Teen Heroin Use A Major Concern To Oro Valley Police

The July 20 Az Star reports that the Oro Valley police have a major concern about the escalation of heroin use by our local teenagers.

Recently one of our bloggers pointed out that parks are an ideal place for those interested in the illegal activity of drugs.

Perhaps it is not fair to relate the potential bond issue of the Naranja Park to the potential of even more illegal drug activities, but we believe the reality is---it certainly could be.

Although we have a tendency to address our senior citizen contemporaries on many issues, this issue, although it should concern us all, is predominantly one for those with youngsters, mainly in high school.

The following statement from the Star article is chilling.
"Last week's bust brought the number of felony arrests in drug cases linked to high-school-age youths (in Oro Valley) to 22 since January."

Please take the time to read the Az Star report here. Thanks to reporter Lourdes Medrano for bringing this issue to the attention of Oro Valley citizens.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/249064

These Are Our Kids

In a previous post, we noted Oro Valley Police concern over an increase in heroin use among our youth.

A sad report in today's Daily Star. Two CDO High School students dead from heroin overdoses.

Increases in burglaries. Increased drug use. A murder in August.

Oro Valley is not a quiet burg anymore.

Bits and Pieces

The Clean Up Continues

Thanks to our fine Oro Valley workers, our streets are beginning to look great. This accomplished in cleaning up after the September 9 "Storm of The Century." The Oro Valley Country Club area was particularly hard hit. Streets there are beginning to shine again!

  Citizen Committees Making Residents' Vision A Reality

Oro Valley, Ariz. (September 24, 2014) - Community members will be working hard this fall as part of the Your Voice, Our Future project. They'll be taking the community's vision and guiding principles and using them to chart a plan of action for the Town's future, also referred to as a General Plan.

During the public outreach portion of the project, September 2013 through May 2014, residents told us what kind of community they want Oro Valley to be in ten years. The results of that effort were part of Phase 1 "Let's talk" of the Your Voice, Our Future project.

Now, at the start of Phase 2 "Let's think," three, topic-specific committees are getting to work in the areas of development, environment and community. They will begin using the Council-approved vision and guiding principles as a framework to review draft goals, policies and actions that form future directions for the Town. The results of this plan will influence all aspects of the community, from parks to roads to development.

Committee members were selected through an application process and represent a broad spectrum of the community and include residents from all backgrounds. They will work together in the interests of the Town as a whole. Their mission will be to stay true to the community's collective voice that expresses what matters most.

(Source: Oro Valley Press Release)
---
Recent Scam Hits An Oro Valley Business

Oro Valley, Ariz. (September 23, 2014) - The Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD) would like to inform the public of a recent scam involving a local business. A caller identified himself as "Mike Belez", left a message at a local business stating the business was behind on their electric bill. If they didn't pay the money by a certain time, their electric service would be disconnected. When the business returned the call, there was an automated message that stated they reached the "electric disconnected section." Once transferred to a person, the business was told to go to a Walgreens and pay the electric bill at the Tucson Electric Power kiosk. When the business attempted this there was no kiosk located and contacted the number again and was instructed to pay using the "Green Dot" payment card.

The victimized business sent $1,000 and when they called the number again to verify the funds were received, the caller stated that they owed $1,200 more. Fortunately the business did not spend the extra $1,200 dollars and realized it was a scam.

We are asking the public to be aware of scams such as these. The following are helpful tips to avoid being victimized by these type of scams:

• Check with management to verify they are behind on payment. 
• Utilities use official documentation for late accounts. 
• Call the utility company directly to verify your account status. 
• Set up automatic payment. 
• Do not wire or use similar means to make payments. 
• Contact your local police department if you believe you're a victim of a scam.

 (Source: Oro Valley Police Department Press Release)

---

September "Coffee With A Cop" at Starbucks on First and Oracle

Oro Valley, Ariz (September 23, 2014) - The Oro Valley Police Department is excited to announce its September Coffee with a Cop event. It will be on Friday, September 26, 2014 at Starbucks, located at 10785 N Oracle Suite 135 from 8 am - 10 am.

Coffee with a cop is a national initiative supported by the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The goal of this program is to break down barriers between the public and police officers. The majority of contacts law enforcement has with the public is during emergencies, traffic stops, or emotional situations. Those situations are not always the most effective time for relationship building with the community. Coffee with a cop allows for a relaxed one-on-one interaction between the community and your local police officer.

(Source: Oro Valley Police Department Press Release)
---
Oro Valley Announces Free Concert Series At Steam Pump Ranch

Oro Valley, Arizona (September 19, 2014) - Beginning October 11, and running the second Saturday of every month through March, the Town of Oro Valley, in partnership with the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance, will host a free concert series for all ages at historic Steam Pump Ranch, 10901 N. Oracle Road. The live, musical performances are 10:30 a.m. - noon, and are held in conjunction with the Oro Valley Farmers Market. Admission is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs. A performance schedule follows.

• October 11, 2014 Bill Ganz (Western) 
• December 13, 2014 Reno Del Mar (Latin acoustic duo) 
• January 10, 2015 High Desert (Bluegrass) 
• February 14, 2015 Gabriel Ayala (Guitarist) 
• March 14, 2015 Greg Morton (Bluegrass)

(Source: Oro Valley Press Release)
---
Oro Valley Demonstrates Readiness For Future Emergency Situations

Oro Valley, Arizona (September 19, 2014) - While Oro Valley and the Tucson-Metro area are breathing a sigh of relief as Odile glanced by without much impact, the efforts that went into preparing for a catastrophic storm are being recognized by staff and the community as confirmation of the Town's readiness in an emergency.

"We are very fortunate that the storm did not hit our area as the National Weather Service had predicted," commented Town Manager Greg Caton. "Our staff train regularly for storm scenarios exactly like this one, so we were prepared for what the storm might bring our community. Our Town employees serve this great community every day, and we take the responsibility very seriously to continue that great service during storms and times of need."

In preparation for Odile, the Town of Oro Valley and the Golder Ranch Fire District partnered to launch a joint-command Emergency Operations Center. Other agencies partnering with the Town included Mountain Vista Fire and the Pima County Office of Emergency Management, who supplied most of the sandbags that were distributed. In addition, Town Manager Greg Caton allocated extra staff and resources to facilitate the September 8 storm clean-up as well as anticipated needs from this week's storm.

Although Odile didn't make much of an impact, the community is still recovering from the September 8 storms, and will be preparing for whatever the next significant event may be.

Families who would like to learn more about individual and family preparedness are invited to attend the Southern Arizona Urban Survival Fest on Saturday, September 20, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Kino Stadium. This free, community event is sponsored by World Care, Pima County Office of Emergency Management, Rock 102 KFMA and Vantage West Credit Union. For details, visit: http://www.urbansurvivalfest.org/.

(Source: Oro Valley Press Release)
---
Update: Suspect Arrested In Car Break-ins

Oro Valley, AZ-(September 19, 2014) - Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD) has taken into custody Torey Reinhardt. Reinhardt has been booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Facility for the following charges: 3 counts of Trafficking in stolen Property (F2), 3 counts of Burglary in the third degree (F4), 1 count of Possession of Heroin (F4) and 1 count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (F6). Additional charges are pending on Reinhardt. OVPD would like to extend their sincere gratitude for the public's efforts leading to the apprehension of Reinhardt.

(Source: Oro Valley Police Department Press Release)
---