PSJ 3.4.26 Minutes Final Draft.pdf

Attachment A 
 
Phoenix City Council 
Public Safety and Justice (PSJ) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson St. 
Phoenix, Ariz. 
Subcommittee Members Present                    Subcommittee Members Absent         
Councilman Kevin Robinson, Chair                 Councilmember Betty Guardado 
Councilwoman Ann O’Brien                
Councilman Jim Waring 
 
CALL TO ORDER 
Councilman Robinson called the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee (PSJ) to order 
at 10:05 a.m. with Councilwoman O’Brien and Councilman Waring present. 
Councilwoman Guardado was absent. 
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 February 4, 2026 
Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting. Councilman Waring seconded the 
motion which passed unanimously, 3-0. 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION  
2. Crime Lab Overview 
Police Department Assistant Director Judy Wolf and Crime Lab Administrator Benjamin 
Swanholm presented on the item. 
 
Councilwoman O’Brien inquired why the City operated one of the few laboratories 
capable of testing gunshot residue. 
 
Mr. Swanholm shared The City operated one of the few laboratories in the United 
States that conducted gunshot residue testing, and the only one in Arizona. He 
explained gunshot residue could disperse widely and was not always conclusive in 
determining whether an individual had fired a weapon, which contributed to the limited 
number of laboratories performing this analysis. The testing process required significant

time and resources, with a single test taking approximately 24 hours, reducing overall 
capacity. Mr. Swanholm added the testing was time-intensive, required significant 
resources, and was not always conclusive, but remained valuable to investigative 
teams. 
 
Councilwoman O’Brien requested a follow up meeting from staff to learn more about the 
subject. She also asked whether the reported year-end total for the sexual assault kit 
backlog represented all cases completed in 2025 or the total number of cases 
completed across all years. 
 
Mr. Swanholm clarified the graph represented year-end totals of the sexual assault kit 
backlog. At the end of 2025, the total shown reflected the number of kits still pending. 
Although the overall backlog was a little over 300 kits at the end of the previous month, 
three of those kits were currently being processed by the vendor. Councilwoman 
O’Brien requested a clarification on whether the graph reflected the full backlog, noting 
it did not include 2026 numbers. 
 
Mr. Swanholm confirmed the current backlog totaled approximately 300 kits as of the 
end of February 2026. 
 
Councilwoman O’Brien inquired about the laboratory’s staffing levels, asking how many 
of the 170 positions were filled versus vacant, and requested information on the 
laboratory’s turnover rate. 
 
Mr. Swanholm reported the laboratory had approximately ten vacancies across multiple 
sections. He noted the laboratory’s turnover rate averaged around 10 percent, with 
some disciplines experiencing higher turnover than others. 
 
Councilwoman O’Brien reiterated the laboratory’s turnover rate was about the same 
with comparable laboratories, with no indication it was higher or lower overall. 
 
Mr. Swanholm noted the laboratory’s 10 percent turnover rate was based on staff 
demographics and general organizational averages for a workforce of similar sizes. He 
clarified he was not aware, in the moment, of specific turnover averages for other 
forensic laboratories in Arizona or nationally. 
 
Councilman Robinson asked about the approximate age of the 300 kits in the backlog 
and how they were prioritized for analysis. 
 
Mr. Swanholm shared cases were prioritized based on their circumstances, such as 
arrests or court needs, and the goal was to process kits as they arrived. Vendor 
laboratories were required to return results within 90 days, after which the department 
needed an additional 30 to 60 days to complete reporting, depending on caseload. 
 
Councilman Robinson inquired about how much of the crime laboratory employees’ time 
was spent providing courtroom testimony.

Mr. Swanholm noted while an exact figure was not available at the moment, the 
laboratory tracked the number of hours spent on courtroom testimony monthly. 
 
Councilman Robinson emphasized crime laboratory staff contributed significantly to 
major investigations over several decades and noted their responsibilities extended well 
beyond laboratory work to include providing courtroom testimony. Councilman Robinson 
thanked staff for their presentation.  
 
3. Downtown Operations Unit Update 
Item continued to a future meeting. 
4. Fire Staffing and Response Time Report 
Item continued to a future meeting. 
 
INFORMATION ONLY  
5. Community Assistance Program (CAP) Expansion Implementation Report 
Item continued to a future meeting. 
6. Police Hiring, Recruitment and Attrition Monthly Update 
Item continued to a future meeting. 
 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
 
Channel Powd shared her concerns about pedestrian safety in District 8. She described 
delays in activation of the HAWK beacons on 33rd Street and Van Buren Street and at 
36th Street and Van Buren Street, noting heavy pedestrian use and safety risks. She 
also reported recurring issues with the pedestrian signal at 28th Street and East 
Camelback Road, including the walk signal failing to illuminate and drivers ignoring 
pedestrian right-of-way. She expressed concerns about dangerous turning movements 
near Camelback Road and 26th Street and stated she had personally experienced 
several near-miss incidents. She added she had observed limited police enforcement in 
the Camelback and Esplanade area despite frequent safety hazards. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
None 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairman Robinson adjourned the meeting at 10:40 a.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
Dayana Rosas 
Management Fellow