Attachment A - PSJ Minutes 5.6.26

Phoenix City Council 
Public Safety and Justice (PSJ) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson St. 
Phoenix, Arizona 
Subcommittee Members Present 
  Subcommittee Members Absent  
Councilman Robinson, Chair        
    Councilwoman Betty Guardado 
Councilwoman Ann O’Brien  
Councilman Jim Waring 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairman Robinson called the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee (PSJ) to order 
at 10:02 a.m. with Councilwoman O’Brien and Councilman Waring present.  
CALL TO THE PUBLIC 
None. 
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee Meeting
Councilwoman O’Brien made a motion to approve the minutes of the Apri 1, 2026 Public
Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting. Councilman Waring seconded the motion
which passed unanimously, 3-0.
CONSENT ACTION 
2. Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Awards (NBGA)
Councilwoman O’Brien asked item 26-155, in the amount of $15,000, to be added to the 
list of approved items. She requested approval of item 26‑058 for $2,277. She 
requested lines 1-13, 22, 24-26, and 28 also be considered for approval by the 
subcommittee. 
Assistant City Manager Lori Bays asked Councilwoman O’Brien to make the request in 
the form of a motion.  
Councilwoman O’Brien made the motion to approve the recommended grants, including 
item 26-058 in the amount of $2,277 for lines 1–13, 22, 24–26, and 28, as well as grant 
26-155 for the full amount of $15,000. Councilman Waring seconded the motion which
passed unanimously, 3-0.
ATTACHMENT A

DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION  
3. Firework Ordinance Recommendations 
Assistant Fire Chief Justin Alexander, Police Lieutenant Brian Rimsza, Deputy Parks 
Director Jarod Rogers, Deputy Communications Director Ashley Patton presented on 
the item.   
Councilman Waring pointed out much of District 2 appeared restricted on the slides, 
meaning some residents who could have legally used fireworks would no longer be able 
to. He asked how this change was being communicated, noting the lookup tool was 
useful but only if residents knew how to check it. 
Mr. Rogers noted the Communications Deputy Director would address the 
communication and advertising plan during her portion of the presentation. 
Councilman Waring asked if enforcement of the ordinance would begin with warnings or 
if individuals could face arrest on a first offense. He expressed concern that some 
residents might be unaware they were violating the rules. 
Lieutenant Rimsza reported an 18-month education campaign had already taken place, 
however there are now new elements potentially being added into the Code. He added 
enforcement would likely begin with civil fines, coordination with the City prosecutor’s 
office, which could identify repeat offenders and escalate penalties as needed. He 
emphasized the intention was not to arrest individuals for a first offense violation. 
Councilman Waring reiterated concerns about repeat offenders, stating escalating 
penalties were appropriate for individuals who continued unsafe behavior after being 
warned. He referenced a past presentation showing that fireworks had caused several 
fires and that some responsible individuals had been identified. Councilman Waring 
emphasized the goal of the current approach was prevention and reducing the risk of 
serious incidents.  
Lieutenant Rimsza agreed the current approach as prevention and reducing the risk of 
serious incidents.  
Councilman Robinson asked whether holiday-season messaging would begin about two 
weeks in advance and requested clarification on the exact start date.  
Ms. Patton clarified that, if the council approved the changes in the code on May 20, 
public messaging would begin immediately after that date, with broader communications 
ramping up as the July 4 holiday approached. 
Councilman Robinson inquired whether the City was placing messaging at park 
locations to remind residents that fireworks are prohibited, noting that some people may 
ignore or overlook existing rules.

