Chief Karl G. Auerbach (Honorably Retired 2024) 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 honorably and proudly served the Salt River Police Department (SRPD) for 32 years including 8 years as the Chief of Police. Chief Auerbach served as an Officer, Field Training Officer, SWAT Team Member, Detective, Sergeant, Lieutenant, 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 SRPD, until his retirement on 02-15-2024.
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.
The Salt River Police Department (SRPD) is the 12th largest Police Department by staffing in Arizona and is the 2nd largest out of 564 Federally recognized Indian Communities within the USA. The SRPD dedicated team of 217 Police Team Members (165 Sworn and 52 Non Sworn Professionals) provide Policing Excellence to the approximately 750,000 persons daily conducting business, enjoying entertainment venues and traveling within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s 88 square miles and 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 to testify in Tribal, State and Federal Courts.
Through Chief Auerbach’s Leadership as the SRPD Chief of Police from 2016 to 2024, he dramatically improved the Trust and Relationship with the Community who we Serve, implemented several Community Based Policing, Community Centered Policing, Positive Interaction Operations and Programs, several Awareness, Educational and Crime Prevention Programs that Improved the Health, Safety and Welfare of the Community. Designed and implemented the Beat System, High Visibility Activity (HVA) or “Hot Spot” Patrols, Special Operations Plans and “Bullseye Response”, with combined actions and efforts reducing Response Times to Priority One (e.g.: life threatening, in progress or just occurred) Calls For Service (CFS) to under 4 minutes (more than 90% of the time).
Reduced Violent Crimes, Drugs Crimes, Gang Crimes and Firearms Crimes. Improved Apprehension and Solvability Rates. Increased staffing from 135 Team Members to 217 Team Members (a 38% increase), attrition rate less than 1%. Increased the budget from $13 million to $30 million (a 57% increase). The SRPD becoming the first fully Accredited Police Department within Indian Country Nationwide and in the State of Arizona through the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP) and our SRPD Emergency Communications Center (ECC) becoming the first fully Accredited (also through ALEAP) Police Department ECC within Indian Country Nationwide and in the State of Arizona. Overall deliverables and results were dramatic improvements of Efficiency, Effectiveness, Productivity and consistently delivering Top Quality Police Services to the Community.
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 US Attorney General, Janet Reno, receiving the prestigious “William French Smith” Award for his efforts in this RICO case. He also testified before the US 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 served 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<T) 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), 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).
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