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Marisela Frausto Terry Powell Criminal Justice 1010 April 26, 2013

The Road to a Career in Law Enforcement

My Interview with Detective Rafael Frausto

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I have chosen to do my career report on Law Enforcement. Detective Rafael Frausto and I met at his residence for this interview. The following questions and answers were summarized from my interview with Detective Frausto. Me: Rafael what is your current title and how long have you been working in law enforcement? Detective Frausto: I have been working in law enforcement since 1993. I began my career working for the Orange County Sheriffs Office and I am currently working for the West Valley City Police Department. I have been a detective since 2003. I first started working at West Lake Junior High then moved over to Hunter High School investigating juvenile crimes. I was in charge of doing follow-up investigations on all cases involving students that attended each of those schools. Such cases included theft, assaults, runaways, child abuse, domestic violence, etc. Me: What is the starting wage scale for law enforcement officers? Detective Frausto: A beginning officer starts at about 38K per year. A higher paid officer averages approximately 60K per year. Sergeants: 60-66K; Lieutenants: 66-75K; Deputy Chiefs: 85-95K and Chief: 110-130K. Me: What type of benefits does you agency provide to its personnel. Detective Frausto: We are offered medical and dental coverage. Officers who began their career before July 2011 will earn 50% (average of their 3 highest paid years) for monthly retirement pay. If the officer works more than 30 years he will get 70%. Anybody that joined after July 2011 will now receive retirement benefits after 25 years of service at 37%. An officer that works past 30 years of service will receive 57% of their retirement benefits.

Frausto 3 We are also offered that opportunity to make use of a 457 Retirement Plan in which officers can invest in Money Market Accounts through non-taxed deductions up to 500.00 per month. We also have the car per man program, where every sworn officer is issued a company take home vehicle. Sworn officers also get a cell phone issued by the company. Me: What kind of education or degree is required for this type of job? Detective Frausto: When I started my career there was no college degree required, only a high school diploma. Those that do have a college degree receive preference points for the hiring process. Me: What kind of promotion opportunities are offered and are there any requirements to be met in order to advance within the department? Detective Frausto: After four years of law enforcement experience you can apply for

promotions. Those opportunities can range from Detective, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Deputy Chief, and Chief. Me: How do you apply for a job as a police officer? Detective Frausto: First, you take a written test that must be passed with at least 80% in all categories. There is also a background check that must be passed in order to get hired. West Valley City Police Department hires certified and non-certified officers. A certified recruit has already been through an accredited Utah Post Academy Program. Non-certified means the new recruit have to go through the academy. Our department will pay the recruits (also known as trainees) as they go through the academy, which could take up to four months. Me: What are your current job duties?

Frausto 4 Detective Frausto: I am Detective over the Asset Forfeiture Program and I am also a Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Some of my duties can vary such as: Process Asset Forfeiture cases involving seized assets from proceeds of illegal criminal activity, drug dealing, and other felony crimes. Complete annual reports for State/Federal government detailing all seized assets for fiscal year. Sell assets that are awarded to the department by the State/Federal Courts. Write annual grants for the State Forfeiture funds. Testify in Federal Grand Jury on firearm cases that we adopt for Federal prosecution. Work with U.S. Attorneys office to prepare follow up on Federal cases. Transport prisoners as needed. Provide training to officers on issues related to forfeiture/gun related cases.

Me: What kind of skills is required for your position? Detective Frausto: Typing, familiarization with criminal databases, State/Federal criminal and forfeiture laws and qualifying in firearms proficiency by testing twice a year. Annual recertification in use of a) Defensive Tactics b) O.C. Spray c) ASP d) Policies and Procedures. The person I interviewed is Detective Rafael Frausto Date of interview: April 14, 2013 Phone # 801-509-1610

Frausto 5 I began my career in law enforcement in 1993. I was hired by the Orange County Sheriffs Office (OCSO) in Orange County, California. After attending the six month academy I was assigned to work at one of the three jails located in the county. Fortunately, I was assigned to work at the Musick Jail Facility which was located in the beautiful hills of Laguna Niguel. The jail housed approximately 1600 male/female inmates. All of the inmates at this facility were serving time for misdemeanor crimes. Most of them were assigned to working on county crews such as fire crews, public works crews, horticulture crews, etc. I enjoyed the time that I worked in this assignment. It was a fantastic way to learn good ways in dealing with people who were involved in the criminal justice system. During a vacation to Utah in 1994, I applied for a job as a police officer with multiple agencies. I was contacted by West Valley City Police Department (WVCPD) and eventually hired by the agency in May 1995. I attended the Utah POST Academy which was three months long and a lot easier overall than the academy I had attended when I was hired by the OCSO. I graduated in August of 1995 and assigned to the Patrol Division of WVCPD. As a rookie officer I was in the departments field training program for approximately three months. I was fortunate to have been trained by some well experienced senior officers. During the field training program I was taught the basics of police work, investigations skills, further familiarization with Utah law, department policy and procedures, testifying in court, report writing, etc. After passing the field training program I was assigned to working as a Patrolman on the graveyard shift. I worked in this capacity until 1997. I had a lot of fun being a rookie officer. It