Mr. Rogers clarified additional park messaging had not been planned because fireworks 
had always been prohibited within City parks. Existing code-of-conduct signage already 
communicated this, and park rangers continued educating visitors to ensure 
compliance. He explained the new effort focused on communicating restrictions in the 
areas surrounding parks, as those changes represented the substantive update. 
Ms. Bays added the primary communication focus was the expanded fireworks 
restrictions in the City code. She noted that, if the subcommittee advanced the 
recommendation and the full council approved it on May 20, messaging to the public 
would begin immediately afterward. Because the ordinance would take effect 
approximately 30 days later, around June 20, staff planned to begin outreach as soon 
as the approval occurred, emphasizing the new one-mile radius around parks and how 
residents could use the map tool to determine whether their address fell within a 
restricted area. 
Councilwoman O’Brien asked whether the updated fireworks-restriction information 
would be distributed to registered neighborhood groups, including block watches and 
HOAs, to ensure effective communication using existing community networks. 
Ms. Bays confirmed the information would be shared widely, including through 
neighborhood association and block watch lists, social media, council office newsletters, 
departmental channels, and the media to ensure broad community awareness. 
Councilman Waring asked Chief Alexander whether this represented the most stringent 
action possible within state law. 
Chief Alexander confirmed it was the most stringent action available, adding it 
represented the maximum penalties and enforcement allowed under state law. 
Councilman Waring noted if constituents asked why additional actions were not being 
taken, the reason was that anything outside the allowed parameters could not be done, 
as it would be illegal. 
Chief Alexander affirmed the language used reflected the full extent of authority allowed 
under state law, specifically statute 36-1606. 
Councilwoman O’Brien made a motion to approve the item. Councilman Waring 
seconded the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0. 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION   
4. Police & Fire Hiring and Recruitment Update 
Assistant Fire Chief Reda Riddle-Bigler, Assistant Police Director Court Hood, and 
Senior Public Information Officer Stacie Hainke presented on the item.

Councilman Waring asked if the Fire Department strategies were being used by the 
Police Department and whether the departments were sharing practices or coordinating 
efforts. 
Councilman Robinson noted the second portion of the presentation would provide 
further details on the shared practices.  
Councilman Robinson asked for the results of the joint fire and police recruitment event, 
specifically whether it led to an increase in applications to both agencies. 
Ms. Hainke noted applications rose from 375 in February to 513 by the end of March 
and stated the event likely encouraged attendees to apply after gaining a closer look at 
both career paths. 
Chief Riddle-Bigler stated the department did not track applicants specifically from the 
event but did track connections such as the cadet program or affinity groups. Applicants 
were also asked how they heard about the department, often citing billboards. 
Attendance from this specific event was not separately tracked. 
Councilwoman O’Brien asked if the Fire Departments was accepting applications at the 
event.  
Chief Riddle-Bigler noted the department had not been accepting applications at the 
event, but had advertised its upcoming testing process scheduled for August. 
Councilwoman O’Brien asked whether attendee ages were tracked at the event, noting 
that a waiver was required at sign-in.  
Ms. Hainke shared attendee ages were not tracked but stated it could be considered for 
future events to better understand the audience. 
Councilman Waring sought clarification on page six, chart 11, asking whether the yellow 
bar labeled “hired” referred to recruits entering the Phoenix Police Academy rather than 
fully sworn officers already serving in the field. 
Mr. Hood explained the yellow bar represented the 26 recruits who started the 
academy, while the blue bar reflected the 19 retained from that group. The remaining 
seven had left the organization. 
Councilman Waring asked whether, based on the chart, 234 recruits entered the 
academy in 2025, 200 graduated and became officers, and 34 did not complete the 
academy. 
Mr. Hood confirmed Councilman Waring’s interpretation was correct and added that 
academy training lasted about six months, followed by the field training officer program. 
The chart reflected hires by year and whether those individuals were retained or had 
separated from the organization.

