PSJ Subcommittee Minutes Draft 6.14.23.pdf

Phoenix City Council 
Public Safety and Justice (PSJ) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson St. 
Phoenix, Ariz. 
Subcommittee Members Present   
 Subcommittee Members Absent  
Councilwoman Ann O’Brien, Chair 
  Councilmember Kevin Robinson 
Councilman Jim Waring 
Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairwoman O’Brien called the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee to order at 9:32 
a.m. with Councilman Jim Waring and Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari present.
CALL TO THE PUBLIC 
Rivko Knox spoke in support of collaboration between government and the community 
for crime reduction. 
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee Meeting
Vice Mayor Ansari made a motion to approve the minutes of the May 10, 2023, Public
Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting. Councilman Waring seconded the motion
which passed unanimously, 3-0.
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION (ITEM 2-4) 
2. Body Worn Cameras - RFP 18-056 – Amendment
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Police Assistant Director Jesse Cooper to present 
on the item. 
Mr. Cooper stated the current Axon contract expires February 2024. He stated new 
features in the contract amendment would include unlimited capture and third-party 
storage in cloud services to efficiently share digital evidence. He stated the 
proposed contract was a five-year term totaling $39 million, including two refreshes 
of cameras and docks. 
Vice Mayor Ansari made a motion to approve the item. Chairwoman O’Brien seconded 
the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0. 
Attachment A

Chairwoman O’Brien opened the floor to public comment. 
Refilwe Gqajela spoke in opposition to the mishandling of justice by the Police. 
3. Phoenix Community Court 
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Deputy City Manager Gina Montes, Chief Presiding 
Judge Don Taylor, Assistant City Prosecutor Esteban Gomez, Public Defender 
David Ward, and Homeless Solutions Deputy Director Scott Hall to present on the 
item. 
Ms. Montes provided an overview of the proposed Community Court that will assist 
justice involved unsheltered individuals. 
Judge Taylor explained the three therapeutic specialty courts that involve the 
Phoenix Municipal Court including the Behavioral Health Court, the Veteran’s Court 
and the City’s participation in the regional homelessness court. He said a new court 
would help assist another specific population of individuals. 
Mr. Gomez stated unsheltered members may have additional barriers while facing 
charges in the traditional criminal justice system. He stated staff recommends a 
more deliberate and robust approach. 
Mr. Ward explained how the Community Court would be able to compassionately 
assist individuals with long-term solutions to break the cycle of homelessness and 
addiction. 
Mr. Hall discussed the importance of connecting people to the appropriate 
resources. He explained the steps of participation in the Community Court from 
assessment to graduation and listed the performance measures. 
Ms. Montes stated staff recommended 11 City positions, 10 contracted navigators, 
and necessary equipment or administrative items for a total annual cost of $2.3 
million and one-time cost of $45,000 to be approved at the Formal City Council 
meeting on June 28, for the court to launch in January 2024. 
Councilman Waring asked if an individual who defecates in a public space would 
have their case heard in this new court. 
Judge Taylor replied the gatekeeper for those eligible for the Community Court 
would be the Prosecutor’s Office. He stated appropriate cases would have a quality-
of-life issue prevalent. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked what types of instances an individual would be ineligible 
for the Community Court.

Mr. Gomez replied criminal history, restitutions, injuries, damage, aggravation, and 
threat to community safety would be factored into the eligibility of the individual for 
Community Court. 
Assistant City Manager Lori Bays added domestic violence and assault charges 
would most likely disqualify an individual for Community Court as the vast majority of 
cases would include non-violent misdemeanor charges, such as trespassing. 
Councilman Waring brought up a report he had received regarding a staff member 
being recently threatened with a knife in the area around the campus. 
Ms. Montes responded with details of how the incident transpired and explained no 
one was harmed as a result of the situation. 
Councilman Waring asked if the intent was to provide services to individuals instead 
of serving prison time for the crime committed. 
Mr. Ward explained which types of cases would generally remain in felony court. He 
also shared information on the structure of services provided in the Veteran’s Court, 
and how the intention of the new court would be to help homeless individuals 
through a rigorous, results-oriented process, which adds additional accountability 
measures. 
Councilman Waring expressed hope for the Community Court to help address the 
challenges involving people experiencing homelessness but was concerned for the 
worsening conditions throughout the City. 
Vice Mayor Ansari stated her experience living downtown caused her to think about 
necessary services beyond the incarceration system. She asked for an explanation 
on the benefits of Community Court. 
Mr. Hall stated the new court would fill the gap to add accountability through 
requirements for the individual to receive services as an alternative to cycling 
through the justice system. 
Vice Mayor Ansari asked for elaboration on the cycle of poverty related to the court 
system. 
Mr. Hall responded with the statement that when an individual has nothing, they are 
not afraid of losing anything. He spoke about the importance of support and a 
pathway to employment or other goals that holds an individual accountable. 
Vice Mayor Ansari highlighted the opportunity to enter Community Court after booking 
and customized service plans with wrap-around services as ideal components of the

