Phoenix Police Department Reserve Division Update

This report provides an update to the City Council on the current status of the Phoenix
Police Department's Reserve Division.

THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.

Summary
The Police Department's Reserve Division continues to be a valuable asset and
support to the Department's mission. Currently there are 138 reserve police officers.
Many of these women and men have full-time careers, and also volunteer as part-time
reserve police officers with the Police Department. These reserve officers are full-
authority, sworn police officers certified by Arizona Peace Officer Standards and
Training Board (AZPOST). Reserve officers have satisfied the same rigorous hiring
and training standards as career police officers.

A significant number of reserve officers are assigned to patrol precincts, where they
respond to numerous calls for service each year as independently functioning police
officers. These reserve officers work seamlessly with their career counterparts, and
residents are unaware that they are being served by volunteers. Other reserve officers
work in specialty assignments to include detectives, solo motorcycle officers, airport
officers, training officers, transit officers, school safety officers, community relations
officers, homeland defense officers and other work units.

In many cases, after serving long careers, some retiring officers and investigators opt
to transition to reserve officer status. This transition allows the Police Department the
opportunity to retain their valuable skills and experience acquired over many years of
service.

Collectively, reserve officers are highly committed and dedicated to the community
they serve. Several officers have a combined service of 40 or more years. Some
officers have donated, individually, more than 25,000 hours of police services. For
Fiscal Year 2023-24, reserve officers donated 42,316 hours of police services with an
estimated value of $5,331,600 to the City. In addition to the financial benefits, the
officers in the Reserve Division have become a consistent and relied upon force to



support major special events such as the WNBA All Star Game, the NCAA Final Four
events, World Series playoffs and the Super Bowl. In 2023 reserve officers worked 95
separate special events. Currently, the officers are called upon to support last minute
staffing needs for visits during this political election season.

The Reserve Division has its own stand-alone police academy. This academy is one of
16 AZPOST accredited training academies in the State of Arizona. Reserve recruits
attend this academy every Wednesday and Thursday evening and all day Saturdays
for 11 months, receiving the exact training as their career peers. On September 19,
2024, the Department graduated a reserve class with six newly certified officers.

Reserve officers have earned the support and appreciation of the Phoenix business
community. The Phoenix Police Reserve Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit charitable
organization was established in 2007 by civic and business leaders with the support of
City leadership. The Reserve Foundation is directed by an independent Board of
Directors, which works closely with police management. The mission of the Reserve
Foundation is to support the recruitment, training, equipment and operational needs of
reserve officers that are not satisfied by the regular City budget.

The Reserve Foundation has become a model for the creation of other charitable
foundations around the country which support reserve police organizations in other
jurisdictions. The Reserve Foundation continues to host events such as the “Day at the
Police Academy” and “Day at the Driving Track” events attended by business, civic and
community leaders who learn about the work performed by reserve police officers.
These leaders are exposed to aspects of police training that both our reserve and
career police officers receive during their academy training. The Foundation continues
to support needs of reserve officers. This past year, the Foundation purchased two
new Ford trucks to be used by our reserve detectives, created a program where they
supplemented the City's funds for reserve officers' purchase of ballistic vests, provided
training supplies and equipment for reserve recruit officers and a scholarship program
for those who may need special assistance while attending the reserve academy.

Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.








Report

Automated Enforcement Safety Program

This report provides information on a potential Automated Enforcement Safety
Program.

THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.

Summary
The City of Phoenix previously managed an Automated Enforcement Safety Program
(Program) that started in 2001 with 10 intersections equipped with red-light cameras
and two mobile speed vehicles used in 15 mile per hour (mph) school zones. The
intent of the Program was to deter red-light violations, reduce speeding violations, and
reduce crash frequency and severity. Over the next 18 years, the City held contracts
with Lockheed Martin (later becoming Affiliated Computer Systems), American Traffic
Solutions, and Redflex Traffic Systems that provided equipment, maintenance, and
other services in support of the Program.

