ASU MOU 4-22-20

City of El Mirage — Regular Meeting (2025-05-06)

View PDF Item 5 Meeting page

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SUBJECT: AZ-VDRS Participation 
Hello Chief, 
You may be aware that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently awarded the 
CenterforViolence Prevention and Community Safety (CV PCS) at Arizona State University (ASU) a grant 
to coordinate and conduct al I data collection, analyses and dissemination of findings of the Arizona 
Violent Death Reporting System (AZ-VDRS). The AZ-VDRS aims to provide Arizona and its communities 
with a better understanding of violent deaths and with this information and guide local decisions on the 
issue. Nearly three dozen law enforcement agencies, including Phoenix, Glendale, Tucson, Flagstaff, 
Kingman and Mesa Pol ice Departments, and including Ceconi no, Mari cop a, Navajo and Pima Sheriffs' 
Offices are already working with us in this important program. 
We would like the opportunity to inform you about the program and invite you to be a participating 
agency. I have included several informational documents and a draft MOU for your review. I would like 
the opportunity to discuss AZ-VDRS with you directly, either by phone or in person. I would like to 
review the purpose and structure of the program and discuss the type of data collected and how your 
agency's participation can benefit the efforts to address homicides and suicides in Arizona and in our 
local communities. 
We invite you to visit our website to learn more about CV PCS and the AZ-VDRS program by visiting 
https :// cvpcs .asu. edu/pro jects/ arizona-vio le nt-death-repo rting-syste m. 
Should you have any questions about the project please feel free to contact any of the AZ-VDRS team 
members. 
• 
Principal Investigator: Charles Katz, Ph.D. at ckatz@asu.edu 
• 
Project Manager: Taylor Cox, Ph.D. at tcox2@asu.edu 
Thank you, 
Charles M. Katz, Ph.D. 
Professor and Watts Family Di rector 
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice 
CenterforViolence Prevention and Community Safety 
Arizona State University 
Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety I College of Public Service and Community Solutions 
Mai ling address: PO Box 87310, Tempe, AZ 85287-3120 
Physical Address 411 N. Ce ntral Ave., Suite 680, Phoenix, AZ 85004 
cvpcs.asu.edu

The followm urisdictions 
have s gned agreements to 
... ,+·,. 
"" '" 
Arizona Department of Health Services 
Lo..Enforcemenf>artners: 
Police Departments (n=42}. 
Apache Junction, Avondale•. Buckeye, Bullhead 
City, Casa Grande, Chandler, Clari<dale*, Chino 
Valley, Cottonwood, Douglas, DPS•, Eloy, Flagstaff, 
Gilbert. Glendale, Goodyear*, Kingman, Lake 
Havasu, Marana, Maricopa, Mesa, Nogales, Oro 
Valley. Paradise Valley. Payson, Peoria, Phoenix, 
Prescott. Prescott Valley. Safford. Sahuarita. Saint 
John's. Scottsdale, Sedona. Show Low, Snowflake/ 
Taylor. Sierra Vista, Surprise, Tempe, Tucson, 
Winslow, and Yume. 
Sheriffs' Offices (n=S}. 
Cochise. Coconino. Mohave. Navajo, Pima, Pinal. 
Yavapai, and Yuma Counties 
MedicaExaminer4-1=15}. 
Apache. Cochise, Coconino. Gila. Graham. 
Greenlee. La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave. Navajo, Pima. 
Pinal, Santa Cruz. Yavapai, and Yuma Counties. 
•indicates in-progress 
Contact Information 
Charles Katz, Ph.D. 
Watts Family Director and Professor 
Center for Violence Prevention 
and Community Safety 
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice 
Arizona State University 
char1es.katz0asu.eca.i 
602.496.1470 
David E Choate 
AZ- VDRS Project Manager 
Associate Director 
Center for Violence Prevention 
and Community Safety 
Arizona State University 
david.choate@aau.edu 
602.496.1473 
Taylor Cox, Ph.D. 
Center for Violence Prevention 
and Community Safety 
Arizona State University 
tcox2@mainex1 .asu.edu 
602.496.14 72 
More information on the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's NVDRS 
and what other states are doing can be found at 
www.cdc.11ov/ViolancePrevantion/ NVDRS 
-
ar1zona 
violent death 
reporting system 
AIIIONA 
S TAT I 
UNIVIIIITY 
• 
cvpcs.asu.ec u

