In the annals of criminal genius, there’s a special category reserved for individuals who manage to compound their initial poor judgment with decisions so spectacularly misguided that they deserve academic study. This week, Scottsdale provided us with a textbook example of how to transform simple vehicle theft into a master class in escalating stupidity. Lyle Dennis Harmon Jr. was arrested … Read More
Ohhhh myyyyyy! Scottsdale Cop Using His Cop Car for Sex Suspended for a Year. Is the Sentence Light or Warranted?
Sometimes reality writes satire better than any comedian could dream. Enter former Scottsdale Sergeant Derok Roach, who apparently decided that police vehicles weren’t just for chasing down bad guys…they were also perfect venues for intimate encounters. Multiple times. While on duty. In both marked and undercover cars. The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, clearly having seen enough inappropriate workplace … Read More
Compounded Stupidity: When “Hold My Beer” Meets Flashing Police Lights
We prefer to stay on the positive side of things and highlight the best and brightest of Scottsdale, but every once in a while the exact opposite of that is compelling enough to turn our heads and get us tapping away on our keyboard in equal parts disgust and awe. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jensen Borkowski, a 28-year-old who just … Read More
From Badge to Therapy: Aiden’s Sweet Retirement in the Heart of Scottsdale
Law enforcement is often in the crosshairs of the public eye, for reasons both unfair and sometimes justified. That said, I think we all can agree that police horses never deserve any ire. They are the unimpeachable good guys in law enforcement, as a Scottsdale story is now demonstrating. Only in Scottsdale could a police horse named Aiden transition from … Read More
When Advocacy Meets Enforcement: A Troubling Pattern in Scottsdale?
By Julia Moffett We always want to assume the best in our city’s management and employees, but politics often creeps in where it shouldn’t. While it’s sometimes tough to parse out intentions, sometimes it’s difficult to believe in coincidences. For instance, days after Cory Pilger publicly aired his frustrations about construction impacts devastating his Best Life Nutrition business, Scottsdale code … Read More
Recovering from a Ruff Day: Scottsdale K-9 on the Mend
We’ve all had bad days on the job, but how bad that day is often depends on your line of work. With most of our jobs, a bad day doesn’t mean being physically or even mortally injured, but that is the reality for law enforcement officers all around this country. But that doesn’t just mean it’s human beings in the … Read More
Scottsdale’s Law Enforcement is Racking Up Overtime Costs: What Should We Do About It?
Scottsdale is a city that prides itself on low taxes and small government; it’s a big reason why companies routinely move their headquarters here and new residents continue to flock here. So when unexpected costs hop into the budget it tends to raise a few eyebrows, as a recent development did. Scottsdale’s employees racked up $25 million in overtime costs … Read More
Scottsdale Police Using Drones: Effective Crime-Fighting or Intrusion on Privacy?
Arizona has always had a bit of a social libertarian streak; one focused on self-reliance, of personal freedoms, and a disdain for “big government”. Sometimes that desire for personal freedom and a lack of government intrusion can clash with another aspect of much of the state, and specifically Scottsdale: a respect for the work of law enforcement. So what happens … Read More
As Thefts and STR Issues Intensify, Scottsdale Dials Up the Pressure
You heard it here, how the country’s laissez faire approach to immigration enforcement may have led to a ring of burglaries in the area (read the story here). Also, the issue of short-term rental (STR) “party houses” has long been a hot-button issue in the city. Now both of these issues are coming to a head and getting the attention … Read More