Community Court plan. She stated this was a great program to address a national 
problem. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked how many days a week the court would be available. 
Judge Taylor replied two days a week. 
Chairwoman O’Brien asked if a specialty court needed Arizona Supreme Court 
approval. 
Judge Taylor answered there was no approval needed, though there were standards 
adopted by the Arizona Supreme Court to abide by for behavioral health courts. 
Chairwoman O’Brien recollected when she witnessed one of the City’s current specialty 
courts assist a mother to improve her life circumstances. She said the individuals 
graduating from specialty court programs had earned it. She expressed frustration that 
the prison system did not provide assistance. Chairwoman O’Brien thanked staff for 
their efforts. 
Chairwoman O’Brien opened the floor to public comment. 
Jeff Spellman spoke in support of Community Court for homeless individuals due to the 
success of a similar court in Mesa. 
Vice Mayor Ansari made a motion to approve the item. Chairwoman O’Brien seconded 
the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0 
4. Animal Ordinance Update 
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and Information 
Technology Services Supervisor Brett Meyers to present on the item. 
Ms. Bays overviewed the proposed changes to the definitions of animal verses 
livestock, adequate shelter, and unlawful restraint that were unreasonable for animal 
treatment and in extreme weather conditions. She explained the animal cruelty hearing 
process occurs within 48 hours of when an animal was seized. 
Mr. Meyers discussed the new myPHX311 feature for residents to provide concerns on 
potential animal cruelty cases. He stated the technology would autogenerate letters sent 
to the owner with the ordinances and education information. 
Ms. Bays said educational campaigns for the treatment of animals were created by the 
Arizona Human Society and Police staff. She recommended the subcommittee approve 
the amendments to the City’s Animal Ordinance for action at the Formal City Council. 
Chairwoman O’Brien opened the floor to public comment.

Christy Margherio spoke in support of a change of definition to tethering and requested 
organizations responsible for receiving animal abuse neglect complaints be required to 
enter data into the myPHX311 form. 
Don Bentley spoke in support of expanding the definition of tethering and provided 
Glendale as an example of a tethering ban. 
MJ Simpson spoke about the reasons tethering was animal cruelty and stated the 
definition change was an improvement. 
Vice Mayor Ansari thanked staff and advocacy groups. She stated animals deserve 
better. She asked for clarification about tethering during extreme weather conditions. 
Ms. Bays responded the language of the ordinance maintains the disallowance of 
tethering during extreme weather conditions and gives additional parameters for 
tethering during normal conditions. 
Vice Mayor Ansari asked for the definition of adequate shelter to be restated. 
Ms. Bays replied the shelter can be artificial or natural, but must be accessible 
throughout the year, a stable structure, in clean condition, a sufficient size for the animal 
to move naturally, and protect the animal from weather conditions. 
Vice Mayor Ansari asked if staff could connect with the advocacy group on their request 
for additions to the myPHX311 form. 
Mr. Meyers answered yes that was possible. 
Vice Mayor Ansari expressed the importance of the educational component so that the 
actions would not place undue burden on low-income communities She also expressed 
her desire to work toward an outright ban on tethering in the future. 
Vice Mayor Ansari made a motion to approve the item. Chairwoman O’Brien seconded 
the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0. 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEMS 5-7)  
5. Park Ranger and Security Services Update 
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Parks and Recreation Director Cynthia Aguilar and 
Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Jarod Rogers to present on the item. 
Mr. Rogers discussed mountain preserves and urban parks assignments of park 
rangers to help improve guest satisfaction, safety, park usability, and assist with 
emergency situations. He stated there were 69 park rangers with eight vacancies to 
cover the three mountain preserve areas. Mr. Rogers said there were 28 park rangers 
with five vacancies to cover the 186 urban parks, as well as pedestrian paths and

