Executive Staff

Investigations and Administrative Bureau

Assistant Chief Ernie Ochoa began his career with the Glendale Police Department in 1999. Prior to being promoted to Assistant Chief of Police, Chief Ochoa served as the Commander over the Administrative Services Division and the Gateway Patrol Division.

Earlier in his career, Assistant Chief Ochoa also worked as a Patrol Officer, Selective Enforcement Detective, Narcotics Detective, K-9 Handler, Community Engagement Team Sergeant, K-9 Unit Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, and a Foothills Sector Lieutenant.

Prior to joining the Police Department, Assistant Chief Ochoa was a Utility Worker for the City of Glendale’s Utilities Division for five years. Chief Ochoa is a veteran of the United States Air Force and earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Wayland Baptist University. He also graduated from the 287^th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy (FBINA).

Assistant Chief Ochoa grew up in Glendale and graduated from Independence High School. He is married to a Glendale Police Lieutenant and has two sons and a daughter.  

Operations Bureau

Assistant Chief Brandon Blanco began his career with the Glendale Police Department in 1996. Prior to being promoted to Assistant Chief of Police, Chief Blanco previously served as the Commander over the Administrative Services Division, the Special Operations Division, the Criminal Investigations Division and the Gateway Patrol Division. Assistant Chief Blanco has served as the Police Incident Commander for major global events, including Super Bowl XLIX and the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four. 

During his early career, Assistant Chief Blanco held several assignments: Field Training Officer, Recruit Training Officer, Gang Detective, Narcotics Detective, Fraud Forgery Sergeant, Auto Theft Sergeant, Street Crimes Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant and Special Events Planning Lieutenant. 

Assistant Chief Blanco holds a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies from Arizona State University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 275). He currently serves as an Executive Board Member for the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC). 

Assistant Chief Blanco grew up in Chandler and eventually moved to San Diego and graduated from Mira Mesa High School. He has been married for over 25yrs to a retired Glendale Police Detective, and he has 3 daughters and 1 granddaughter.

Support Services Bureau

Assistant Police Director Brent Ackzen originally joined the Glendale Police Department in 1975 as a civilian within the Communications Center and has worked within several units within the department to include Records, Identification and Detention. When he became a manager, he oversaw the operation of the Records Division, Detention and Communications. As a commander, he managed the Technical Services Bureau, Support Services Bureau, and Investigations Bureau, which included Records, Detention, Communications, DARE/GREAT operations, School Resource Officers, Identification, Property/Evidence, Fleet Management, Traffic Services, Information Systems and General and Special Investigations.

In May 2005, Brent was promoted to Assistant Director and managed the Administration Bureau, Investigations Bureau and Support Services Bureau. In 2008, Brent retired but returned in 2017 and currently holds the position of Assistant Police Director and has responsibility over Support Services which includes Communications, Detention, Fleet, Security Services, Property/Evidence, Records and Technology. Brent serves as a projects coordinator for technology enhancements from Computer Aided Dispatch System, Police Records Management System, as well as computers and tablets in the police vehicles.

Significant Accomplishments

Assistant Police Director Ackzen has received the International Danny E. Smith Award for Dedication, Vision and Leadership in Public Safety and the American Society for Public Administration Superior Service Award. He also completed the Senior Management Institute for Police Training in Boston and the Southern Police Institute Master Program at the University of Louisville.

Investigative Services Division

Commander Ryan Horrall began his law enforcement career with the Glendale Police Department in 1992. Ryan had the opportunity to serve as a volunteer as well as a Communications Specialist before entering the police academy in 1994. Since then, Ryan served as an officer in Patrol, Vehicular Crimes, Motors, and General Investigations. Ryan was promoted to Sergeant in 2005 where he served in Patrol, Judicial Enforcement and Motors. In 2019, Ryan was promoted to the Lieutenant, serving in Patrol and as the Foothills Sector Lieutenant before being promoted to the rank of Commander in 2021.