At the end of the final contract expiration, the Program included 12 fixed red-light
cameras at 12 intersection approaches and a total of eight mobile speed vehicles for
specific use in 15 mph school zones and other pedestrian crossing points near
schools. The Program was administered by the Phoenix Police Department with
support from the Municipal Court and the Street Transportation Department.

In its last full fiscal year (FY) of existence (FY 2018-19), the Program generated
approximately $1.3 million in gross revenue from citations. From this gross revenue,
the City paid the vendor $31.85 per adjudicated citation. The remaining revenue was
sufficient to cover Program costs, including City staff in the Phoenix Police Department
(2.0 full-time equivalent staff) and Municipal Court (3.5 full-time equivalent staff). After
the vendor payments and staff costs, the net program revenue for that fiscal year was
approximately $57,000, while the five-year average net annual revenue was
approximately $28,000.

Program Elements
It is an undeniable fact that speeding and red light running (RLR) cause thousands of
unnecessary deaths each year in the U.S. Similar to cities across the nation, RLR-



related violations in the Phoenix metropolitan area have become one of the most
severe causes of fatal crashes, with 132 fatalities and 6,698 injuries reported from
2017 to 2023. In 2023 alone, the City saw 20 fatalities and 810 injuries.

The use of technology as a tool that can automate enforcement has been deployed in
other cities throughout the country. The goal of any automated enforcement safety
program should be to modify driver behavior through voluntary compliance of traffic
laws. A successful program will see reductions in speeding and RLR behavior,
resulting in fewer RLR crashes and serious or fatal injury crashes. The Automated
Enforcement Safety Program would complement and supplement traffic enforcement
efforts by Phoenix police officers in the Traffic Bureau. In addition, the Program would
be complemented by implementation of other Vision Zero strategies such as yellow
light timing, leading pedestrian intervals, access management, and pedestrian-related
infrastructure improvements.

Equipment Options
The most common devices used in automated enforcement systems employ high-
resolution digital cameras to capture driving infractions for RLR and speeding. Each of
the options described below employ a two-camera system to capture any infractions.
· Red Light Running: The camera is activated by sensors, which are located just prior
to the intersection and also in the intersection. The sensors are only activated when
a vehicle is detected entering the intersection after the traffic light has turned red.
Three images are captured: one prior to entering the intersection, a second within
the intersection, and a third departing the intersection. Multiple images are taken to
clearly identify the driver and the vehicle’s license plate. It is possible to set a short
grace or amnesty period before the camera is activated. In the Phoenix metro area,
the grace period is typically 0.1 seconds. This means the camera would not activate
if a driver ran the red light between 0.0 seconds and 0.1 seconds.
· Portable Speed Towers/Mobile Speed Vehicles: These devices may be transported
and placed adjacent to the roadway to monitor the speed of approaching vehicles.
The cameras are activated when a vehicle exceeds a set threshold speed as it
passes by the tower/vehicle and takes multiple images to clearly identify the driver
and the vehicle’s license plate. These devices are often used in school zones, but
may be used anywhere adjacent to the roadway.
· Speed on Green: The camera system mounted at the intersection approach is
activated when a vehicle exceeds a set threshold speed as it passes through the
intersection. Again, multiple images are captured to clearly identify the driver and
the vehicle’s license plate. This device will also enforce speeding through the
intersection on yellow and red lights as well.
· Fixed Mid-Block Speed: These devices are permanently mounted mid-block, along



a roadway segment not at the intersection, on poles to monitor the speed of each
passing vehicle. When the device detects a vehicle exceeding a set threshold
speed, the camera system is activated to capture the event, including multiple
images to clearly identify the driver and the vehicle’s license plate.

Pricing Models
The automated enforcement industry typically has three pricing models for vendors to
provide their services. In each model below, the contracted vendor would supply,
install, and maintain the devices in the field as well as provide processing services.
· Revenue Share: There are no city expenditures for equipment, installation,
maintenance, or other provided vendor services. The split of citation revenue
between the municipality and the vendor is negotiated.
· Subscription: The city pays a flat lease fee for equipment, maintenance, and vendor
-provided services, but the city retains all citation revenue.
· Hybrid: Like the subscription model, but the city pays a lower lease fee and pays
the vendor a nominal fee per adjudicated citation. This fee in local contracts has
typically been between $20 and $45 per citation.

