recommended in October that Thomas, a 14-year officer, be charged with felony counts of aggravated domestic violence, aggravated assault, criminal damage and interference with a judicial proceeding, a misdemeanor.

A spokesman for the county attorney's office confirmed Tuesday that prosecutors will not file charges against Thomas.

"Our position after reviewing the information that was provided to us is that there is not enough to win a conviction," spokesman Jerry Cobb said.

An attorney representing Thomas said his client denies his wife's accusations. Another attorney, DeShon Pullen wrote, "The first report in the 14-year relationship was after the service of the divorce . . . (his wife) told him in her own words that she promised she would ruin him."

Thomas, who had no major previous disciplinary problems and good performance reviews, would not comment to The Republic.

Police officials relieved Thomas of his enforcement duties immediately upon learning of the abuse allegations and ordered him to return his department weapons, said Sgt. Brent Coombs, a Glendale police spokesman. Thomas was told he would be reassigned to administrative tasks during the investigation but he never returned to work, Coombs said. Thomas also chose not to speak to police investigators.

Investigation expands

Thomas and another officer, Heather Opp, worked the same shift and in the same patrol area, according to documents. Thomas also was Opp's supervisor, at times.

In interviews with investigators, Opp first described her relationship with Thomas and his wife as friendly. She later said she and Thomas had a romantic relationship and that she had moved in with Thomas, who no longer lived with his wife.

She denied being aware of the alleged abuse.

Police also learned that Thomas' wife told Glendale Officer Delores Baumann about the apparent abuse but she did not report it to supervisors. Thomas was Baumann's boss, according to police records.

Baumann told investigators she "felt she was caught in a predicament that had no beneficial outcome regardless of what she did."

The internal investigation was completed Sept. 30. Investigators accused Opp of lying about her relationship with Thomas during her review. They recommended termination of Thomas based on the allegations against him.

Police Chief Steve Conrad notified Thomas and Opp that they were going to be fired.

Both officers resigned.

Baumann was given a written reprimand.

Neither Baumann nor Opp could be reached for comment.

Opp, a two-year officer, agreed last month to voluntarily give up her right to serve as a police officer in Arizona after her case was forwarded to the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board for review.

Thomas's case has not yet gone before the board.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/02/22/20110222glendale-police-officer-wont-face-abuse-charges.html

Ex-Glendale police officer to temporarily lose his badge

Glendale police officer Daniel Arreola

A former Glendale police officer accused of turning in incorrect timesheets and sending offensive messages to other officers will not wear an Arizona police badge for almost two years.

The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board decided to suspend Daniel Arreola's peace-officer certification until late 2011 in a Wednesday hearing.

THE INVESTIGATION

Arreola resigned in September 2009 after a Glendale police internal investigation found he had falsely claimed hours on 11 dates when he was actually on vacation, compensatory time or sick leave. The investigation also found the three-year officer sent sexually and racially offensive messages to other officers on a computer in his police cruiser.

The police board, which provides training and oversight to Arizona police, approved a consent agreement to suspend Arreola's certification to serve as an officer in the state. Fellow ex-Glendale officer Adam Fisher voluntarily relinquished his certification last October after a Glendale police probe also accused him of falsifying timesheets and sending offensive messages, among other allegations.

OFFICER'S RESPONSE

Arreola, who attended the Wednesday hearing, declined to comment. In a letter previously sent to Glendale Police Chief Steve Conrad and the police board, the former officer wrote that some of the timesheet errors cited in the investigation shouldn't be upheld. He said the errors occurred either because he did not complete the form himself or he was confused by the format of the timesheet.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/10/25/20101025glendale-police-officer-temporarily-loses-badge.html

Glendale police union backs Arizona's immigrant crackdown

by Dustin Gardiner - Apr. 20, 2010 08:27 AM
The Arizona Republic

One of Glendale's police officer unions is endorsing an effort by state lawmakers to give Arizona some of the toughest immigration laws in the nation.

Senate Bill 1070 would make illegal immigration a misdemeanor offense under state law, allowing local law enforcement officers to detain individuals on suspicion of being in the country illegally if they cannot produce a valid government ID or registration card.

The bill is expected to head toward Gov. Jan Brewer's desk for a signature within the coming days.

Officer Justin Harris, president of the Glendale Law Enforcement Association, said the bill gives police, who are only charged with enforcing state laws, the power to detain undocumented immigrants and turn them over to federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents.

"It takes the handcuffs off law enforcement," he said. "Our hands are tied without these laws in place."

Harris said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Russell Pearce of Mesa, approached GLEA and other police unions at the start of the legislative session to secure their support.

Opponents of the bill say it would promote racial profiling and prevent potential witnesses from coming forward or cooperating with police out of fear they could be deported.

"I get calls from mothers whose 15-year-old daughters get raped and they're afraid to call police," said Hector Yturralde, a Latino activist and former president of the Arizona Hispanic Community Forum.

"All these laws being passed are nothing but Jim Crow wannabes," he added, referring to laws in the Old South enforcing white supremacy.

Harris said the undocumented community has no reason to fear police will be overzealous to the point of arresting victims or witnesses.

"We're not going to treat the victim as a criminal," he said.

Given the budget cuts facing Glendale and other cities, Yturralde questions why police would use their limited resources to pursue people for "minor" immigration violations when they could be going after hardened criminals.

Harris argues that by taking illegal immigrants off the streets, police will be preventing future crimes they might commit.

He said someone who "sneaks past border agents through the desert and under fences" knows they're doing something illegal and is more likely to commit other crimes.

"If we can focus on stopping the less serious crime, that in itself stops crime," Harris said.

Yturralde said there's no clear evidence to support claims that illegal immigrants commit crimes in higher numbers.

"Not even the FBI has these statistics," he said. "This is absolutely insane."

Glendale's other law enforcement union, the Fraternal Order of Police, has not taken a position on the legislation.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2010/04/20/20100420-glendale-az-police-union-backs-immigrant-crackdown.html