tunnels. He applauded Human Resources staff for processing candidates and shared 
the anticipated hiring timeline for third-shift operations beginning September 11. 
Ms. Aguilar discussed the park locations and scope of work for the security services 
pilot program. She stated the initial outcomes with park rangers were increased 
education on the Code of Conduct, decreased vandalism or trash, and successful 
engagement in 793 encounters. She said that while third-shift park rangers would begin 
patrol the week of Sept. 11, security services would continue through Nov. 30 to provide 
an overlap. Ms. Aguilar stated Finance staff was preparing a new solicitation for security 
services used for special events will be effective on Dec. 1, with the current vendor or a 
new vendor. 
Councilman Waring asked if five overdoses occurred in parks to date. 
Ms. Aguilar answered that was correct. 
Councilman Waring stated park security was effective and expressed support to expand 
it to all parks to save more lives. 
Chairwoman O’Brien thanked staff for the transition and third-shift openings filled. She 
stated park security would continue to make parks safe for community use. 
6. Train Derailment Emergency Response 
This item was continued to a future meeting. 
7. UAS (Drones) Update 
Chairwoman O’Brien introduced Executive Assistant Fire Chief Scott Walker, Police 
Commander Brian Riggan, and Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Jarod Rogers 
to present on the item. 
Chief Walker explained the 40-hour robust training program for licensed pilots. He 
stated there were more than 728 flights in the last year, with over 100 incidents 
responded to with a drone to benefit operations. Chief Walker provided multiple 
scenarios where drones gave critical perspectives to firefighters. He stated the 
financial savings from Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) was approximately 
$2,375.24 per hour. 
Chairwoman O’Brien expressed appreciation knowing the engine companies and 
brush trucks remained in service to assist on other calls in the City. 
Chief Walker confirmed the apparatuses remained in service instead of being staged 
where they were potentially not needed.  
Chairwoman O’Brien emphasized the impact on response times.

Chief Walker replied the UAS impacted use of resources and partnerships. He 
stated the Fire UAS program received national attention and staff conducted 
outreach at webinars and festivals. He said future efforts were to use a deployment 
vehicle, use of a tether drone, streaming technology to units arriving on scene, 
expand the fleet, and continue public safety partnerships. 
Police Commander Riggan provided investigation examples for use of the drones 
that reduce time and increase convictions. He shared tactical drone footage that 
increased safety of officers and bystanders. Commander Riggan showed Hance 
Park as an example of the mapping feature of drones for advanced planning for 
public events to provide accurate landmarks to officers. He stated fiscal impact 
varies by type of scene for the 236 tactical missions, 144 investigative, 26 event and 
11 other flights over the last six months. He said future steps would be to train 15 to 
20 more pilots and add drones to meet the demand and increase map related skills. 
Mr. Rogers emphasized the proposed uses of UAS in the mountain preserves for 
rescue assistance, trail inspection, cultural resource or invasive species 
management, and debris identification. He stated Park staff hosted some of the 
drone training events for search and rescue and capture video for visitor promotion. 
He demonstrated the capabilities of drones for mapping dimensions before crews go 
maintain sites, monitor invasive species outbreaks, and quickly model points in time 
to compare park conditions year after year. He stated with an Executive Committee 
review and approval in June the operations for UAS in the department would begin 
later this year.  
Councilman Waring asked about obtaining permission to send drones over State 
Trust Lands to locate homeless encampments, which often start fires. 
Chief Walker replied Fire already had the agreements with land agencies to address 
emergencies on those properties. 
Councilman Waring asked if Police had to obtain permission to fly a drone if there 
was a report of an encampment on State Lands, but no fire. 
Commander Riggan replied drones can go wherever officers legally are allowed to 
be. 
Councilman Waring asked if the drones can be used to identify the location of a 
homeless encampment noted in a complaint. 
Commander Riggan replied drone usage is controlled by Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) regulations, so if assistance was requested within the City then 
it would be examined as a case-by-case basis.

Councilman Waring requested staff research the various activities that a drone can 
investigate over State Land and provide an update to the subcommittee. He also 
asked if homeless encampments lead to fires. 
Chief Walker replied yes human activity in encampments oftentimes has caused a 
fire in brush areas. He discussed how Fire works with other departments and 
organizations to assist individuals and move them to a better location. 
Councilman Waring stated proactive efforts to reduce trash and fires in desert areas 
would save taxpayer dollars. He expressed his preference for staff to reevaluate the 
policy with governmental agencies and use of drones in parks and State Lands to 
help reduce tragedies. 
Chairwoman O’Brien requested Fire and Police staff provide an update via email 
and present in-person in the fall on the relationship with Arizona State Trust Land. 
She thanked staff for the update. 
INFORMATION ONLY (ITEMS 8-9) 
8. Phoenix Police Department Hiring, Recruitment and Attrition Monthly Report 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
9. Community Assistance Program Hiring and Recruitment Report 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
None. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
Chairwoman O’Brien requested Police and Fire provide an update about operating 
within Arizona State Trust Land limits. She confirmed the item about security on the light 
rail was on the September agenda. 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairwoman O’Brien adjourned the meeting at 11:40 a.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Nina Fader 
Management Fellow