Phoenix mayor, City Council suggest ways police department can reform and improve

PHOENIX — The Phoenix City Council is taking new steps to help improve the Phoenix Police Department.

In fact, the council unanimously voted on Wednesday to give several recommendations that they hope will help local officers police the community more effectively.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said the council has been making changes over the last several years.

“Today’s reforms demonstrate that we are committed to long-term changes that provide the best public safety services and outcomes for our residents,” Gallego said in a Wednesday news release.

They use citizen feedback to guide their ongoing pursuit for improvement, she added.

What tips did Phoenix City Council give police?

Some of the recommendations included expanding the use of body-worn cameras and establishing a dedicated hotline for citizens to report police misconduct.

Other suggested Phoenix police reform efforts included:

• Thoroughly documenting police activity.
• Improving data collection on interactions with the public.
• Improving Phoenix PD’s internal investigations and evaluative processes.
• Fully analyzing citizen complaints.
• Providing written responses to findings on those complaints.
• Adopting clear standards for investigators.
• Fully staffing the city’s dispatcher team.
• Updating policies police follow when interacting with young people and other vulnerable groups.

The full list of improvements the city proposed can be found online.

“We’re working to prioritize excellence in public safety to meet our community’s needs,” Gallego said. “That means we have the right tools, and embracing a culture of continuous improvement.”

This goal of improvement is especially salient in the wake of a scathing report the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) wrote on the Phoenix Police Department in June.

What’s with the rush to improve the Phoenix Police Department?

After analyzing Phoenix Police for around two years, the DOJ released the 126-page report accusing the department of violating citizens’ civil rights.

In response, Phoenix PD released a website to inform the public about specific instances of alleged violations the DOJ identified.

Part of the reason why city officials are working so hard to help the police department reform is because many want to avoid a potential takeover by the DOJ.

This would take the form of a consent decree between Phoenix PD and the DOJ. If the decree moved forward, it would effectively instill federal oversight and potentially cost the city millions of dollars.

Both Phoenix PD leaders and members of the Phoenix City Council have vehemently spoken out against a consent decree.

How will new Phoenix police reform efforts impact the community?

One councilmember, Kevin Robinson, spoke to KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce and Gaydos on Wednesday to discuss the department’s ongoing efforts to improve.

“You can’t get enough training, really, is what it comes down to,” Robinson said.

Robinson, a 36-year police veteran, has worked as an officer, sergeant, lieutenant, commander and assistant police chief.

He firmly believes that the department can improve without help from the DOJ.

“We can affect change that will reduce or eliminate any concerns that the Department of Justice has had about the Phoenix Police Department,” Robinson said.

He said the City Council proposed the reforms to help the police department make that change.

“We’re just making sure the department has been given the direction for a variety of things and how how we would like as the elected officials how we would like to see them move forward,” Robinson said.