Th, Centrr fur Vdence ~ 
,nd 
Cormuity~(the eenter,athizcrla 
Stab, ~ 
is 1he b0rw fide a&rrt for 
tho St,to of Ari21ntto the Certrra for 
Oicease Cantrel IW1d ~ 
COC)and 
ltB Natx,r,. VdnDes!h ~ 
'lJVnl:1S 
Prior to 2015. there were 18 states across the 
country (AK. CO. GA. KY. MD. MA Ml NJ, NM. 
NC. OH. OK. OR. RI. SC. UT. VA and WI) with 
established NVDRS programs. Arizona was one 
of 14 states added for 2015 data collection (AZ. 
CT. HI. IL IN. IA KS. ME. MN. NH. NY, PA WA. 
Currently, all 50 states. Puerto Rico, and the 
District of Columbia participate. 
NVORS sites compile statewide, comprehensive 
data on violent deaths by collecting information 
from death certificates. medical examiner 
reports. police departments, and other 
appropriate local agencies. Objectives of these 
statewide surveillance systems include providing 
comprehensive snapshot s of violent incidents to 
further understand such events and informing 
communities, policy makers, planners, and 
decision maker s on violent deaths. 
Data collection for the project is funded by a 
grant from the CDC. While AZ- VDRS has over 
five dozen participating partners c1.KTently, the 
Center is continuing to recruit key stakeholders 
and data providers throughout Arizona for the 
expanded success of this prQjecl with particular 
emphasis on sheriffs' offices and tribal 
communitjes. 
Frequently Asked 
Questions 
No. Data collection is not meant to be a 
burden, and the CDC will provide compensation 
to assist with data collection. The specific 
strategy for collection will reflect the wants and 
needs of each agency. The project can provide 
funding to support agency personnel in the 
collection process. or ASU personnel can 
conduct site visits to collect the AZ-VDRS 
information without burdenin1 the agency. 
a WiHthel'e4w,la.-mnent,-1hisi 
data tll O"Mte IINl'IWldaN Cll'I CU' 
No. To date. this has not been the case in 
the stat es that have been reporting NVDRS data 
for more than a decade. The NVDRS does not 
create 0r' enforce any such mandates upon law 
enforcement agencies, nor is such activity any 
part of the mission and goals of the data system. 
The intention of the AZ-VDRS team is to bring 
localized. Arizona-specific data to key 
stakeholders (e.g., state public health officials. 
law enforcement medical professionals. and 
suicide/homicide related social service 
providers) working collaboratively to improve 
Arizona communities' response to violent death 
concems. 
Yes. The Center for Violence Prevention and 
Community Safety will house the data in their 
secure data room. The Center has extensive 
experience working with sensittve law 
enforcement- related data and confidential 
criminal history records. The secure data office 
has both physical and electronic safeguards 
consistent with HIPAA security requirements. 
The CDC has identified Arizona as a critical 
state for participation in the NVDRS, due in part 
to its geographic importance as a U.S.- Mexico 
border state. the diversity of urban and rural 
communities, racial and ethnic composition. and 
its significant growth characteristics. The AZ-
VDRS data is intended for use by the 
communities and interested parties within 
Arizona, working on solutions for homicides and 
suicides through local and/ or statewide efforts. 
The UCR and the Supplemental Homicide 
Reports (SHR) contain much of the same 
informattOn that is sought as part of the National 
Violent Death Reporting System. One key area 
of difference is the data abstraction process 
looking for key characteristic and circumstance 
information from law enforcement report 
narratives (including supplementals). The wealth 
of information in these sources is critical to the 
success of AZ- VDRS. Of course. the more 
obvious distinction of AZ-VDRS from 
UCR/ SHR is the collection of data on suicide 
incidents as well.

