Salt River Police Department-SRPMIC

S.R.P.D – “Service, Respect, Professionalism, Dedication”
Contact Us: 480-850-8200  For Emergencies Dial: 9-1-1

Welcome!

Since 1967, The Salt River Police Department (SRPD) has delivered Police services to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC). The SRPD has created an environment of ethical caring and well-trained team members who deliver professional Police services to all persons within the 96 square miles of residential, agricultural and commercial lands. On any given day, there are approximately 650,000 persons conducting business, enjoying entertainment venues and traveling within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, all attracted by the numerous commercial businesses, shopping malls, Talking Stick Resort, Casino Arizona, Salt River Fields Major League Baseball stadium (spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies), Pavilions Shopping Mall, Arizona Boardwalk, USS Arizona Memorial Gardens, Salt River Auto Show, Scottsdale Community College, several major freeways and our recreational lands.

The SRPD investigates all Tribal, State and Federal crimes, presents these investigations to Tribal, State and Federal Prosecutors and testifies in Tribal, State and Federal Courts. All Police Officers are Tribally sworn, State sworn (AZPOST certified) and Federally sworn (receive a special Law Enforcement Officer commission/certification through the Bureau of Indian Affairs to investigate Federal crimes). Calls for service (about 50,000 per year), combined with the geographical area, 195 miles of roadway, 18 miles of three (3) major state routes (the average daily traffic count on the SR 101 “Pima Freeway” is 175,000 vehicles; average daily count on the SR 202 “Red Mountain Freeway” is 135,000 vehicles and the average daily count on the SR 87 “Beeline Highway” is 35,000 vehicles) and a Community Policing philosophy require a diverse array of activities to deliver police services to the public. The variety of calls for service includes criminal, traffic, civil, animal and public assistance calls.

On July 15, 2020, the Salt River Police Department (SRPD) received from the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP) Full Accreditation, becoming the fifth Police Department out of 140 in the State of Arizona, to achieve this level of Certification.

On December 1, 2020, the SRPD met all DOJ Standards for Certification on Safe Policing for Safe Communities and received our DOJ Standards for Certification on Safe Policing for Safe Communities.

There are currently 215 team members, consisting of 160 sworn Police Officers and 55 non-sworn team member professionals, who form the Salt River Police Department. Our team takes very special pride in delivering innovative educational and enforcement services with personal excellence, respect for the Community and for all those who live, work and visit the Community.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community — We place community policing and proactive policing as our number one priority.

Chief Auerbach’s Message

Our Salt River Police Department (SRPD) dedicated team of 215 Police Professionals (160 Sworn and 55 Non-Sworn) provide top quality Police services to the residents and all persons who work and travel to enjoy the many businesses and entertainment destinations located within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Our SRPD Team Members Mission is to Serve and Protect through our Community-Based Policing Programs, Projects and Positive Interactions with the Community as well as through our Educational and Enforcement Operations. Our SRPD Team Members are highly trained and skilled professionals who treat everyone with courtesy, dignity and respect.

Our Community-Centered Policing and Strategic Planning is only accomplished through continuous communication and working collaboratively with the Community who we serve, this builds trust and is absolutely an essential core value of all relationships. Successful results are measured through many mediums to include a reduction of crime, response times, improving the safety and quality of life within the Community and all while ensuring that we honor the proud and vibrant culture, history and traditions of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Chief Karl G. Auerbach

Chief Karl G. Auerbach

Our full service Salt River Police Department (SRPD) and Team Members provide Policing Excellence to the approximately 650,000 persons daily conducting business, enjoying entertainment venues and traveling within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (96 square miles) that include: Talking Stick Resort, Casino Arizona, Salt River Fields Major League Baseball stadium (spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies), Pavilions Shopping Mall, Top Golf, Arizona Boardwalk (OdySea, Butterfly Wonderland, Pangaea and the Titanic), USS Arizona Memorial Gardens, Salt River Auto Show, Scottsdale Community College, numerous commercial businesses and 195 miles of roadways including 18 miles of 3 major freeways (SR 87, SR 101 and SR 202).  The SRPD exclusively investigate and enforce all Tribal, State and Federal crimes presenting cases directly to the Tribal, State and U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution and testify in Tribal, State and Federal Courts.

Wednesday July 15, 2020, the Salt River Police Department (SRPD) received from the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP) Full Accreditation, becoming the fifth Police Department out of 140 in the State of Arizona, to achieve this level of Certification.

On December 1, 2020, the SRPD met all DOJ Standards for Certification on Safe Policing for Safe Communities and received our DOJ Standards for Certification on Safe Policing for Safe Communities.

The Salt River Police Department takes very special pride in continuously delivering innovative Community-Based Policing Programs and Projects and Educational and Enforcement Services with personal excellence to all people who live, work and visit the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. One Team One Mission — Community-Based Policing and delivering Top Quality Professional Policing is our number one priority!  The Salt River Police Department – – Guardians of the People!

It is my enduring honor and privilege to represent and serve as the Chief of Police for the Salt River Police Department and I am blessed to have such a committed, dedicated and loyal team of men and women who are the Salt River Police Department. I am a graduate of the Phoenix Police Department’s Regional Training Academy in 1980, have over 40-years of law enforcement service and have proudly served the Salt River Police Department now on my 32nd year, have worked every Division and promoted and held every rank from Officer, Detective, Sergeant and Lieutenant with the last 17-years as the Assistant Chief of Police including three separate previous occasions as the Acting Chief of Police (2004 to 2006, 2011 and 2016) and was officially promoted to Chief of Police on 10-02-16 as the 10th Chief of Police serving the Salt River Police Department.

