Attachment A - PSJ Minutes Sept 8 2021.pdf

City of Phoenix
Meeting Location:
City Council Chambers
200 W. Jefferson St.
Phoenix, Arizona 85003
Minutes
Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee
Councilwoman Ann O'Brien, Chair
Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari
Councilman Jim Waring
Vice Mayor Carlos Garcia
9:30 AM
City Council Chambers
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
CALL TO ORDER
The Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee convened on Wednesday, 
September 8, 2021 at 9:32 a.m. in the Council Chambers.
Councilwoman Ann O'Brien, Councilwoman Yassamin 
Ansari, Councilman Jim Waring and Councilmember 
Carlos Garcia
Present:
4 - 
Vice Mayor Garcia joined the meeting at 9:41 a.m.
000
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 Mar. 
10, 2021 Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee. Councilwoman Ansari 
seconded the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0 with one member 
absent.
This item was approved.
CONSENT ACTION (ITEMS 2-3)
Items 2-3 were for consent action. No presentations were planned but staff was 
available to answer questions.
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Councilman Waring moved to approve consent items 2-3. Councilwoman 
Ansari seconded the motion which passed unanimously 3-0 with one member 
absent.
2
FY 2021 Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program
This item was approved.
3
Donation from Phoenix Police Foundation
This item was approved.
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEMS 4-5)
4
Navigating Traumatic Incidents
Discussion
Assistant City Manager Jeff Barton spoke briefly about the first item for 
discussion before introducing the Human Services Director Marchelle 
Franklin for a staff presentation.
Ms. Franklin gave a presentation about the new Family Advocacy Team. 
She explained that five civilian positions within the Phoenix Police 
Department (PPD) would be reallocated to the Human Services 
Department to provide assistance and confidential support for community 
members impacted by a PPD-related traumatic incident. She stated that 
this would include support services like: mental health services, 
navigating the investigative process, and facilitating communication 
between families and government agencies. Lastly, Ms. Franklin spoke 
about expanding the scope of this team to include support services for 
next of kin or family members of vehicular deaths and homicides.
Councilwoman Ansari asked if there were publicly available employee 
position descriptions for the five new positions.
Ms. Franklin responded that the position descriptions were available and 
would be provided to Subcommittee members.
Councilman Waring asked if the five reallocated positions would come 
from the PPD’s 3,125 funded positions.
Mr. Barton replied no. He stated that the 3,125 authorized positions that 
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Councilman Waring mentioned were budgeted and sworn police 
positions. Mr. Barton clarified that the five positions mentioned in staff’s 
presentation were civilian positions that would have no operational 
impacts to the PPD if reallocated.
Councilman Waring clarified that no funds from current PPD sworn officer 
positions would be moved to the Human Services Department.
Mr. Barton replied that the only change to the PPD budget would be the 
movement of those five budgeted civilian positions from PPD to the 
Human Services Department. He stated there was a net zero change in 
the General Fund budget. 
Councilman Waring asked if this was separate from the PPD budget 
discussions that took place in the spring. 
Mr. Barton replied that was correct.
Chairwoman O’Brien thanked staff for their presentation and Councilman 
Waring for making sure that the public understands the City was not 
taking away sworn officer positions from PPD. 
Vice Mayor Garcia asked staff for further elaboration of how the Family 
Advocacy Team remains connected with impacted families and includes 
their input for policy decisions. 
Mr. Barton stated that the City had continuous dialogue with the 
referenced families. He spoke about how the City Manager tasked PPD 
to address 3 key focus areas developed from conversations with those 
families. Mr. Barton also said that each of those focus areas would be 
addressed with new and revised policies by the end of September. 
Councilwoman Ansari asked if the new Family Advocacy Team would 
address all forms of traumatic incidents in the future.
Mr. Barton stated that this new team would evolve as the need arises. He 
stated that moving forward the team would involve itself in additional type 
of incidents as needed and the Council could see a supplemental 
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5
request for additional positions in the upcoming budget process.
Councilwoman Ansari asked staff to confirm that the Family Advocacy 
Team functions would evolve in the future. 
Mr. Barton stated that Councilwoman Ansari’s assessment was correct. 
He followed up by saying if the caseload was too high, the city would 
have to address the additional work with more resources in the future. 
This item was discussed.
Phoenix Police Department Recruitment, Hiring and Retention
Discussion
Assistant City Manager Jeff Barton spoke briefly about the second item 
for discussion before introducing Assistant Police Chief Sean Connolly 
and Executive Assistant Police Chief Michael Kurtenbach for a staff 
presentation.
Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach began the staff update on police 
recruitment, hiring, and retention efforts. He explained that 2,878 out of 
3,125 sworn officer positions were filled, leaving the department with 247 
sworn officer vacancies. 