Ryan is an Arizona native and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University. Ryan recently attended the AzPOST Executive Leadership Program. Ryan is a proud Deer Valley High School Graduate and lucky to serve in the community that raised him.

Ryan is married and the proud dad of five amazing daughters.

Special Operations Division

Commander Jay O’Neill joined the Glendale Police Department in 2005 after more than 7 years as an officer and 1 ½ as a dispatcher in California. Before being promoted to Commander, Jay served as a Patrol Lieutenant and was also assigned to the Public Information Office. Jay has served as a Patrol Officer, Neighborhood Response Squad Officer, Motorcycle Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Public Information Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, and General Investigations Lieutenant. Jay is also a Past-President of the Glendale Law Enforcement Association.

Jay earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from San Diego State University and a Master of Administration with a Leadership emphasis from Northern Arizona University and is a graduate of the 284th session of the FBI National Academy.

Jay is a former United States Marine, is lucky enough to be married to his best-friend Melissa and is the proud father of 4 daughters.

Foothills Patrol Division

Jarrod began serving the Glendale, AZ community as a member of the Glendale Police Department in May of 2006. He graduated from the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy in September 2006 and began serving in the Patrol Division. During his time as an officer, Jarrod had the opportunity to work as a Neighborhood Response Squad officer (Community Oriented Policing/Problem Solving), a Violent Crimes detective, and a Special Investigations Unit undercover detective. He learned how to positively engage with the community to solve the problems they faced, conduct thorough investigations, and balance safety with mission as was assigned in these roles. 

In November of 2014, Jarrod was promoted to the rank of sergeant and assigned to patrol where he supervised line-level patrol officers performing their duties. In 2017, he was appointed as a sergeant to the Glendale Police Department SWAT team. The team is a collateral duty team, and he responded with the team to high-risk incidents that include search warrants and barricaded suspects. In 2018, Jarrod was appointed to the Neighborhood Response Squad sergeant where he was able to continue to work with the community to solve problems. He worked in these two assignments until 2020 when he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. 

Jarrod wants to continue to develop his skills as a leader. He has completed the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy training course and look forward to learning from other leaders in the law enforcement profession.

Jarrod is married and has two daughters. He also served in the United States Marine Corps. He has obtained a Master’s of Arts Degree from University of Phoenix in Administration of Justice and Security.

During his early career, Assistant Chief Harkleroad worked as a Patrol Officer, a Neighborhood Response Unit Officer and Patrol and Administrative Sergeant before being promoted to Lieutenant. As a Lieutenant, he served as a Patrol Shift Lieutenant then he was placed in charge of the Special Investigations Unit, which included Narcotics, Fugitive Apprehension, the Repeat Offender Program and the Street Crimes and Auto Theft Unit. His next assignment was as the Emergency Response Unit Lieutenant and he also served as the SWAT Team Commander and oversaw the Bomb Unit, the K-9 Unit, the Threat Assessment Team and Security Services. 

Administrative Services Division

In 2006, Commander Scott Waite began his law enforcement career with the Glendale Police Department. Scott has served as an officer in Patrol, Field Training Officer, Property Crimes Detective, Violent Crimes Detective and Grenadier for the Mobile Field Force Team. Scott promoted to Sergeant in 2013, where he served in Patrol, Special Events and the Public Information Office. In 2018, Scott was promoted to Lieutenant, where he served in Patrol, Emergency Response Unit, and General Investigations, before being promoted to Commander in 2024.

Commander Scott Waite attended the AzPOST Executive Leadership Program and is a Defensive Tactics Instructor and Physical Fitness Instructor. Scott also led the Dignitary Protection Team for the Glendale Police Department. Scott has also been the Law Enforcement Torch Run Director for the State of Arizona, leading the largest fundraising organization for Special Olympics of Arizona.

Scott is a Glendale Native. He grew up in Glendale, graduating from Ironwood High School and then attending Glendale Community College. We went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University. Scott is married to an amazing woman and proud father to five children, three daughters and two sons.

