PHOENIX—Today, Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council unanimously advanced key police reform recommendations which aim to better document police activity and improve data collection, as well as improve transparency and accountability within the police department.
The slate of proposed policies introduced by the mayor and her colleagues augment existing City efforts toward reform.
“We’re working to prioritize excellence in public safety to meet our community’s needs. That means we have the right tools, and embracing a culture of continuous improvement,” Gallego said. “Over the last several years, we’ve implemented changes based on citizen feedback, overhauled our approach to homelessness, expanded alternative response models for behavioral health calls, and much more. Today’s reforms demonstrate that we are committed to long-term changes that provide the best public safety services and outcomes for our residents.”
The recommendations passed by the City Council include:
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Improve the department’s internal investigations and evaluative processes, including more thorough investigations and results, clearer deadlines, reviewing a broader scope of evidence, and more;
Read the
full list of recommendations.
“Today, the City Council and public had the opportunity to hear from city staff about the efforts currently underway as well as those proposed for the coming months. I am encouraged by today's discussion, which demonstrated Phoenix’s commitment to listening and working with the community,” Councilman Kevin Robinson said. “I know there is more work to be done; I have known and worked for the Phoenix Police Department for most of my adult life, and I hold the Department to incredibly high standards. I believe this is demonstrated by the additional recommendations provided by myself and my colleagues. I am optimistic about the additional improvements approved by City Council today. We will continue to listen and work closely with our communities, and together we will make Phoenix the best city it can be.”
“These reforms are not top-down directives, but rather the feedback from extensive community conversations and listening sessions, and incorporates the input of residents, community leaders, experts in public safety, and civil rights organizations. These reforms reflect the voices, concerns, and aspirations of our community,” Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington said.
“Mayor Gallego, the members of the Phoenix City Council, and I take the US Department of Justice report very seriously,” Vice Mayor Debra Stark added. “While the Phoenix Police Department has put in the work to make changes, we know that there is still more to be done. After thoughtful dialogue and consideration, I am confident that Phoenix has a Mayor, City Council, and Police Department that are committed to ensuring that our recommendations discussed and passed today are implemented. I look forward to continuing to work with the Phoenix Police Department and residents to make Phoenix a safer place for all.”
“We can no longer delay, deny or dodge the necessary action for reform within in the Phoenix Police Department. Phoenix residents deserve a police force that aims to serve everyone equitably. They deserve good policing,” stated Councilman Carlos Galindo-Elvira. “Today’s action by my colleagues and I continues a self-correcting process toward meaningful reform centered on accountability, communication, and transparency. This action does not lose sight that many Phoenix police officers are already serving this community with integrity, honesty and respect; it reinforces our commitment to have a force that lives up to the words “to serve and protect.”
“Our public safety family has and continues to be proactive and self-correcting. These policy reform recommendations passed by Council today are another example of the Council’s ability to identify issues and make changes where we need to,” Councilwoman Ann O’Brien said. “The DOJ Report highlighted areas of concerns for investigators and provided a list of suggested action items – many of which have already been implemented or were just voted on today. The Report also suggested Council would be ineffective in making necessary reforms and suggested outside control in the form of a Consent Decree to ensure reforms happened. Council showed today, we don’t need federal control to effectively make changes to our city departments.”
“The DOJ has said they would like to work constructively with city officials, and I hope that is exactly what they will do. Like the DOJ, we are committed to the principles of justice and protecting the civil rights of everyone in our city. That is why we have worked together as a council to chart a path forward, engaging our communities to bring forth many reforms like the ones discussed today meant to address the very concerns the DOJ mentions in its report,” Councilwoman Betty Guardado said. “However, the work does not stop here, we know and understand that there is more work ahead, I have said it before and I will say it again: we must get more community engagement. It is imperative that we collaborate with local organizations, government agencies to implement sustainable solutions that allow us to move forward and protect the civil rights of all of our residents.”
Background:
During her time on the City Council, Gallego supported hiring more police officers to restore staffing to pre-recession levels. She also supported the purchase and deployment of 2,000 body- worn cameras, and as mayor, accelerated and achieved full implementation of this program for every patrol police officer.
In 2020, the City Council fully funded the Office of Accountability and Transparency (OAT), a City agency that provides oversight of administrative investigations of misconduct allegations against members of the Phoenix Police Department and receives community feedback regarding complaints, commendations, or concerns about policing in Phoenix. To date, OAT has released 15 monitoring reports and subsequent recommendations, which can be read here. Gallego and the Council created a Civilian Review Board, which will work in tandem with OAT to provide oversight and reform recommendations to the Police Department, the City Manager, the Mayor and the City Council.
Additionally, throughout her tenure, Gallego has championed alternative response models to enable police officers to focus on their core job functions. The Community Assistance Program (CAP) works with emergency personnel to provide timely behavioral health resources and prevent unnecessary police involvement of those experiencing mental health challenges. Today, after a successful pilot period, CAP is operating across the city, seven days a week, meeting the needs of Phoenix residents while returning critical time to police officers and firefighters. Thanks to Phoenix voters’ approval of the 2023 General Obligation Bond, CAP will expand its facilities and services at three new fire stations. CAP and the City’s partnership with Solari Crisis Intervention Network have diverted thousands of calls from traditional police response.