Data Sharing Agreement 
Between 
El Mirage Police Department 
and 
Arizona Board of Regents for and on behalf of 
Arizona State University (ASU) 
1. TERM OF THE AGREEMENT: 
The term of this Agreement shal I become effective upon last signature below and shall remain in effect for 
five (5) years unless terminated, canceled or extended as otherwise provided herein. 
2. 
TERMINATION OR AMENDMENT: 
Each party shall have the right to terminate this Agreement by mailingthe other party written notice of 
termination by certified mail, return receipt requested, at leastthirty (30) days prior to the termination 
date. This Agreement may be modified at any time by mutual written Amendment in order to 
accommodate unforeseen circumstances by the authorized representative of the respective parties. 
3. 
CONFIDENTIALITY: 
A. Any information that may be exchanged through thisAgreement shall not be used for purposes 
other than those covered in section 12 Scope of Work without prior approval of all parties to 
this Agreement. 
B. Neither confidential medical information nor personally identifying information that may be 
exchanged through this Agreement shall be made available for any political or commercial 
purpose, nor shall such information be used as basis for determining eligibility for care or source 
of payment for care to any individual. 
C. 
ASU designates the following personnel (Designated Personnel) as individuals who will receive, 
use or disclose the Limited Data Set on its be half: 
All individuals identified in ASU Institutional Review Board (IRB) Protocol No. 
STUDY00001484, including any individuals named in authorized IRB modifications or 
amendments that occurduringthe Length of Agreement specified above. 
D. ASU will implement appropriate safeguards to prevent the use or disclosure of the Limited Data 
Set not otherwise permitted in this Agreement. 
E. 
ASU will report to El Mirage Police Department (as appropriate) any use or disclosure of the 
Limited Data Set not permitted by this Agreement within five (5) business days of ASU's learning 
of such use or disclosure. 
4. 
HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT(HIPAA) COMPLIANCE: 
A. All parties agree to adhere to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 
(HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules as defined in 45 CFR Parts 160, and 164 and under the HIS 
Circular No. 2003-02 for policy and procedures. 
El Mirage Police DepartmenttoASU

B. 
Parties warrant that they wi ll cooperate with the State in the course of performance of the 
Agreement so that both parties will be in compliance with HIPAA, including cooperation and 
coordination with State privacy officials and other compliance officers required by HIPAA and its 
documents that are reasonably necessary to keep both parties in compliance with HIPAA, 
including but not limited to business associate agreements, pledge of confidentiality, HIPAA 
traini ngcertification or other HIPAA related compliance documents. 
5. 
APPLICABLE LAW: 
Arizona Law. Applicable law of Arizona applies to this Agreement including, where applicable, the Uniform 
Commercial Code as adopted by the State of Arizona. 
6. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: 
Pursuant to A.R.S. 38-511, the State, its political subdivisions or any department or agency of either may, 
within four (4) years after its execution, cancel any Agreement, without penalty or further obligation, 
made by the State, its political subdivisions,or any of the departments or agencies of either if any person 
significantly involved in initiating, negotiating, securing, drafting or creating the Agreement on behalfof 
the State, its political subdivisions or any of the departments or agencies of either is, at any time while 
the Agreement or any extension of the Agreement is in effect, an employee or agent of any other party 
to the Agreement in any capacity or a consultant to any other party of the Agreement with respect to the 
subject matter of the Agreement. A cancellation made pursuant to this provision shall be effective when 
ASU receives written notice of the cancellation unless the notice specifies a latertime. 
7. 
ARBITRATION: 
Pursuant to A.R.S. 12-1518, disputes under this Agreement shall be resolved through the use of 
arbitration as follows: 
A. Cases under the Jurisdictional Limit. In all cases filed in superior court in which the court finds or the 
parties agree that the amount in controversy does not exceed the jurisdictional Ii mit; arbitration shall 
be used, unless al I parties file a written stipulation waiving the arbitration requirement, and the court 
waives the arbitration requirement on a showing of good cause. 
8. 
FUNDING: 
This Agreement is not an obligation of or a commitment of funds, or a basis for a transfer of funds, but 
rather a statement of understanding between the Parties conce rningthe sharing and use of confidential 
information related to the purposes of this Agreement. Expenditures by each party are subject to that 
party's budgetary processes and to the availability of funds and resources pursuant to applicable laws, 
regulations, and policies of the respective parties. 
9. INSURANCE: 
The El Mirage Police Department and ASU are self-insured for liability per A.R.S. 41-621. 
10. BACKGROUND: 
The El Mirage Police Department, by collaborating with ASU's Center for Violence Prevention and 
Community Safety (CENTER), supports participation in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 
(CDC) National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) in Arizona (AZ-VDRS). Recently, the NVDRS 
El Mirage Police DepartmenttoASU