Please take a few minutes to explore our Salt River Police Department website, we hope you will find it informative and we invite you to call any of the numbers listed with the several sections of our SRPD website should you need any information or want to talk to one of our SRPD Team Members.

About the Chief

Chief Auerbach a native Arizonan from Nogales, is a graduate of the Phoenix Police Department’s Regional Training Academy in 1980 (class number 164), has over 40-years of law enforcement service and has proudly served the Salt River Police Department now on his 32nd year. Chief Auerbach has served as an Officer, Field Training Officer, SWAT Team Member, Detective, Sergeant and Lieutenant with the last 17-years as the Assistant Chief of Police including three separate previous occasions as the Acting Chief of Police (2004 to 2006, 2011 and 2016) and was officially promoted to Chief of Police on 10-02-16 as the 10th Chief of Police serving the Salt River Police Department.

Chief Auerbach has worked or supervised every Division and has supervised Sworn and Non-Sworn Professional Staff from every Division. Chief Auerbach’s experience and skills include extensive knowledge of Tribal, State and Federal law enforcement, jurisdiction, inter-government relations, investigations, policies and procedures and has investigated and enforced Tribal, State and Federal crimes presenting cases directly to the Tribal, State and U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution and has testified in Tribal, State and Federal Courts.

Chief Auerbach was the Case Agent in the first successful prosecution of a criminal street gang utilizing the Federal RICO statute and during a 3-year investigation dismantled a violent street gang that was in operation within the Phoenix Metropolitan area that had been responsible for 2 murders, armed robberies, drive-by shootings and fire bombings. Chief Auerbach was recognized by the U.S. Attorney General, Janet Reno, receiving the prestigious “William French Smith” Award for his efforts in this RICO case. He also testified before the U.S. Senate Sub-committee on the Judiciary/Committee on Indian Affairs regarding the RICO case.

Chief Auerbach is the recipient of the Officer of the Year (1992 and 1996), Criminal Investigation’s Divisional Employee of the Year (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996), Meritorious Service Award (1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996), Meritorious Service Award from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona (1996), Meritorious Service Award from the Inter Tribal Association Council of Arizona (1996), Employee of the Year runner-up from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (1996), “TOP COP” runner-up from the National Association of Police Organizations (1996) and the prestigious Chief’s Award of Excellence (1994, 1996 and 1998).

Chief Auerbach is the Co-Founder of the Salt River Police Department’s Police Explorer Post, established in 1994 was the first Police Department within Indian Country Law Enforcement in the USA to begin a Police Explorer Post. The program instructs youths ranging in ages from 14 to 20 about Police work, Community involvement and commitment within the Community, providing valuable life skills such as accountability, communication, dedication, self-esteem, service, teamwork, respect, pride and professionalism. Our SRPD Explorer Program prepares young men and women to be valuable team members serving their Community, the SRPD or other businesses. Today there are over 20 men and women who were once SRPD Explorers who today now work within our SRPMIC Government, SRPD, SRDOC or other businesses.

Chief Auerbach is the Founder of the Indian Country Intelligence Network (ICIN), created in 1994, to establish a State-wide collaborative partnership between all 21 Indian Tribes to enhance communication and strengthen relationships with neighboring jurisdictions, law enforcement and criminal justice partners. Today, ICIN organizations are also found in California, Nevada, New Mexico and Washington.

Chief Auerbach serves on numerous boards to include: The Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Arizona Department of Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council Central Region (appointed by Governor Brewer and reappointed by Governor Ducey), the Joint Powers Public Safety Committee (JPPSC) Board of Directors, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Information Analysis Infrastructure Protection Law Enforcement Forum (IAIP), was a member on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) State and Local Tiger Team (S&LTT) representing Tribal Police for the implementation of Executive Order 13356 (Strengthening the Sharing of Terrorism Information to Protect Americans/Intelligence and Information Sharing Initiative), was a member on the Arizona AMBER Alert Oversight Committee (Founding Board Member), was a member on the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP) Committee (Founding Board Member), the East Valley Chiefs of Police Association, the East Valley Gang and Criminal Information Fusion Center (EVGCIFC), the 100 Club of Arizona (Indian Country Liaison), the National Blue Alert Network Committee and the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) Board of Directors Tribal Nations’ representative.

Chief Auerbach is also a member of numerous professional organizations to include: The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP, since 1992) and IACP Indian Country Section, Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police (AACOP, since 1999), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP, since 1980), FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI LEEDA and graduate of the FBI Southwest Command College, 2005), IACP Leadership in Police Organizations (LPO) Inaugural Graduating Class Member (March 2007), Society of Police Futurists International (SPFI) and Valley Leadership Institute (alumni class number 35).

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community — We place community policing and proactive policing as our number one priority.

Submit an Anonymous Crime Tip, Special Patrol Request, or Report Suspicious Activity and Traffic Concerns

Narcotics Information and Hotline: 480-607-1939
C.U.F.F. – Crime Stoppers: 1-800-713-2833