Lieutenant E.J. Echiverri has been with the Scottsdale Police Department for over 26 years. During that time, he served as both an Undercover Narcotics Detective in the Special Investigations Unit and as a Person’s Crimes Detective in the department’s multi-disciplinary Family Advocacy Center. Along with his investigative assignments, he also served with the department’s SWAT team both in a Tactical and Negotiator role retiring from the SWAT team as a Team Leader with the SWAT Crisis Negotiations Unit. Once promoted to Sergeant, he supervised Scottsdale’s very vibrant Entertainment District as a nights and weekends Patrol Sergeant while also graduating from the FBI LEEDA Online Police Supervisor Course. He then went on to spend 4 years with the Special Operations Division with highlights as a both a Use Of Force Review Board UFRB and Major Incident Review Board MIRB member,  4 year Team leader for the SWAT Crisis Negotiations Unit, team leader with our MFF / Rapid Response Unit, Less Lethal / OC Program manager with the first computer based recertification to allow for additional time at annual in-service training and as the Bike Unit Sergeant growing the Unit from 4 Bike Officers to 12 Bike Officers and diversifying the roles and functions of the Bike Unit to which they earned accolades as a gold standard Bike Unit at the national IPMBA conference, and many were promoted out of the unit to various Detective bureaus, SWAT or promoted to Sergeant.  Once promoted to Lieutenant, he returned to the Patrol Bureau where he served as the nights and weekends Watch Commander successfully navigating the Fashion Square Riot incident and certifying 22 additional grenadiers / 37mm operators, 12 rifle operators and at least 10 in service trainings related to civil unrest, public perception and investing in relationships. This fostered until his current assignment where he has been entrusted as the overnight Watch Commander where he serves as the highest-ranking Police Officer / Leader for the Police Department on Patrol at that time.

With this, Lieutenant Echiverri is also a highly decorated award-winning Police Veteran having been awarded over 100 letters / emails / certificates of Commendation, multiple Chief’s Awards of Excellence awards including the coveted 2010 SPD Police Officer of the Year, 2012 SPD Trainer of the Year and 2020 Commander’s Award of Excellence with additional annual nominations for 2011 Team of the Year and 2014 USB Supervisor of the Year. More importantly, he has successfully mentored and nominated 10 different Chief’s Awards Of Excellence winners to include 2 Supervisors of the Year 3 Rookies of The Year, 2 Special Operations Detectives of the Year, 2 Officer Of the Year and 1 Spirit of Service Recipient. Above this, he has also been honored with a department record unprecedented 6 different Critical Response Awards (2 as an Officer/Detective, 2 as a Sergeant and 2 as a Lieutenant/Watch Commander) and 9 Commander’s Challenge Coin Awards from USB, SIS and SOD Commanders / Chiefs for Operational Excellence, Critical Incident Management, Professional Development and Community Outreach. Finally, he has also been an AZPOST Certified Instructor, Lead Instructor, Instructor Trainer, Subject Matter Expert (SME) or Program Manager for several disciplines including but not limited to: Use of Force Instructor, Defensive Tactics Lead Instructor both PPCT and HFRG, Mobile Field Force, Less Lethal Munitions (Dual Instructor Certifications), Gas Munitions, Crisis Negotiations, Plain Clothes / Under Cover Work, Forensic Investigations, Traditional Investigations, Non-traditional Investigations, Entertainment District Policing, Special Event Management, Grenadier, Rifle, Shotgun, Carbine, SW Writing, Kinesthetic Interview / Interogations, Public Perception / Partnerships and both the Department’s Gang Liaison Officer (GLO) and Narcotics Trained Officer (NTO) Programs while also serving as a panel member on the Use Of Force Review Board (UFRB) and Major Incident Review Board (MIRB). He also took part and was the final speaker in our SPD Recruitment Video and the NAU Diversity in Policing Panel. Of these, he is most proud of his accomplishments in mentorship and professional development where he has served as an FTO (Field Training Officer), STO (Sergeant Training Officer) and LTO (Lieutenant Training Officer) mentoring over 50 different Officers, new Sergeants, and new Lieutenants formally while also informally mentoring his peers and direct reports to over 100 different promotional / instructor / SWAT opportunities. Also, his outreach endeavors with Special Olympics of Arizona, Paiute Park, JCC and the Anytown Youth Leadership Program where he was a Special Olympics Flag Football coach for 3 years and Anytown Camp Advisor for 4 years to which he recruited other Officers to join and experience the profound benefits of altruism and investing in our future by mentoring the next generation. Lieutenant Echiverri believes in primary mission policing which is to help others and make a difference not only externally but internally as well. Not only sworn but also civilian as well. His main priorities are the safety and success of those around him. He does this through constant and vigilant risk mitigation while also emphasizing training, accountability, customer service and investing in partnerships and relationships. His leadership philosophies and displayed acumen are one of successive and legacy leadership. Successive in the sense that he wants those around him to be trained and proficient enough to someday replace him. Legacy in that he wants to do his best every day to leave both the department and the city a better place.

In closing, Lieutenant Echiverri was also honored and humbled to be the Scottsdale Police Department’s first Asian / Pacific Islander Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Special Assignment Sergeant, Lieutenant and Watch Commander and the State of Arizona’s first Filipino Police Sergeant and Police Lieutenant making him the highest ranking Filipino and Asian / Pacific Islander Police Officer in the State of Arizona. He does not take this honor lightly and is so proud he chose the Scottsdale Police Department and the Scottsdale Citizens / Visitors to be his second family which they truly are.