expanded to its current level of 50 participating states across the country, as well as the District of 
Columbia and Puerto Rico. The NVDRS compiles statewide, comprehensive data on violent deaths by 
collecting information from death certificat es, medical examiner reports, police departments, and other 
appropriate state, county, local, or tribal agencies. Objectives of these statewide surveillance systems 
include providing comprehensive snapshots of violent incidents to further understand such events and 
informing communities, policy makers, planners, and decision makers on violent deaths so that 
preventive programs can be enacted. Establishment of the AZ-VDRS enables increased scientific 
understanding of violent injury through research, translation of research findings into prevention 
strategies, and the dissemination of knowledge of violent injury and prevention to professionals and the 
public. Date collection forthe project wi II be sponsored by the CDC and coordinated by the research 
team at the CENTER. 
11. PURPOSE: 
This Agreement establishes the basis for the El Mirage Police Department to share with the CENTER 
police report information on incidents leading to violent deaths occurring in Arizona. This data will be 
used for the purpose of contributing to the AZ-VDRSby providing accurate, comprehensive, and objective 
information regarding violent deaths. 
The sharing of police report data will be in accordance with the terms and conditions stated in this 
agreement and predicated on the mutual assurance that all unique identifiers in these data will be 
protected and kept strictly confidential. 
12. SCOPE OF WORK: 
I. 
El Mirage Pol ice Department agrees to provide or continue to provide the CENTER with the following: 
a. 
Confidential police report data, but only for incidents involving violent deaths, related to 
incident narrative, person type (victim/suspect), name address, age, sex, race, ethnicity, when 
and where (injury/death), additional person descriptors, wounds, associated circumstances, 
victim suspect relationship, history of victim abuse, suspect was victim caretaker, firearm 
descriptors, poison details, weapon used by/on person, person purchasing firearm, and any 
other available person descriptors for individuals residing within or events occurring within 
Arizona. 
i. The above noted data will be made available to the CENTER from January 1, 2015 and 
forward. 
ii. The above noted data wi II be made available to the CENTER on a monthly basis. 
b. 
Confidential supplemental homicide report data related to person type (victim/suspect), name 
address, age, sex, race, ethnicity, additional person descriptors, associated circumstances, 
weapon used by /on person, and any other available person descriptors for individuals residing 
within or events occurring within Arizona. 
i. The above noted data wi 11 be made available to the CENTER from January 1, 2015 and 
forward. 
ii. The above noted data will be made available to the CENTER on a monthly basis. 
c. 
Within this agreement, it is understood that at least 99% of police reports(and associated data) 
El Mirage Police DepartmenttoASU