Even after revenues stabilize, many programs across the country earn a positive net
revenue. If the Program is renewed in Phoenix, staff recommends any net revenue
realized from the Program be reinvested in traffic safety programs or projects aimed at
quicker implementation of the City’s Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan.

Site Selection Criteria
There is no national standard or consistent methodology that cities use for selecting
automated enforcement locations. The Speed Enforcement Camera Systems
Operational Guidelines developed in 2008 by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration describe crash history as a primary factor that should be considered for
location selection.

The methodology of determining red-light camera locations would use the most recent
three years of data supplied by the Arizona Department of Transportation and to
isolate angle crashes. In addition, criteria would also factor in crashes with serious and
fatal injuries due to RLR violations and crashes involving pedestrians at the signalized
intersections where the driver was found to be at fault. Street Transportation
Department staff would also evaluate each potential location to determine if other
factors, such as available right-of-way, utility conflicts, current and upcoming
construction projects, and jurisdictional considerations might make installation of a red-
light camera at a particular intersection not feasible.




The methodology for the placement of portable speed towers and mobile speed
vehicles would include reviewing crash data for corridors that have high incidences of
speeding-related crashes, known high-speeding areas identified by the Phoenix Police
Department's Traffic Bureau, and within school zones. Given the portability, these
devices can also be rotated in various areas throughout the City to cover a variety of
needs.

Recommendation
Staff requests input from the City Council regarding the recommendation for a potential
Automated Enforcement Safety Program with the following components:
· Issue a Request for Proposals by Spring 2025 for RLR cameras, portable speed
towers, and mobile speed vehicles. Additional services such as the Speed on Green
and Fixed Mid-block cameras could be included in the contract for future
consideration. The City would have the sole responsibility and authority in the
selection of locations. The hybrid pricing model is recommended as it seems to be
the most widely used pricing model that includes a monthly maintenance and
operation fee per location as well as a nominal fee per adjudicated citation.
· Implementation of a RLR enforcement program. The RLR program is to be
managed with fixed cameras at intersections where current data has shown high
numbers of angle crashes, focusing on those with the highest number of serious
and fatal injuries. It is recommended that up to 10 RLR cameras be installed in the
first year based on the current crash data. The Street Transportation Department
would ensure that all 10 RLR camera locations have implemented the extended
yellow light timing at the intersections.
· Implementation of the portable and mobile speed enforcement program. Cameras
can be used at mid-block locations on a roadway segment where data may show
excessive speeding in between intersections and can also be placed in school
zones. It is recommended that up to six portable cameras be implemented in the
first year based on current data or in school zones. The speed enforcement
program can be set concurrently with the RLR enforcement program and can rotate
throughout the City with a focus on data driven locations.
· Implementation of a minimum 30-day warning period where warning notices would
be sent in lieu of citations. A warning period would be at the onset of the Program
for both RLR and speed enforcement cameras and throughout the program when
new RLR camera locations are added. Based on data from the previous Program,
the City would have to cover the costs during the warning period, which is estimated
to be $10,000 per 30-day period per camera location.
· Implementation of a Public Information Campaign to inform the public about the
Program, which would include at a minimum a website, press releases, media
coverage, social media posts, and public service announcements.



· The Street Transportation and the Phoenix Police departments would conduct an
annual review of the most recent crash data and develop a report on the
performance of the Program as well as propose potential new red-light camera
locations and possible expansion of the speed enforcement program. This report
could be provided to Council for review and approval annually.

Implementation Timeline
Staff anticipates that the potential Automated Enforcement Safety Program could be
operational no later than Fall 2025 based on the recommended 10 RLR cameras and
six portable speed enforcement cameras. Additional staff may be needed in the Street
Transportation Department, Phoenix Police Department, and/or Municipal Court if
additional cameras are requested. Typically, one Phoenix Police Department staff
person is needed for up to six camera locations for review of the citations.

Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was presented to the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning
Subcommittee on October 18, 2023.

Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and Street
Transportation Department.