Attachment A 3-6-24-PSJ Subcommittee Minutes - Draft.pdf

Attachment A 
 
Phoenix City Council 
Public Safety and Justice (PSJ) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson St. 
Phoenix, Ariz. 
Subcommittee Members Present                    Subcommittee Members Absent         
Councilwoman Ann O’Brien, Chair 
         
Councilman Kevin Robinson 
Councilman Jim Waring 
Councilwoman Guardado 
 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairwoman O’Brien called the Public Safety and Justice (PSJ) Subcommittee to order 
at 10:04 a.m. with Councilwoman Guardado, Councilman Kevin Robinson and 
Councilman Jim Waring present.  
CALL TO THE PUBLIC 
None. 
 
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee Meeting 
Councilman Waring made a motion to approve the minutes of the Feb. 7, 2024, Public 
Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting. Councilman Robinson seconded the motion 
which passed unanimously, 4-0. 
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION (ITEM 2)  
 
2. Parks Safety Update 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Parks and Recreation Director Cynthia Aguilar, Parks 
and Recreation Assistant Director Martin Whitfield, Parks and Recreation Deputy 
Director Jarod Rogers, and Police Executive Assistant Chief Sean Connolly to present 
on this item.  
 
Ms. Aguilar provided background on the requests from the Dec. 4 PSJ Subcommittee 
meeting including information on trespass authority, park rangers, and security services. 
She confirmed Phoenix Police are permitted to trespass individuals without the 
presence of a Parks and Recreation employee.

Councilman Waring asked how this issue was a source of confusion. 
 
Ms. Aguilar stated there was confusion regarding what the practice had been. She 
stated Phoenix Police has already been trespassing people in parks, but there were 
circumstances where Phoenix Police would reach out to park rangers to obtain more 
information. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated there was a City code section related to the granting of 
authority to Parks and Recreation staff, but there was a letter sent by the Parks and 
Recreation Director to clear up any authority confusion. He provided statistics on calls 
for service and arrests within parks and made it clear Phoenix Police has authority to 
trespass individuals within a park. 
 
Councilman Waring asked what afterhours calls look like. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated calls are often from the community, and very few of the 
calls are from park rangers. 
 
Councilman Waring asked for further clarification about who typically calls afterhours.  
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated the calls are often from residents from the surrounding 
communities that border parks. He stated the number of calls is encouraging because 
the community is vigilant.  
 
Councilman Waring asked if the behavior of subjects during afterhours calls is worse 
because more of these calls resulted in an arrest. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated there is a higher volume of calls afterhours, but his 
assessment is fair. 
 
Councilman Waring stated there must be afterhours calls where Phoenix Police show 
up and find nothing. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated that is correct. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked what a CLD is. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated a Citation in Lieu of Detention (CLD) is used for 
misdemeanor crimes. He provided data for trespass calls for service and arrests. 
 
Councilman Waring asked why the 237 after hour bookings only resulted in 177 people 
being trespassed.

Assistant Chief Connolly stated that people should not be trespassed in all instances 
and it depends on the specific situation, but trespasses are often a component of 
arrests in parks. He stated there is the ability for Parks and Recreation staff to 
communicate with Police, and this will result in streamlining the trespassing process. 
 
Councilman Waring asked for clarification on whether everyone is trespassed from a 
park even if they are arrested for another crime. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated it is important to understand the criteria for being 
trespassed at a park. He mentioned this process requires the responsible party to issue 
a warning. 
 
Councilman Waring asked of the 237 people who were arrested, if the 177 individuals 
who were trespassed had been previously issued a warning. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly answered yes. 
 
Councilman Waring asked if this meant the City would not trespass someone who was 
shooting in the park. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated Phoenix Police would not necessarily include a trespass 
for someone who was charged with a crime like shooting in the park but focus on the 
severe criminal charges related to such an incident. He mentioned if they were later 
spotted in the park after getting out of prison, then officers would trespass them. 
 
Mr. Rogers explained park rangers work under the Department’s code of conduct and 
enforce this code when appropriate. He provided information on current staffing levels 
and explained the plan for filling current vacancies. He explained shift coverage and 
provided data on the average number of unique park visits rangers make every month 
and every day. He noted third shift park rangers have been able to make over 2,500 
contacts with residents. He introduced the Answering Service Pilot Program residents 
can use to report activity in parks. 
 
