A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent was honored with the FBI Director’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Law Enforcement Community, by the FBI’s Phoenix field office on April 29. The special agent was one of 13 members of the Central Arizona Safe Trails Task Force (CASTTF) to be recognized with the award.
The award, considered one of the most prestigious within the FBI, was given to members of the CASTTF for their work in combatting violent crime in Indian Country. In 2019, the Salt River Police Department (SRPD) reported that its city’s 56 percent decrease in violent crime was directly attributable to the CASTTF’s proactive work in partnership with the department.
“I’m very proud of the contributions our special agent has made in areas hit hardest by violent crime,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown. “This impressive recognition highlights the important role of HSI special agents on a daily basis across our nation, and in particular in the communities in which we live and serve.”
Other CASTTF members who received the award include eight FBI employees, two Mesa Police Department (MPD) detectives, MPD sergeant and a SRPD detective.
“We are particularly proud of these individuals who have demonstrated remarkable leadership in helping protect our communities,” said Sean Kaul, special agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “Through sustained effort, innovation and collaboration, the Central Arizona Safe Trails Task Force stands as a model of interagency partnership on behalf of their community.”
Since 2019, members of the Chandler Police Department and Gila River Police Department have joined the CASTTF to further address violent crime in Indian Country.
HSI is a directorate and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