are available within90 days of death and are then ready to be shared with ASU. 
d. The name or names of the El Mirage Police Department employees that will provide the 
information designated under Section I. Immediate notification will occur when there are any 
changes in this list of employees. 
e. A El Mirage Police Department employee who may serve on the AZ-VDRS statewide 
advisory board. 
II. The CENTER agrees to provide El Mirage Police Department with: 
a. 
A description of the security measures that are in place to maintain the confidentiality of the 
data being received. These measures at a minimum should follow the recommendations for the 
"Security Considerations for Applicants" prepared by the Human Subjects Review Board of the 
ADHS. 
b. Analytical support for matters related to data collected as part of the Arizona Violent Death 
Reporting System. The scope, nature, and frequency of the support will be mutually agreed 
upon by both parties, in writing, after funding has been secured. 
Ill. Confidential Information: 
a. 
The parties agree to provide information following a mutually agreeable format and that the 
information shall be marked confidential if disclosed in written or other tangible form, or if 
disclosed orally or visually, identified as confidential at the time of disclosure and reduced to 
writing and marked confidential and transmitted to the receiving party within thirty (30) days of 
the initial disclosure. 
b. The CENTER will not use, or disclose to any third party, confidential information of El Mirage Police 
Department in any manner whatsoever except as authorized pursuant to this Agreement, and 
wi ll require that its employees and agents who have access to such information will not use, or 
disclose El Mi rae Police Department information for three (3) years afte rthe termination of this 
Agreement, except as authorized underthis Agreement; provided that the CENTER's obligations 
hereunder shall not apply to information that was already known to receiving party prior to the 
time of first disclosure, as demonstrated by contemporaneous, written documentation; or 
i. At the time of disclosure is in the public domain, or after the date of the disclosure, 
lawfully becomes a part of the public domain other than through breach of this 
Agreement by receiving party; or 
ii. Is received without any obligation of confidentiality from a third party having a legal 
right to disclose the same; or 
iii. Is independently developed by the receiving party by individuals without access to 
such information, as demonstrated by contemporaneous, written documentation; or 
iv. Is required to be disclosed by the receiving party pursuant to a legally enforceable 
order, subpoena, or other regu la ti on ( "ORDER"), provided, however, that the receiving 
party promptly notify the disclosing party in advance of such disclosure and discloses 
only that INFORMATION necessary to comply with said ORDER. 
IV. Thepartiesagreeto 
El Mirage Police DepartmenttoASU

a. 
Carefully restrict use and access of information to those designated by the CENTER. Data provided 
by El Mirage Police Department are for the use of the AZ-VDRS only and no copies may be made 
of such records to provide to other individuals or entities for other purposes. 
b. Prohibit identifying information about a person that was supplied under the terms of this 
agreement from being released to anyone not working on AZ-VDRS data collection, or the 
development of the AZ-VD RS. 
c. 
Re qui re al I officers, agents and employees to keep al I such shared information strictly confidential. 
To communicate the requirements for this section to all officers, agents and employees, to 
discipline all persons who mayviolatethe requirements of this section and to notify the originating 
party in writing within forty-eight (48) hours of any violation and corrective actions to be taken. 
13. CONTACTS FOR NOTICES UNDERTHIS AGREEMENT: 
Notices to be sentto mai li ng address with courtesy copies identified below. 
ForASU 
Arizona State University 
Office for Research and Sponsored Projects Administration 
P.O. Box 876011 
Tempe, AZ85287-6011 
E-mail: asu.awards@asu.edu 
Phone: 480-965-1427 
Fax: 
480-965-2455 
Copy: Charles Katz 
ASU CenterforViolence Prevention and Community Safety 
Attn: Charles Katz, Director 
411 N Central Ave., Suite 680 
Phoenix, Arizona 85004 
E-mail: Charles.katz@asu.edu 
Phone: 602-496-1471 
Copy: Aaron D. Krasnow, Ph.D. 
ASU HIPAA Privacy Officer 
Assistant Vice President/Director ASU Counseling 
E-mail: Aaron.Krasnow@asu.edu 
Phone: 480-727-6884 
For El Mirage Police Department 
El Mirage Police DepartmenttoASU

El Mirage Police Department 
12401 W Cinnabar Ave 
El Mirage, AZ 85335 
Copy: 
Chief Paul Marzoca 
E-mail: pmarzocca@elmirageaz.gov 
Phone: 623-500-3000 
El Mirage Police DepartmenttoASU

14. SIGNATUREAPPROVALS: 
ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS FOR AND ON BEHALF OF 
ARIZONASTATE UNIVERSITY 
Signature: _________ 
_ 
Print Name: 
Date: 
El Mirage Pol ice DepartmenttoASU 
El MIRAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT 
Print Name: 
Date: --------- ---
Debra Murphy, Director
04/22/2020
4/30/2020