Frausto 6 was great learning about law enforcement on the job and being introduced to all different types of investigations. In 1997 I was assigned to work in the K-9 Unit. It was a lot of hard work training a Police Service Dog (PSD). In many ways it was like raising a small child that needed a lot of extra attention. My assigned partner Gauhner was a very protective and loyal partner. In 1999 my partner Gauhner turned 11 years old and was medically retired. I opted not to train a new PSD and was transferred back to the Patrol Division. I worked as a Patrolman again from 1999 through 2000. This second time working as a Patrolman I felt a lot more comfortable with my experience overall. With five years of police work experience behind me I was assigned as a Field Training Officer (FTO) for the first time. This was an entirely new experience working with rookie officers and training them with the knowledge that I had acquired during my five year tenure with the department. Being an FTO is one of the greatest responsibilities that one can be tasked with at his/her department. Making sure that new officers receive solid training from the beginning can avoid many future problems in their careers. In July 2000, I was transferred to work in the Traffic Enforcement Division. The three years I spent working in the traffic unit were very productive. My primary responsibilities were to investigate traffic accidents and do selective traffic enforcement in areas where the citizens reported to our agency that traffic problems existed. I issued many traffic citations during this period of time. I feel that I was always fair and polite while enforcing our traffic laws. During my career in law enforcement I have never been cursed at more than during my time in this assignment. However, I never allowed personal emotions to affect my duties and I always

Frausto 7 maintained a polite and professional demeanor which contributed to my overall success in performing this often difficult job. In July 2003, I was transferred to the Youth Investigations Unit. During this period of time I worked as a juvenile crimes investigator. I worked at West Lake Jr. High and at Hunter High School during this assignment. My primary duties in this assignment were to conduct investigations on crimes that were committed by the juveniles that attended each of the schools respectively. The biggest challenge in investigating juvenile crimes initially was getting to learn all the juvenile laws in greater detail than I had been previously exposed to. As I reflect back on my career I think that working in this unit has probably been my favorite experience in law enforcement. I feel that through my hard work I was actually able to affect a few lives of young people. Many years after working in this assignment I have come across a few of my former students. They have expressed that my advice to them had been taken to heart in changing their attitudes towards education and life in general. That was extremely gratifying to learn that sometimes we can make a positive influence in the minds of our youths. In July 2006, I was reassigned as the Asset Forfeiture Officer. My primary duties were to screen forfeiture cases through the District Attorneys Office, on cases where cash, vehicles, property were seized. This assignment was an eye opening experience to how complex the drug trafficking world truly is. While many people only hear the news captions about people being arrested for selling or using drugs, there is a lot more involved. I have witnessed many lives destroyed by this terrible epidemic. Working in this assignment has allowed me to see how drugs truly do not have barriers pertaining to socioeconomic status.

Frausto 8 In April 2011, I was transferred to work as a Task Force Officer (TFO) with ATF, on behalf of WVCPD. I am currently working in this assignment and have enjoyed it. My primary duties are to introduce criminal cases into federal court, where offenders have been arrested for federal gun violations. After observing how the state and municipal courts are so weighed down by large caseloads, its refreshing to see that criminal cases are still being effectively prosecuted through the federal courts. I have enjoyed all aspects of my career in law enforcement. While some assignments have been more enjoyable than others, I have always prided myself in performing to the best of my abilities. I have been awarded numerous Letters of Commendation, Meritorious Service Awards, runner-up for Officer of the Year at WVCPD and Investigator of the Year for ATF. I plan to retire from law enforcement in 2015 and intend to continue performing my duties on behalf of the West Valley City Police Department in the same effective manner. When I was a young child I had dreamed of being a police officer and I am still proud to have fulfilled that dream. During my career as in law enforcement I have investigated numerous types of crimes: homicides, robberies, assaults, domestic violence, burglaries, rapes, etc. One of the most important things I have learned over the past 20 years is that in order to obtain the best results in an investigation is for everyone involved, to contribute their best efforts to get the best result possible. The assisting officers, detectives, supervisors, and other assisting personnel need to provide their best services at all times. It is also important that prosecutors and judges are also vested in each case. I often place myself in a victims situation and this encourages me to do my

Frausto 9 job to the best of my abilities so that it can hopefully bring that individual a sense of justice being served on their behalf. This mindset proved most effective in 2005 when I assisted in a homicide investigation. While I was assigned to working at Hunter High School, one of the students who attended there was killed during a random drive-by shooting. I took personal interest in this investigation due to the fact that the deceased young man attended at the school where I was assigned to work. Furthermore, a few of the suspects involved in that investigation also attended at the school. This investigation took over one year to complete. Through many long days working active leads we were able to successfully arrest the persons who were directly involved in the homicide. During the scope of the investigation we arrested over a dozen persons involved in a variety of crimes. We recovered numerous stolen firearms, miscellaneous property, and stolen vehicles. It took collaborative efforts between our agency, AP&P, Juvenile Probation, multiple police agencies, state and federal courts, etc. In conclusion, we were able to bring to justice not only the young man who lost his life but to other victims of random crimes linked to the involved criminal gang of men and women. This investigation which I am still proud to have been a part of is proof that or efforts in law enforcement can make a difference in society. The detective that I did my interview with is my youngest brother. I do not think I could ever be so unselfish as to put my life in the line of fire in the effort to make a city a safer place to live in. Although I see Detective Frausto quite often, I learned more about his career and would never consider following his footsteps. I plan to get my degree in Criminal Justice but in a less dangerous branch of it.