9-6-23 PSJ Subcommittee Minutes - Updated Draft.pdf

Phoenix City Council 
Public Safety and Justice (PSJ) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson St. 
Phoenix, Ariz. 
Subcommittee Members Present                    Subcommittee Members Absent         
Councilwoman Ann O’Brien, Chair 
Councilwoman Betty Guardado 
Councilman Kevin Robinson 
Councilman Jim Waring 
 
 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairwoman O’Brien called the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee to order at 
10:01 a.m. with Councilwoman Betty 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 June 14, 2023, Public 
Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting. Councilwoman Guardado seconded the 
motion which passed unanimously, 4-0. 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEMS 2-4)  
 
2. Light Rail Security Update 
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Light Rail Coordinator Markus Coleman, Police 
Assistant Chief Sean Kennedy, and Valley Metro Chief Executive Officer Jessica 
Mefford-Miller to present on this item. 
Mr. Coleman gave an overview of the presentation and explained it would focus on the 
long-standing partnership between the Police Department and Light Rail staff. 
Ms. Mefford-Miller explained customer safety is Valley Metro’s highest priority. She 
stated the presentation focused on security, which Valley Metro defines as mitigating 
intentional risk. Ms. Mefford-Miller explained the Allied Universal Security (AUS) 
program and stated they have 110 full-time positions and 4 part-time positions, with 75

percent of scheduled shifts currently filled. She stated Valley Metro was working to 
close the 20 percent vacancy rate for the AUS positions. Ms. Mefford-Miller explained 
additional security resources will be added through the Northwest Phase 2 (NWEII) set 
to open in early 2024. Ms. Mefford-Miller explained where AUS is deployed around the 
light rail system, and how they spend their time during shifts. Ms. Mefford-Miller stated 
the AUS vacancy rate has decreased, and Valley Metro is working on more hiring 
efforts. She then provided an overview of the new fare collection policies including new 
ticket vending machines and mobile ticketing.  
Councilman Waring asked how many AUS full-time positions are filled compared to the 
number of budgeted full-time positions available.  
Ms. Mefford-Miller confirmed there are 80 to 85 positions currently filled. 
Councilman Waring asked Mr. Coleman if private security hired for the light rail was 
spread out across cities. 
Mr. Coleman replied yes. 
Councilman Waring asked how many security personnel work in the City. 
Mr. Coleman explained distribution is based on miles in the system. 
Ms. Mefford-Miller added more than half of security personnel are focused in the City 
and they match their security presence based on ridership. 
Councilman Waring asked how many trains are operating in the City at any given time 
and the likelihood of security personnel being in close proximity to someone when an 
incident occurs. 
Ms. Mefford-Miller said customers are likely to encounter a guard on one-third of trains. 
Councilman Waring asked about the hours of operation for light rail. 
Ms. Mefford-Miller said the hours are from 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. 
Councilman Waring expressed concern with the volume of constituent calls he receives 
regarding negative experiences on light rail, especially with people experiencing 
homelessness. 
Ms. Mefford Miller stated there were 81 reported assaults on passengers in the past six 
months. She added it was a mischaracterization of the experience to think one would be 
assaulted when on light rail. 
Councilman Waring clarified his comment and emphasized people who do not pay for 
tickets are not light rail customers. He explained he is getting negative feedback from

his constituents about the state of the light rail trains, and he is concerned that he 
cannot provide a solution. 
Ms. Mefford-Miller explained how the AUS security personnel deployment strategy 
works and provided examples. 
Councilman Waring reiterated his concern, noting there could be a scenario where an 
incident occurs on a train and there are no security personnel nearby to help. He stated 
he is worried about the reputation of light rail and recommended changing the goal to 
have security personnel on 100 percent of trains. 
Mr. Coleman replied these safety concerns are the reason for the presentation and staff 
have heard similar concerns, and emphasized why this collaborative effort is important. 
Councilman Waring asked if there was something on the ballot previously to enable the 
City to hire security for light rail. 
Mr. Coleman explained the vote was to allow the private security company to issue civil 
citations. 
Councilman Robinson commented he teaches at Arizona State University in Tempe, 
and he has students who ride light rail, and their experience has been positive.  
Chief Kennedy provided an update on the Police Transit Unit, explaining the unit 
responds to calls for service on the light rail and buses, investigates crime involving light 
rail and buses, and provides a proactive presence. He provided statistics from January 
to July on the number of criminal reports, transit arrests, and duty shifts. He mentioned 
Phase 1 of the Enhanced Light Rail Security Plan is currently happening, and Phase 2 
will focus on increased enforcement and citing repeat offenders, and Phase 3 will focus 
on community concerns and maintaining any progress achieved.   
Chairwoman O’Brien opened the floor for public comment.  
Jeff Spellman spoke in support of the partnership because he had safety and security 
concerns about light rail along the 19th Avenue corridor. 
Jayme Mason expressed supports for the partnership but is still concerned about the 
safety on light rail.  
Shannon McBride expressed concern about the criminal activity associated with light 
rail. She explained she conducted a community survey that reflected public frustration 
with light rail safety.  
Darlene Vallo stated she conducts two daily neighborhood patrols down the 19th 
Avenue corridor near light rail. She expressed concern about the safety of light rail and 
drug-related activity happening on the platforms.

