A tip about a stolen Ford Explorer turned into something far bigger for Glendale police, who say the case ended with the arrest of a man wanted on felony warrants out of Florida for sexual assault of a minor. Officers say 42-year-old Jessy Simpkins was taken into custody on theft charges, while the department also credited its real-time surveillance network with a role in the operation.
Police say the chain of events began in a parking lot near 59th Avenue and Camelback Road in Glendale on September 9, according to AZ Family. Officers working inside the department's real-time crime center received a tip that a white Ford Explorer had been stolen, and detectives began tailing the vehicle from there, the station reports.
Drones Track the Truck to a Residential Street
As detectives followed the stolen SUV, Glendale officers launched drones to track the vehicle from above as it headed into a residential area, the station reports. Those drones fed live information back to officers on the ground, helping crews track the truck in real time.
The pursuit ended when Simpkins backed the truck into a driveway at a mobile home park, according to the same report. Police said the house at that address was vacant, and that neither the neighboring home nor a separate white truck Simpkins was seen rummaging through actually belonged to him.
No Injuries as Crews Converge for the Arrest
Detectives moved in carefully, approaching Simpkins from behind a barrier before police crews converged on the home from all directions to make the arrest, the station notes. No one was hurt during the operation. Glendale police arrested Simpkins for theft, but it was during the process that officers discovered the two outstanding Florida felony warrants for sexual assault of a minor, the department told AZ Family.
Glendale police credited their surveillance infrastructure with supporting the operation. Officers recovered a stolen car, and Simpkins was wanted in another state on felony warrants for sexual assault of a minor.
How Glendale's Crime Center and Drones Work Together
The arrest showcases a surveillance system Glendale has been building out for several years. The mission of the Glendale Police Department's Real Time Crime Center is to use technology to safeguard the wellbeing of the community and enhance citizen and officer safety, according to the City of Glendale. The department's drone program, meanwhile, is intended to provide air support to police and emergency operations in a safe, responsible, and transparent manner, the city says.
Glendale's drones are also used as first responders, reaching potential crime scenes before patrol officers arrive, as reported by ABC15. Glendale police officer Ryan Enos has said the drones give officers situational awareness with eyes directly on a scene, making responses safer. The drones can travel around 35 miles per hour, and the department hopes to eventually station seven of them on city-owned buildings around Glendale, ABC15 reports.
A Growing Trend Across Western Cities
Salt Lake City also uses a Real-Time Crime Center and drones, and the Salt Lake Tribune has reported civil-liberties scrutiny around the technology.
The expansion of such policing technology has drawn scrutiny over privacy and surveillance. Salt Lake City police have said none of their deployed technologies is authorized for facial recognition, according to the same report.