Gateway Patrol Division

Commander Hinde began his law enforcement career with the Glendale Police Department in February 2007. After graduating from the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy, he was assigned to the Gateway Patrol Division on the graveyard shift. He later served five years with the Foothills Neighborhood Response Squad as a Specialty Officer, addressing community crime and quality-of-life issues, before transferring to the Glendale Family Advocacy Center. There, he worked as a Family Violence and Crimes Against Children Detective, concluding his assignment as an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Officer.

Promoted to Sergeant, Commander Hinde returned to patrol, serving in both the Foothills and Gateway areas before transitioning to the Criminal Investigations Division in 2020. As a Detective Sergeant, he supervised the Gun Violence and Digital Forensics Squads, oversaw the department’s NIBIN program, and served as one of the original WVIRT sergeants. After promoting to Lieutenant in 2022, he served as a Shift Commander, led the Professional Standards Unit, and later managed the Special Investigations Unit, overseeing the Fugitive Apprehension and Narcotic Enforcement teams. He also served as Deputy HIDTA Commander for the West Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force and as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal with the West Valley Violent Offender Task Force.

Commander Hinde earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Ottawa University and a Master’s Degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership (LEPSL) from the University of San Diego. He also successfully completed the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) Executive Leadership Course. A proud Glendale native, Commander Hinde is a graduate of Apollo High School and Glendale Community College. He is happily married to his beautiful wife and is the proud father of two amazing daughters.

Public Safety Communications Administrator

Public Safety Communications Administrator, Jose Santiago, began his career with the Glendale Police Department in February of 2020. Immediately after he began, he was tasked with handling the public and internal messaging when it came to Covid-19 and the City’s plan to handle the pandemic. After that first year, Jose was promoted to be the first civilian manager over the police department’s Public Information Office. Now as their Administrator, he has grown the office to include a Sergeant, an officer, a social media producer and videographer/editor. In addition, he aids/guides with the needs of our Fire Department and Department of Emergency Management.

Prior to coming to PD, Jose had a nearly 20-year career in TV news. During that period, he was the recipient of two Emmy awards. Some of his career highlights include being the only Journalist to interview the convicted kidnapper of Elizabeth Smart and he is in the longest episode ever recorded of the TV show “Snapped” based on convicted killer Jodi Arias. He has worked for every news affiliate including CNN, HLN, Fox News and Oxygen. And has been a Journalist in South Carolina, North Carolina, Utah and Phoenix. Once he left TV news, he started in the world of Public Relations which led him to become the Public Information Officer for Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, where he had a 99-percent adoption success rate. That job and his frequent TV appearances led to him being referred to as the “doggy guy.”

Jose earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. He and his family reside in North Central Phoenix.

Technical Services Administrator

Technical Services Administrator Michaelanne Acree began her career with the Glendale Police Department in 2003. She was hired as a Police Communications Specialist and promoted to Police Communications Supervisor in 2006 where she held roles including shift supervisor, administrative and technical projects supervisor, and tactical dispatch supervisor. In 2017, Michaelanne was promoted to Support Services Manager over the Police Information Technology, Property and Evidence, and Records Units. In 2021, she returned to Communications as the Communications Operations Manager. In 2023, Michaelanne promoted to Technical Services Administrator and leads a talented professional staff in all support services areas of the department including Communications, Detention, Fleet Management, Property and Evidence, PD Information Technology, Records, and Security. These teams handle large technology projects and provide daily support to officers for dozens of systems including but not limited to the Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems, digital evidence management, in-vehicle hardware and software, and police interoperable radio systems.

Michaelanne grew up in the Glendale area and attended Deer Valley High School.   She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Western International University, a Master of Arts degree in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona, a Master of Arts Degree in Literature from Arizona State University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Arizona State University. Michaelanne's awards include being named Arizona APCO Communications Supervisor of the Year and Glendale Police Department Civilian of the Year. She completed the AZ Post Leadership in Police Organizations program with Class 16 and graduated from the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police, Class 94, in Boston.