Chairwoman O’Brien closed public comment. 
Councilwoman Guardado thanked staff for their work on this plan. She expressed 
support for this partnership, and mentioned she has heard constituent concerns about 
safety. She asked Ms. Mefford-Miller about the number of people patrolling and if they 
have enough staff for AUS to keep the area secure. 
Ms. Mefford-Miller replied Valley Metro can improve their resource level through hiring 
more individuals for AUS.  
Councilwoman Guardado asked what the budget for a fully staffed security team would 
be, and if Police were aware of where funds would be diverted to help pay for these 
efforts. 
Chief Kennedy responded Phoenix Police have dedicated additional personnel to this 
project to help support this plan. 
Councilwoman Guardado asked if she could see numbers on how much it would cost to 
support Valley Metro fully in this effort. She requested discussing this at a later meeting. 
She asked staff to find out what the budget would be for more infrastructure 
enhancements at light rail platforms to help with security.  
Assistant City Manager Lori Bays responded staff would research the topic and bring 
information back to the subcommittee. 
Councilwoman Guardado thanked staff for creating the plan and for their effort in finding 
solutions. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked how many riders there are within a certain time period. 
Ms. Mefford-Miller said there are about 30,000 riders per day. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked if the data on assaults and removals were from AUS or 
Phoenix Police. 
Valley Metro Director of Safety, Security, and Quality Assurance Adrian Ruiz responded 
the data on the removal of customers is from AUS security personnel.  
Chairwoman O’Brien asked if AUS security personnel can require someone riding on 
the train to provide identification. 
Ms. Ruiz stated riders are required to provide identification. 
Mr. Coleman clarified the assaults reported in the AUS data provided in this 
presentation are not always reported to Phoenix Police. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked how many vacancies are in the Police Transit Unit.

Chief Kennedy answered historically they had 16 sworn positions in the unit, but 
currently they have 10 sworn detective positions. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked what the protocol is when AUS security personnel or an 
officer asks the train to stop because of a safety issue.  
Ms. Ruiz stated AUS security personnel can alert the train operator about the issue 
through dispatch control or by pushing the passenger intercom button. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked if the train always stops when it is asked to stop. 
Ms. Ruiz stated the train cannot stop mid-platform, but the train can be held at the 
closest platform to wait for Phoenix Police to arrive. 
Chairwoman O’Brien expressed concern an operations employee could override a 
request for the train to be stopped due to a safety issue. 
Ms. Mefford-Miller stated that is not something that happens, and operators stop trains 
for safety issues. 
Chairwoman O’Brien thanked the Police Transit Unit for the work they do. She 
expressed concern about funding and asked how Valley Metro responds to concerns 
from customers. 
Ms. Ruiz replied if a member of the community has a concern, staff will research the 
issue and pull archived videos from the train. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked about a non-compliance rate for customers who refuse to 
provide identification when AUS security personnel ask for it. She requested to see this 
data on a monthly basis. She also requested a better delineation for data on removals 
to understand when Phoenix Police are involved in these interactions. She asked how 
AUS security personnel and Police will know when someone is a first-time offender in 
relation to the enhanced security plan. 
Chief Kennedy responded there is often a familiarity with most AUS security personnel 
and Phoenix Police with regular customers who repeatedly fail to pay for a ticket. 
Chairwoman O’Brien recommended a public service where education is the goal until a 
certain date and after, people who do not pay for their fare would receive a citation or a 
fine. She asked if new officers would be spending time within this unit. 
Chief Kennedy stated they do utilize officers with limited experience, and officers 
improve their skills through customer contacts.  
Councilman Waring expressed concern that young people might have a different 
perspective on the light rail experience than someone who is riding with children. He 
asked Mr. Coleman to rank how important safety is compared to other concerns.

Mr. Coleman responded safety will always be the number one concern. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked for the members of the public to share the results of the 
surveys they mentioned were conducted. She requested a data point report for the 
October meeting. 
 