Mr. Whitfield discussed the responsibilities of security services in parks and their shift 
details. He shared that over the past year, security personnel made over 16,250 
contacts with residents. He stated there has been a positive impact in decreasing 
negative behavior in parks. 
 
Councilman Waring asked if the presence of security has impacted issues of trash and 
vandalism in parks. 
 
Ms. Aguilar stated it is difficult to monetarily track the value of these services in this 
context, but staff has noted the parks are cleaner when they arrive in the mornings.

Councilman Waring stated he supports this program, and he is glad the City instituted 
this program. 
 
Mr. Whitfield discussed the differences between the security service providers and key 
contract differences. He noted Windom Security Strategies offers body-worn cameras 
for no additional costs and a higher number of minimum training hours. 
 
Ms. Aguilar outlined the next steps for continuing these security strategies including 
transitioning security services to Windom Security Strategies, reviewing current 
trespass thresholds, and Master Plan efforts.  
 
Councilman Waring asked about the reason for why bodies have been found in the park 
and if they had anything to do with suicides. 
 
Ms. Aguilar stated there are no deaths listed as suicides, but there are some listed as 
unknown causes of death. 
 
Councilman Waring noted he did not believe any of these bodies found were connected 
to people out hiking in the preserves, and he listed the other causes of death. He stated 
there have been instances where park rangers have been able to save people they 
have come across in the parks. He asked for data regarding when a park ranger has 
called Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and saved a life. 
 
Ms. Aguilar stated she did not have those statistics but would provide that information. 
 
Councilman Waring asked how many residents found dead bodies in the park. 
 
Ms. Aguilar stated 10 of the instances where a dead body was found, a resident 
discovered them. 
 
Councilman Waring expressed concern for residents who have discovered dead bodies 
and how that might impact residents long-term. He stated he believes as the presence 
of security and park rangers increase, these occurrences will decrease.  
 
Councilman Robinson asked if Phoenix Police were called for criminal activity in a park, 
if the subject would be charged with the crime committed and not necessarily be 
trespassed. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated that was correct. 
 
Councilman Robinson stated it is important to note subjects are usually charged with 
the most severe crime committed. He also stated unfortunately dead bodies have 
always been found in parks, and he was glad the City has additional park rangers.

Councilwoman Guardado thanked staff for their hard work and noted their swift 
implementation of the third shift for park rangers. She asked for data to be provided on 
the reason behind these arrests in the parks. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated he could provide that data. 
 
Councilwoman Guardado asked for a breakdown of the 14 bodies found in parks and 
for a comparison with the number of calls park rangers have made and the number of 
calls security personnel have made. 
 
Councilman Waring asked what situation would cause an officer to spontaneously self-
dispatch to a park. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated this is due to planning by Phoenix police to reduce 
crime, and officers being assigned to the statistically most violent areas. 
 
Councilman Waring asked if instances are only logged as calls if an officer comes 
across something concerning while patrolling a park. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated that is correct. 
 
Councilman Waring emphasized the importance of these programs and stated there 
should be more resources to continue these programs. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked why Wednesday is the overlap day for park ranger shifts. 
 
Mr. Rogers stated park rangers work four 10-hour shifts and one weekend day per 
week. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked why people must be given a warning before they can be 
trespassed. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated this is due to the obligation to the trespassing law, as 
they must to have the opportunity to leave. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked if two individuals were fighting in the park, and they have 
not been previously given a warning if they cannot be trespassed from the park. 
 
Assistant Chief Connolly stated Phoenix Police would only issue a warning in that 
instance, but the subjects would be charged with the appropriate crime committed.  
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked if Phoenix Police can trespass people from the park if it is 
appropriate, even if the individual is not charged with trespassing.

Ms. Aguilar stated this would be a concern staff would need to address with the Law 
Department, but this is something they could pursue. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien stated if someone has been shooting or fighting in a park, she 
would hope they could be trespassed based on that behavior. She asked when the 
Answering Service Pilot Program will be starting. 
 
Mr. Rogers stated the program will start during the summertime.  
 
Chairwoman O’Brien stated her excitement for the pilot program. She asked if the 
security data over the past year was made up of unique contacts. 
 
Ms. Aguilar stated the contacts are not unique, and there could be duplicates. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked for future data to differentiate overall contacts and unique 
contacts. She thanked staff for looking into the differences in what the security providers 
can offer the City. She asked what the vacancy rate is for the security company, 
 
Ms. Aguilar stated the security company is required to provide enough personnel for 
each shift, so there is no true vacancy rate. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked if there have been any attendance issues. 
 