Assistant Chief Connolly spoke about PPD’s hiring trends and processes 
while also highlighting the sworn officer attrition rate since 2018. He 
elaborated on the recruiting efforts online and in-person on college 
campuses and military bases. Assistant Chief Connolly discussed the 
$7,500 hiring incentives for police recruits and lateral police officers, as 
well as the $2,500 employee referral bonus. Lastly, he described the 
retention efforts within the PPD which included programs like mentoring 
groups and career expansion opportunities.
Councilman Waring asked how long PPD sworn officers were staying 
with the department. He also asked if staff tracked those numbers.
Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach replied that the department had 
been tracking those numbers and explained that there was a 
transformation of the type of applicants. He explained that recent PPD 
applicants were been more focused on a work-life balance rather than a 
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long-term career. Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach stated that 
officers seemed to be leaving because they were no longer interested in 
being a police officer, or there were more competitive incentives being 
offered at other law enforcement agencies in the state. He noted that the 
PPD was losing an average of 11 sworn officers for each officer hired.
Councilman Waring asked if the PPD had more sworn PPD officers 
transferring out of the department versus transferring in.
Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach reiterated that the department was 
losing 11 officers for each officer hired. He explained that PPD officers 
approaching retirement were not as interested in the Deferred Retirement 
Option Plan (DROP) financial incentive. Executive Assistant Chief 
Kurtenbach also stated that some officers simply did not want to work 
with the City. He stated that in the past it was easier to recruit because the 
PPD was a large entity that could offer applicants promotion 
opportunities. 
Councilman Waring asked staff how many sworn PPD officers have left 
the City to go to a different local law enforcement agency.
Assistant Chief Connolly replied that he did not have that number but 
could provide it to Council at a later date. He also stated that the 
department anticipates the number of PPD officers leaving the City to go 
up in 2022.
Councilman Waring asked if $400,000 was directed towards out of state 
recruitment efforts.
Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach stated that the council provided 
funds to hire outside of the state at universities, Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and military bases. He explained that 
in-person recruiting efforts were not as effective anymore. Executive 
Assistant Chief Kurtenbach noted that the department had focused more 
on social media marketing efforts for hiring. 
Councilman Waring asked if military recruitment efforts provided the 
largest number of hired officers. 
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Assistant Chief Connolly replied that historically, military service 
members had been the most hired group for the PPD. He also stated that 
the PPD still had a healthy relationship with military bases for hiring 
purposes. Assistant Chief Connolly also noted that some of the laterals 
did not meet the rigorous standards of the PPD hiring process.
Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach stated that the PPD had 12 
officers move to other agencies during the current fiscal year.
Councilman Waring asked how officer retirement plays a role and if the 
hiring situation within the PPD could get worse before getting better. 
Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach stated that 30 percent of the PPD 
officers were retirement eligible and that 447 sworn officers were in 
DROP program. He reiterated that the 30 percent of retirement eligible 
PPD officers represent 810 sworn positions. 
Councilman Waring asked if the PPD had conducted research or 
outreach to other agencies for successful hiring practices.
Assistant Chief Connolly replied that the department had focused more 
on digital advertising and recruiting efforts. He also stated that PPD had 
recently met with the Indianapolis Police Department to compare 
retention effort strategies. 
Councilman Waring discussed the changes in laws with marijuana and 
asked how that factors into the hiring process.
Assistant Chief Connolly replied that this was a challenge. He noted that 
as the PPD continues to evolve the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and 
Training Board (AZPOST) would need to evolve as well, specifically with 
marijuana policies.
Councilman Waring asked if future changes in marijuana policies were 
solely a City of Phoenix responsibility.
Assistant Chief Connolly said that was correct and that AZPOST would 
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be a part of that process.
Councilwoman Ansari asked why the PPD does not prioritize recruitment 
of pools that have some form of college education. She also asked if the 
PPD was targeting recruitment and hiring efforts towards women and 
people of color.
Assistant Chief Connolly spoke about how the PPD partnered with 
multiple community groups in hiring women and people of color. 
Councilwoman Ansari talked about research that demonstrates possible 
negative impacts of hiring from the military due to cultural differences. 
She also spoke about a conversation she had with Chief Williams about 
military hiring efforts as not being the most beneficial for the PPD. 
Councilwoman Ansari asked to hear staff’s experience in hiring members 
of the military.
Assistant Chief Connolly stated that the PPD had shifted away from 
military training ideology and focused more on creating a collegial 
environment. He replied that there was some accuracy to Councilwoman 
Ansari’s statement but that there must be a balance to the hiring process. 
Assistant Chief Connolly explained that as the PPD continues to evolve, 
keeping in mind the balance of hiring practices would be important. 
Vice Mayor Garcia noted his concern that the PPD may not take time to 
fully evaluate applicants because of the sense of urgency to hire caused 
by staff attrition rates. He stated that he was concerned about the quality 
of hires. Vice Mayor Garcia asked how PPD measure the parallels of 
making the police department better and the impacts on the recruitment 
process.
Assistant Chief Connolly replied that the PPD retention survey gave the 
department insight into how important it was to make employees feel 
valued. He stated that when there was less volume of applicants there 
was a higher quality of evaluation. Assistant Chief Connolly reiterated the 
importance for employees being valued.