3. Community Assistance Program (CAP) Telehealth Program Update 
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Fire Chief Mike Duran, Battalion Chief Ray Ochoa, and 
Community Assistance Program (CAP) Director D.C. Ernst to present on this item. 
Assistant City Manager Lori Bays introduced Deputy City Manager Ginger Spencer. 
Chief Duran summarized the presentation and indicated it will include updates on CAP 
and updates on telehealth services.  
Ms. Ernst stated in March staff held five hiring events which resulted in hiring 48 new 
caseworkers for CAP. She noted the partnership with Arizona State University to 
provide social work interns for CAP. She provided data on increased CAP unit 
responses and emphasized responses increased significantly in July due to increased 
unit availability. She stated staff has been collaborating on locations of new CAP units.  
Ms. Ernst announced the City Manager’s Office is recruiting for a Community Mental 
Health Wellness and Safety Task Force that will consist of community members who 
have licenses in behavioral health, those who work in substance abuse counselling, and 
community members at large. Ms. Ernst provided a recap of recent CAP services and 
summarized next steps for CAP, including continued collaboration with Library staff and 
Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) staff, continued recruitment and hiring practices, 
identifying other potential CAP locations, and creating a new CAP monthly report.  
Battalion Chief Ochoa explained telehealth services are a good option for non-
emergency calls. In February 2022, telehealth services were approved, protocols were 
established, and Phase 1 launched in December 2022, resulting in 296 calls transferred 
to telehealth services. He added Phase 2 will launch in September and will include the 
launch of field units in October.  
Chairwoman O’Brien asked how significant the impact of diverting 296 calls to the 
telehealth program. She explained this question is about the state statute that requires 
transportation to the hospital if the patient requests it. 
 
Battalion Chief Ochoa explained the statute allows for an alternate destination. He 
confirmed the telehealth program does improve emergency response times. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien expressed her appreciation for staff for all their efforts and for their 
service to the community. 
 
4. School Safety Overview

Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Police Assistant Chief Charmane Osborn and Police 
Commander Sara Garza to present on this item. 
Commander Garza defined School Resource Officers (SROs) as full-time positions who 
are assigned to precincts and keep in constant contact with those precincts. She 
explained School Safety Officers (SSOs) are off-duty positions, but have the same 
responsibilities as SROs and the main goal for both programs is to create positive 
relationships with students and schools.  
Commander Garza provided comparative data for SROs in schools and emphasized the 
number has increased from 64 to 69 since the 2022-2023 school year. She explained 
the placement criteria and provided additional data on schools that have requested an 
SRO or SSO. She emphasized 95 percent of schools who have requested an SRO or 
SSO, or already had an assigned officer, are covered by sworn officers.  
Commander Garza explained alternatives for the programs are being researched, 
including reserve officers, alternative sworn, part-time officers, and retirees. She 
summarized school safety measures and summarized next steps for this program 
including creating a Valley taskforce for police on these issues.  
Councilman Robinson asked for clarification on exactly how many schools requested 
SROs in the 2022- 2023 school year. 
Commander Garza responded 71 schools were covered last year. She explained the 
requests are often informal and collecting data is difficult, and 53 new schools formally 
requested SROs for this school year. 
Councilman Robinson requested the data on the number of schools requesting SROs 
be clearer. He also asked what the response from reserve officers has been when 
asked to volunteer for this effort. 
Commander Garza replied the reserve officer program had approximately six interested 
officers. 
Councilman Robinson asked if the City would be eligible for repayment through the 
Arizona Department of Education if reserve or retired officers were utilized. 
Assistant City Manager Lori Bays responded that the topic is part of ongoing research. 
She explained state grants would not provide compensation for civilian volunteers, and 
compensation for these situations are being explored. 
Councilman Robinson requested all opportunities be explored.  
Commander Garza replied staff is exploring all options. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked if the City is utilizing regional resource officers and if a 
shared SRO means the officer splits their time between schools.

Commander Garza explained SROs who are sharing schools could be categorized as 
regional, and this will be the model moving forward to cover more schools and added 
SROs could split their time between schools.  
Chairwoman O’Brien clarified she understood a regional resource officer would be 
stationed in an area and respond to calls to schools as needed. She expressed concern 
that this would not allow for officers to connect with students. 
Chief Osborn explained the regional models are often different when considering 
different areas, and some districts request different levels of service. 
Chairwoman O’Brien stated she believes in the SRO model and the relationships 
officers form with students and schools are important. She also asked if the 95 percent 
of schools covered by an SRO or SSO have an officer present four to five days a week.  
Chief Osborn confirmed yes.  
INFORMATION ONLY (ITEM 5) 
5. Phoenix Police Department Hiring, Recruitment and Attrition Report  
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
Shannon McBride clarified her previous comments and continued to express concern 
about the public safety of light rail. She suggested including community groups and 
other organizations that provide services to individuals in the community. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
Councilman Waring requested an update on how San Diego addressed the issue of 
homelessness, as he observed an improvement when he visited. 
 
Councilman Robinson requested an update on diversity outreach efforts in Police hiring.  
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairwoman O’Brien adjourned the meeting at 12:14 p.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Chloe Baldwin 
Management Fellow