PSJ Minutes 4-2-25 Final Draft.pdf

Attachment A 
 
Phoenix City Council 
Public Safety and Justice (PSJ) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson Street 
Phoenix, AZ 
Subcommittee Members Present                    Subcommittee Members Absent         
Councilman Kevin Robinson, Chair                 Councilwoman Betty Guardado 
Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien 
Councilman Jim Waring 
 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairman Robinson called the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee (PSJ) to order 
at 10:00 a.m. with Vice Mayor O’Brien, Councilman Waring present. Councilwoman 
Guardado attended virtually.    
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
None.  
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee Meeting 
Vice Mayor O’Brien made a motion to approve the minutes of the March 5, 2025, Public 
Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting. Councilman Waring seconded the motion 
which passed unanimously, 3-0. 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION 
2. UAS (Drone) Program Update 
Executive Assistant Fire Chief Tim Kreis, Assistant Fire Chief Daniel Cheatham, Police 
Commander Christine Calderon, Deputy Parks Director Jarod Rogers, and Deputy 
Communications Director Ashley Patton presented on this item.   
Chief Cheatham shared that several City departments currently have active Unmanned 
Aircraft System (UAS) programs, including the Phoenix Fire Department (PFD), Phoenix 
Police Department (PPD), Parks and Recreation Department, and the Communications 
Office. He stated the Public Works Department also has an approved UAS program, 
though it has not yet launched.

The Phoenix Fire Department launched its UAS program in June 2022. The program 
provides 360-degree aerial views during operations, enabling the identification of hidden 
hazards, monitor adjacent occupancies, and use thermal imaging to ensure safe 
positioning of staff. Currently, PFD has 10 certified pilots and three visual observers 
operating seven days per week. All pilots are required to obtain their Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) Part 107 certification, complete over 40 hours of training, and 
successfully pass the PFD UAS Task Book, which includes flight competency 
evaluations. This training is regularly updated to keep pace with evolving technology. 
For deployment, PFD maintains an emergency vehicle equipped with three drones of 
varying sizes to meet different operational needs. UAS cases include fire response, 
technical rescues, hazardous materials incidents, fire prevention, training, and 
community engagement. Chief Cheatham also shared several success stories where 
the UAS provided critical situational awareness to command staff. Looking ahead, the 
PFD plans to expand the program through enhanced mapping capabilities, the addition 
of a new response vehicle, and the integration of more tethered drone systems, further 
solidifying the UAS's role supporting first responders. 
Commander Calderon reported that the Police Department’s UAS program was 
launched in November 2022. The Program currently has 28 certified pilots, divided 
between 16 supporting specialty units and 12 supporting patrol operations. She stated 
Police UAS activities are focused on four key areas: investigative support, tactical 
support, event support, and patrol support. Investigative support includes assisting 
detectives with mapping, grid searches, and search-and-rescue missions. Tactical 
support involves dynamic incidents that may require coordination among multiple pilots. 
Patrol support commonly includes responding to burglary alarms and assisting in 
searches for individuals who have fled from officers. For event support, drones are 
deployed during pre-planned events to monitor crowd size, movement, and activities, 
often integrated with traffic planning efforts. Future goals for the Police UAS program 
include enhancing pilot training, exploring the use of drones as first responders, and 
identifying new drone models to support a variety of operational needs. 
Mr. Rogers outlined the Parks and Recreation Department’s UAS program, which 
launched in September 2024. The Program supports trail inspection and planning, 
cultural resource management, invasive species identification, revegetation monitoring, 
and trash and debris mapping. He shared examples of how drones have been used to 
track revegetation efforts, map debris sites, and monitor project progress. Future goals 
for the Parks and Recreation Department’s UAS program include acquiring additional 
drones, implementing spectral imaging technology for plant identification and invasive 
species tracking, and further expanding trail inspection and cultural resource monitoring 
efforts. 
Ms. Patton described the Communications Office’s UAS Program, which launched in 
January 2024. The Program’s primary role is to capture drone footage either proactively 
or at the request of department leadership. Currently, the Communications Office has

