If you look out the window in the late night hours or happen to be out about and about in the community you may have noticed that our parking enforcement vehicles look a lot different. That’s because the Desert Ridge Community Association Board of Directors hired a new patrol company to aid in the area of not only parking enforcement, but in the supplemental protection of the community as a whole. That company is called Urban Tactical Security.
By Steve Burns
Community Awareness Committee Chair
UTS is an Arizona-based company with over 40 years of experience in the security industry. This experience is drawn from highly disciplined backgrounds including Law-Enforcement, Armed Forces, and professional security experience. Established in 2006, Urban Tactical Security agency is one of the very few locally owned and operated security companies in Arizona today.
When the DRCA Board of Directors was reviewing contracts for potential parking enforcement companies, we were not only looking at cost, but what would be best for the community. One of our top priorities of the DRCA Board is to improve property values, quality of life, and to keep crime low. Because UTS offered many extra services without much extra cost, the board awarded them the contract. UTS even provides time stamped photos along with GPS location. Their security patrols go far beyond stickering cars that are parked on the street overnight and the guards are trained to handle many different situations that may arise.
The security guards at Urban Tactical are also another set of eyes looking out and protecting the property and residents of Desert Ridge. At the recommendation of the Community Awareness Committee the DRCA Board of Directors voted to increase the UTS patrols during the time period between the Barrett Jackson car auction through just beyond the Super Bowl. As a result, we had no major issues during a time where we had many thousands of visitors to the valley.
These patrols are not a replacement for our off-duty City of Phoenix police patrols but a supplement to aid in deterring crime and for the protection of the community. I’ve stated on more than one occasion that it is virtually impossible to eliminate all crime in Desert Ridge but the addition of Urban Tactical Security should bring us one step further toward that goal.
I could never say enough about what a terrific job the city of Phoenix police department does in its efforts to keep crime down in Desert Ridge, but just remember, although Phoenix police officers work hard at their job, they can’t be everywhere all of the time. That is why it is so important to know and communicate with your neighbors and to keep looking for things that are out of place in your neighborhood. You can help make Desert Ridge a safer and better place to live by starting or participating in a neighborhood block watch program.
If you’re interested in learning how to start a neighborhood block watch program, please contact the Desert Ridge Community Association office at 480-551-4553 or contact Community Action Officer, Centenius Billingslea, from the City of Phoenix Police Department, Black Mountain Precinct at 602-495-5228 or via email at centenius.billingslea@phoenix.gov.
