ARIZONA NEWS

City of Phoenix announces 3 updates to police department policy

Aug 19, 2019, 12:37 PM | Updated: 1:42 pm

PHOENIX — The city of Phoenix on Monday announced three updates to its police department’s policies concerning body cameras, mental health training and data recording.

Mayor Kate Gallego said at a press conference that all officers on patrol are now equipped with body cameras, putting the city ahead of schedule in its camera rollout.

More than 1,700 cameras have been issued so far, she said, and they will now be given to other officers, including SWAT teams and and transit officers.

The police department will also now extend its eight-hour mental health crisis intervention training program to all officers, not just recruits.

Gallego said 194 new recruits have completed the training so far, and all patrol officers will complete it within the next two years.

Erica Chestnut-Ramirez, director of crisis and trauma healing services at La Frontera, helped develop the training.

“It’s extremely important for law enforcement to have a basic training to help them identify whether it’s a mental health or a substance use issue so that they can get the person to the services that they need rather than just incarcerating them,” she said.

Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said the training will help officers “put empathy first” when responding to calls.

In addition, as of Aug. 5, officers must now track every time a weapon is pointed at a person.

Wiliams said the new data collection will give the department “a real idea of how many times our officers are able to successfully de-escalate an incident and a situation with the potential of deadly force.”

Carole Coles Henry, the former co-chair of the city’s Community and Police Trust Initiative, said police can use the data to identify trends.

“Take a look at the demographics of the subject, the demographics of the officer, but more importantly, take a look at if a gun was utilized, whether or not there was an opportunity for de-escalation and/or an opportunity for using some other tactic,” she said.

All three policy updates stemmed from recommendations made by the National Police Foundation in a report meant to strengthen the relationship between police and the community.

The city commissioned the report after it recorded a record high number of officer-involved shootings in 2018.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Peter Samore contributed to this report. 

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

(Pexels Photo)...

KTAR.com

Man who fell into tracks dead after being struck by train in Phoenix

A man was pronounced dead after being struck by a train following a fall on to the tracks in Phoenix on Sunday evening.

3 hours ago

(Photo by Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images)...

Associated Press

Judge affirms Arizona can no longer exclude gender-affirming care from state health plans

A federal judge has approved a final settlement eliminating a ban on providing gender-affirming care under Arizona state employee health insurance.

6 hours ago

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone...

Brandon Gray

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone announces he will not pursue 3rd term

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone announced Monday he is not pursuing a third term and will be departing the office in January 2024.

8 hours ago

(Facebook Photo/Arizona Lottery)...

KTAR.com

Fantasy 5 jackpot ticket sold in Phoenix as Powerball prize exceeds $1B

It didn't take long for another Fantasy 5 jackpot to hit in Phoenix and lottery players could hit it big with the Powerball drawing on Monday night.

8 hours ago

Joe Perry, left, and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith perform Sept. 2, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...

Kevin Stone

Aerosmith postpones Phoenix concert because of Steven Tyler’s vocal cord injury

First the Boss, now Steven Tyler. Add Aerosmith to the list of classic rockers forced to postpone their Phoenix concerts because of health issues.

9 hours ago

gavel hitting wood...

KTAR.com

Scottsdale man sentenced to prison for not paying employee taxes

A Scottsdale man was sentenced last week to over a year in prison for failing to pay the Internal Revenue Service federal income taxes that were withheld from employees.

10 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Ignite Digital

How to unlock the power of digital marketing for Phoenix businesses

All businesses around the Valley hopes to maximize their ROI with current customers and secure a greater market share in the digital sphere.

Sanderson Ford...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford congratulates D-backs’ on drive to great first half of 2023

The Arizona Diamondbacks just completed a red-hot first half of the major league season, and Sanderson Ford wants to send its congratulations to the ballclub.

...

re:vitalize

When most diets fail, re:vitalize makes a difference that shows

Staying healthy and losing weight are things many people in Arizona are conscious of, especially during the summer.

City of Phoenix announces 3 updates to police department policy