Serving a population of 17,000, the 92-employee Gila River Police Department operates a multifaceted law enforcement program that includes community-based policing, neighborhood block watch programs, a citizen’s police academy, and bike patrols. Since assuming control over law enforcement in 1998, the Department has improved police response times significantly and seen a reduction in criminal activity on the reservation, which borders the cities of Phoenix, Chandler, and Tempe.