four FAA-certified pilots, all of whom are professional photographers. The 
Communications Office seeks to conduct approximately two flights per month in 2025. 
Assistant City Manager Lori Bays expressed appreciation for the City Council on 
approving the UAS program in 2022 as it has improved operations and saved lives.  
Vice Mayor O’Brien asked staff to provide metrics on the types of calls and the result in 
using the drone has been.  
Chairman Robinson asked if the license obtained for UAS use is the same across 
departments.  
Chief Cheatham confirmed the FAA certification is the same but there is a difference is 
the training since each Department responds to different situations. Additionally, the 
drones used across Departments are different.  
Chairman Robinson asked what restrictions are in place when Police is operating the 
drone.  
Commander Calderon stated the fourth amendment is followed. She added pilots 
undergo an additional 40 hour training which provides more training on what the pilots 
are allowed to use and not use.  
Chairman Robinson asked how many drones Police has.  
Commander Calderon stated she was not aware of the total at the time of the meeting.   
Chairman Robinson asked if a drone was used at an incident over the weekend.  
Commander Calderon stated she did not believe it was used at that incident but stated 
the patrol program is evolving.  
Assistant City Manager Bays stated there is a UAS website where information on the 
UAS policies are posted, as well as open data portal with information on each flight and 
mission details.   
3. Family Advocacy Center Overview  
Human Services Department (HSD) Director Jacqueline Edwards and HSD Assistant 
Director Tracee Hall presented on this item.  
Ms. Edwards stated the Family Advocacy Center (FAC) is operated by the Victim 
Services Division of the HSD. She stated the FAC also hosts other organizations which 
have a permanent presence at the Center. At the FAC, services are provided for all 
ages; children 17 years and younger are assisted by Childhelp, whereas individuals 18 
and older are assisted by the Victim Services Division.

Ms. Hall stated Childhelp is co-located with the PPD Crimes Against Children Unit. 
Childhelp focuses on providing services to minor victims of sexual abuse, child abuse 
and neglect, domestic violence, and therapeutic services for family members and 
caregivers. Ms. Hall provided 2024 statistics which detailed that 4,289 persons were 
served, 2,399 forensic interviews, 3,554 therapy sessions, 749 medical examinations, 
4,137 victim advocacy services, and over 15,000 opportunities for caregivers and 
professionals to learn about community prevention and education services. On the other 
hand, the Victim Services Division focuses on providing services to adult victims of 
domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and person impacted by a fatal 
police incident. In 2024, there was a total of 3,847 referrals of which 3,424 were from 
Police. She stated there were 3,009 persons served, 15,783 services provided, 2,210 
safety planning, 450 protective court orders, and 842 forensic medical exams. 
Ms. Edwards reported that the Victim Services Division has a total budget of 
approximately $3.2 million, funded through a combination of the General Fund, the 
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant, and other grant sources. The General Fund 
supports 16 full-time employees (FTEs), while the VOCA grant funds an additional eight 
FTEs. The current VOCA grant is set to expire in September 2025, and the renewal 
process is currently underway. 
Ms. Edwards stated the VSD is currently seeking licensed therapists to assist family 
advocacy center clients as a part of expanded services pilot program.  
Vice Mayor O’Brien asked whether the individuals served by Childhelp and the Victim 
Services Division (VSD) are separate. 
Ms. Edwards confirmed.  
Vice Mayor O’Brien asked if due to the uncertainty of federal grants, if other grant 
opportunities are being explored with the VOCA grant expiring.  
Ms. Edwards stated the HSD is continuing to explore other grant opportunities to 
supplement the budget to ensure services can continue to be provided.  
4. Arizona Task Force One  
Fire Assistant Chief Mark Gonzales, Division Fire Chief Jake VanHook, and Deputy Fire 
Chief Chris Healey presented on this item.  
Chief Gonzales stated the Arizona Task Force One (AZ-TF1) team was established in 
1994 and operates on a $1.4 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security. He expressed concerns over continued funding but stated 
conversations are undergoing to enlist support from Congressional Representatives.