Ms. Aguilar stated there have not been.  
 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked that any data provided to Councilmembers in response to 
their requests be sent to all Committee members.  
 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEM 3)  
 
3. 2024 NCAA Final Four Events  
 
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Deputy City Manager John Chan, Emergency 
Management Director Commander Brian Lee, and Deputy Fire Chief Justin Alexander 
to present on item. 
 
Mr. Chan provided a preview of the Final Four events being held in the City including 
Fan Fest, the music festival, and the Final Four Dribble. He discussed each event in 
detail and shared a video that highlighted the work of Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors 
and the Clean and Green Team.  
 
Commander Lee stated the City of Phoenix Public Safety Planning Team have 
developed a staffing model to support the upcoming Final Four events. He stated the 
team is focused on safety, security, and support while planning these events.

Deputy Chief Alexander described safety procedures for Phoenix Fire in relation to all 
Final Four events hosted in the City. 
 
Commander Lee described the efforts Police have implemented to ensure enough staff 
will be available for routine duties and Final Four events. He explained Emergency 
Management staff’s efforts in mass care preparedness and emergency alert messaging. 
He stated the Incident Management Team will conduct all public safety operations from 
the Tactical Operations Center. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien thanked the presenters and staff for their efforts. 
 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEMS 4-5)  
 
4. Police Hiring, Recruitment, and Attrition Update 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Police Commander Sara Garza and Darren Higgs with 
ON Advertising to present on this item. 
 
Commander Garza provided data on staffing levels, application averages per month, 
and process improvements. She discussed the strategy updates the department has 
implemented including eliminating the written test, changing timing for applications, and 
implementing more in-person contacts. She described the Success with Effort and 
Training (SWET) program and its positive outcomes. She provided an update on the 30 
by 30 initiative workgroup projects on recruiting female police officers.  
 
Councilman Waring stated a recent article included a quote stating Phoenix Police 
needed more diversity, and expressed it is important to advertise the efforts being made 
to diversify. 
 
Commander Garza stated their recruitment team has made a serious effort to attend 
multi-cultural events as often as possible. She also stated Phoenix Police take all 
qualified candidates. 
 
Councilman Waring stated he was not criticizing the article, but the specific quote 
insinuating there have been no efforts to diversify Phoenix Police. 
 
Commander Garza described the multi-cultural events Phoenix Police have recruited at 
recently. 
 
Councilwoman Guardado invited Phoenix Police to the District 5 resource fair hosted at 
the Maryvale Community Center.  
 
Commander Garza stated the recruitment team will ensure someone is there. She 
described recruiting unit strategies and provided updates on new marketing strategies.

She noted new marketing partnerships with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pat’s Run, and 
University of Arizona Athletics. 
 
Mr. Higgs described marketing campaign objectives, provided highlights of the new 
website launched last month, detailed new social media campaigns, and explained 
targeted online advertisements. He noted they are currently conducting a community 
survey about reactions to the website and provided some preliminary results. 
 
Commander Garza provided next steps for these strategies. 
 
Councilman Robinson asked how successful other communities ON advertising has 
worked with have been in increasing their diversity. 
 
Mr. Higgs noted ON Advertising tries to showcase individual stories so people can 
connect with them. They often interview a sworn person and utilize it on social media. 
 
Councilman Robinson asked if there was an increase in African American or Hispanic 
individuals within the Police Departments they worked with. 
 
Mr. Higgs stated yes, most recently in the city of Nashville. 
 
Councilman Robinson stated concern regarding the lack of African American officers 
when compared to the last few decades. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien thanked staff for the presentation. 
 
5. Opioid Response Planning: Environmental Scan Results 
 
This item was continued to the April 3 PSJ Subcommittee meeting. 
 
6. Fire Staffing and Response Time Update 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien opened the floor to public comment. 
 
Ben Lindquist, Vice President of the Firefighters Union, stated concern regarding 
achieving required response times with current resources. He stated support for raising 
sales tax for additional funding. 
 
7. CAP Hiring, Recruitment and Metric Report 
 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
None. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
None.

ADJOURNMENT 
Chairwoman O’Brien adjourned the meeting at 12:00 p.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Chloe Baldwin 
Management Fellow