Vice Mayor Garcia spoke about the workload being placed on police 
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officers in the United States as well as the expectation that those officers 
handle noncriminal issues. He asked staff what taking this workload off 
PPD would look like. Vice Mayor Garcia followed up by asking if there 
was a strategy for dealing with low numbers of applicants and hiring 
incentives not being effective. 
Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach replied that he chose his career 
path because he saw it as a calling and wanted to make a difference in 
the community. He stated that the PPD recognizes a police officer may 
not be the best tool to respond to every call. Executive Assistant Chief 
Kurtenbach discussed that over time, law enforcement had become the 
most visible part of government and accumulated more duties. He 
indicated, the PPD would need to civilianize more, while also becoming 
more intentional in responding to call types. Executive Assistant Chief 
Kurtenbach noted that there must be an agency or entity to take over 
those duties.
Councilman Waring agreed that hiring retirees part time could be 
beneficial to both parties as it would keep retirees active in the 
community and receive health benefits as well as the PPD could better 
balance their workload. He also stated that hiring from the military 
applicant pool could be ideal as there were many veterans who have a 
college degree. Councilman Waring rebutted the notion that the 
application process was being rushed, and asked if the hiring standards 
were still maintained within PPD’s applicant review process.
Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach stated that was correct. He 
mentioned the PPD added a community review component to the 
application process to receive additional review on potential candidates.
Mr. Barton noted that the PPD had been working on the hiring issue for 
several years and explained that he designed the balancing plan leading 
to the attrition based trajectory in PPD. He explained that this plan came 
to fruition because, at that point in time, there was not an interest in laying 
off police officers to immediately balance funding.
Mr. Barton explained that the passing of Prop 1 in 2007 required the PPD 
to hire a number of new officers within a 24-month time frame. He noted 
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the impact of Prop 1 and said that new hires were constantly moving in 
and out of the department. Mr. Barton stated that many of those officers 
should not have been hired and cost the city a tremendous amount of 
money in lawsuits. He stated that the changes within the hiring process 
were an intentional response to the lessons learned in 2007. Mr. Barton 
concluded by saying the PPD must work to find the right candidates to 
represent the department.
Councilman Waring asked if the standard of hiring had changed for the 
last three years.
Mr. Barton stated that the hiring process had stayed the same for the 
most part but also noted there had been changes to provide more 
community input and broaden the applicant pool.
Councilman Waring reiterated his question by asking if the department 
had upped the hiring standards.
Mr. Barton replied correct.
Councilman Waring asked if the PPD’s change in retirement age had an 
impact on attrition rates in the department.
Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach replied that those changes have 
had a significant impact on whether officers remain with the City. He 
discussed two key benefits that he and Assistant Chief Connolly have 
that new hires did not have, including the 20-year retirement and DROP 
option. Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach stated that currently, the 
retirement for new applicants was 25 years with no option for DROP. He 
also stated that new applicants had a higher contribution rate to the 
pension fund. 
Councilman Waring stated that Executive Assistant Chief Kurtenbach’s 
description of the situation makes the PPD sworn officer job not as 
attractive for those applicants seeking a long-term position.
Councilwoman Ansari asked Chairwoman O’Brien if PPD military hiring 
could be a future topic of discussion in the Public Safety and Justice 
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Subcommittee meetings. She followed up with a question asking if the 
PPD had a consultant that helps with Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) 
in the hiring and retention process. Councilwoman Ansari asked if the 
recently approved DEI Office would play a role in future PPD hiring 
processes.
Assistant Chief Connolly replied that there was no DEI consultant that 
assisted PPD through the hiring and retention processes.
Mr. Barton stated that there would be a DEI coordinator with input across 
the spectrum of office functions and hiring practices in the City. He 
followed up by saying the DEI coordinator would be a part of the PPD 
recruiting process.
Councilwoman Ansari asked if the PPD would be able to create a civilian 
position within the department to assist with the hiring process. 
Mr. Barton confirmed this would be the case.
Chairwoman O’Brien thanked staff for their presentation and the 
subcommittee for their questions.
This item was discussed.
000
CALL TO THE PUBLIC
Ms. Anna Hernandez said that the discussion within the Subcommittee meeting 
was a great start to helping families navigate traumatic incidents. She explained 
that her family was impacted by a traumatic police involved incident and 
referenced in previous discussion. Ms. Hernandez stated that she was grateful 
to be involved in the process and noted the importance of keeping families like 
hers in mind when creating advocacy teams in the future.
Chairwoman O’Brien thanked Ms. Hernandez for her comments.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Vice Mayor Garcia requested the addition of a future agenda item regarding the 
PPD cleanup sweeps of encampments of people experiencing homelessness.
Councilwoman Ansari requested the addition of a future agenda item regarding 
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PPD military hiring.
ADJOURN
There being no further business to come before the Subcommittee, 
Chairwoman O'Brien declared the meeting adjourned at 11:01 a.m.
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