Chief VanHook explained that AZ-TF1 is one of 28 task forces that make up the FEMA 
Urban Search and Rescue (USR) system which is a part of the Emergency Support 
Functions that is delineated to support the national response framework. 
Chief VanHook stated the PFD serves as the sponsoring agency, although Emergency 
Room doctors and structural engineers are contracted to assist with the effectiveness of 
the deployment. The annual $1.4 million in funding allows AZ-TF1 to train throughout 
the year to ensure it is ready should any event come up, as well as procure equipment, 
store and maintain fleet, and fund administration and management. Currently, it is made 
up of 206 members who are trained and deployable. At a local level, there have been 
various instances that the City has benefitted from such training with the 2023 flooding 
in Yuma being the most recent instance of assistance.  
Chief VanHook detailed the response and activation process. He stated that when local 
resources are exhausted, the response then moves to the region and county, followed 
by the State, up through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, and ends 
with an Emergency Disaster Declaration leading to a Federal response. Typically, the 
closest teams are deployed followed by a rotation matrix where other task forces will be 
deployed. When the AZ-TF1 is deployed, FEMA pays for the backfill of the positions 
that were taken for deployment. 
Chief VanHook provided an overview of the deployment to assist with Hurricane 
Helene, covering the activation process, mobilization, briefing, departure, and 
establishment of a base of operations. Chief Healey then discussed deployments to 
North Carolina and Florida, emphasizing the extensive planning and coordination 
required across multiple Task Forces. He also detailed the Florida mission in response 
to Hurricane Milton. Overall, the total deployment lasted approximately 20 days. 
Vice Mayor O’Brien expressed appreciation for the AZ-TF1 team to address crisis that 
arise.  
Chairman Robinson asked if the equipment provided by the Federal government is 
limited to use during deployments.   
Chief VanHook stated they are allowed to be used in extreme cases at both the local 
and state levels. The only stipulation is that they must remain available for a federal 
response.   
5. Community Assistance Program (CAP) Expansion Implementation Report 
Fire Assistant Chief Ray Ochoa and CAP Administrator DC Ernst presented on this 
item.  
Ms. Ernst began by proving an update on recruitment. She stated recruitment took 
place for Crisis Intervention Specialist in February 2025 and multiple candidates are

pending background checks. Currently 80 percent of positions are filled, whereas 20 
percent are vacant. 
Currently, there are six Behavioral Health Units (BHUs) operating seven days a week, 
providing 23.5 hours of daily coverage. The goal is to eventually expand to nine units. 
Additionally, there are six Crisis Response Units (CRUs) operating five days a week 
with full 24-hour coverage, and for the remaining two days, they provide 22 hours of 
coverage each day. 
Ms. Ernst reported that as of March 31, 2025, the CAP achieved its goal of maintaining 
24/7 BHU dispatcher coverage within Fire Dispatch. She noted that CAP continues to 
partner with the Police Department to provide online training, command staff training, 
and communications training for staff. Specifically, she shared that 234 calls were 
transferred from Police to BHUs in both January and February. 
In terms of service volume, BHUs responded to 517 calls in January and 496 calls in 
February. Ms. Ernst provided a breakdown of February’s BHU responses noting there 
were 27 joint responses with Police, 83 with Fire, 10 involving both Police and Fire, and 
376 handled by a single unit. 
Ms. Ernst also provided CRU call data, reporting 481 calls for service in January and 
416 in February. In February, CRU responses included 57 with Police, 123 with Fire, 
199 involving both Police and Fire, and 36 single-unit responses. 
Finally, Ms. Ernst shared that the average response time in February was 24 minutes 
for BHU and 23 minutes for CRU. 
Ms. Ernst noted the CAP Program received congressional recognition for its support of 
the mental health community from Congressman Greg Stanton.  
Next steps include continuing hiring efforts, increase CAP response units, and increase 
call transfers from Police.   
Vice Mayor O’Brien asked when BHU were added to the CAP.  
Ms. Ernst stated the funding for the BHU began in Fiscal Year 2021-22 and the first 
BHU was launched in September 2022.  
Vice Mayor O’Brien asked data be provided since the inception of the Program to 
provide better perspective.  
Vice Mayor asked when staffing was augmented to support the increase in the 
Program. 
Ms. Ernst stated there was an increase in 2023 and recently, 18 additional staff 
members were added.

INFORMATION ONLY 
6.Phoenix Police Department Recruitment, Hiring and Attrition Update 
Information only. No councilmember requested additional information. 
7. Phoenix Fire Department Staffing and Response Time Update 
Information only. No councilmember requested additional information. 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
Anne Ender asked for additional information regarding Police recruitment be shared.  
She expressed appreciation to the City Council for approving the TPT increase which 
will bring additional funding to the Fire Department.  
  
Orla Bobo commented on the need to increase Fire Department resources to address 
the crisis being experienced now.   
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
Councilman Waring asked for an update on parks security.  
 
Assistant City Manager Bays indicated an update will be presented in June.  
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairman Robinson adjourned the meeting at 11:26 a.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Destiny Dominguez 
Management Fellow