Councilman Waring noted the chart showing 2,460 total officers included recruits who 
had not yet completed training. He emphasized that, based on the academy data, a 
portion of recruits typically did not finish the program, meaning those individuals could 
not be counted as officers. 
Mr. Hood acknowledged there was some attrition reflected in the overall number. 
Councilman Waring noted the department’s reported staffing level of 2,460 sworn 
positions likely reflected staffing levels comparable to the mid-1990s and represented a 
significant decline. He stated the previously referenced staffing target of 3,125 officers 
was based on an outdated budget and no longer aligned with the City’s growth. 
Councilman Waring expressed concern about the number continued to decrease and 
emphasized recruit counts could not be fully relied upon due to expected attrition. He 
asked for comments on how staffing conditions might improve given the ongoing 
downward trend.  
Mr. Hood explained that early-year staffing numbers often appeared low because many 
retirements occurred late in the year. He noted the department continued active hiring, 
planned seven academy classes, and was expanding processing capacity to bring in 
more qualified applicants. The department goal was to reduce the staffing gap and build 
on last year’s small surplus of officers. 
Councilman Waring inquired whether the term “surplus” indicated the presence of ten 
more officers than anticipated.  
Mr. Hood clarified that “ten more” referred to a net gain of officers from the previous 
year. 
Councilman Waring emphasized the need for a candid discussion about staffing trends, 
noting that single‑month improvements could be misleading. Drawing on long-term 
committee experience, he noted sustained progress had not occurred, reflecting 
broader challenges in major city policing rather than staff performance. Councilman 
Waring encouraged continued creative efforts to improve recruitment, particularly 
among younger candidates. 
Councilwoman O’Brien highlighted the years between 2007 and 2012 where the City 
had halted officer hiring. She expressed concern about the number of sworn positions 
remaining lower than when she joined the council, attributing the ongoing staffing 
challenges partly to the prolonged hiring freeze. She asked whether the applicant 
figures shown on slide nine represented completed applications or all applications 
received. 
Mr. Hood clarified the figures represented initial applications submitted to express 
interest in the position through Human Resources.

Councilwoman O’Brien requested follow-up information comparing initial and completed 
applications and encouraged improved tracking to understand applicant drop-off. She 
also praised the annual recruitment event and recommended collecting more detailed 
attendee data to strengthen future outreach. 
Councilman Robinson asked for clarification on how much of the testing and hiring 
process out-of-state applicants could complete remotely. 
Chief Riddle-Bigler explained online testing allowed out-of-state applicants to complete 
the initial two-week testing period remotely, though both required interviews still 
occurred in person. She added the Fire Department was exploring moving the first 
interview online and streamlining onboarding to reduce the number of required trips to 
Phoenix. 
Mr. Hood noted the Police Department’s background investigators and recruiters 
worked with out-of-state applicants to complete their background packets up to the 
psychological, medical, and polygraph examinations. He added staff coordinated these 
steps to ensure they could be completed during the applicant’s limited time in Arizona. 
Councilman Robinson noted current employees remained the most effective recruiters 
and referenced recent academy graduates who had been referred by friends or family. 
He requested future data on the frequency of referral-bonus payouts to assess the 
effectiveness of the $2,500 incentive program. 
Ms. Bays confirmed staff would provide the requested referral-bonus data to the chair 
and the subcommittee. 
Councilman Robinson expressed the urgency of closing the staffing gap in public safety 
and encouraged both departments to accelerate hiring once strong candidates were 
identified. He stressed the importance of keeping applicants engaged to prevent losing 
them to competing agencies. 
Councilman Waring emphasized the significant share of the City budget devoted to 
public safety and highlighted long-term declines in police staffing levels, requesting 
historical charts and data on applications, retention, and officer counts over the past 
decade.  
Councilman Robinson asked for attrition information for the first year after academy 
graduation to better understand ongoing staffing challenges. 
INFORMATION ONLY  
5. Social Determinants of Health Study Report 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
6. Community Assistance Program (CAP) Expansion Implementation Report

Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
7. Fire Staffing and Response Time Report 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
8. Police Hiring, Recruitment, and Attrition Monthly Report  
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information 
 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
None. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
None. 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairman Robinson adjourned the meeting at 11:09 a.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Dayana Rosas 
Management Fellow