Phoenix Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee Meeting – September 3, 2025

The Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee of the Phoenix City Council met on September 3, 2025, to discuss emergency management code updates, the Community Safety Plan, police overtime management, and police hiring and retention. The meeting included presentations from city staff, public testimony, and council member debate. Key actions included approval of the emergency management code update and unanimous approval of minutes.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The subcommittee unanimously approved the minutes from the June 4, 2025 meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jeff Spellman: Questioned whether crime reductions were real or due to residents giving up on reporting, citing long hold times for non-emergency lines. Called for a “vision zero” approach to homelessness and criticized the categorization of prostitution as a “consensual crime.”
• William Brashears (President, Glen County Vista Neighborhood Association): Described the impact of organized drugs and prostitution in neighborhoods along 27th Avenue, noting that homeless populations had taken over multiple properties. Supported continued resources for the community safety plan.
• AJ Marston (19th Avenue Safety Corridor member): Expressed support for the safety corridor collaboration but noted that not all activity is documented due to long hold times and transient crime. Asked for long-term sustainable solutions including addressing vacant buildings and lots.

Discussion Item: Emergency Management Code and Emergency Operations Plan Update

• Presenters: Chief Christ (Fire Department) and Rudy Perez (Emergency Management Coordinator).
• Recommended renaming the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to the Office of Emergency Management to avoid confusion.
• Proposed adding a definition for “great emergency” consistent with the city charter and aligning “local emergency” with state statute (ARS 26-301).
• Updated the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) using an all-hazards approach, incorporating six review workshops, 27 city departments, and 15 external partners, including the American Red Cross and Maricopa County Department of Public Health. The EOP now includes the Office of Public Health, Office of Homeless Solutions, Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, and Community Assistance Program.
• Outcome: The subcommittee unanimously approved the Chapter 11 updates and EOP, which will be forwarded to the formal council meeting on October 15, 2025.

Discussion Item: Community Safety Plan Update

• Presenters: Nick Valenzuela (Special Projects Administrator) and Assistant Police Chief Sean Kennedy.
• Provided results of an Arizona State University (ASU) study assessing the five community safety plan (CSP) focus areas (27th Avenue Areas 1 and 2, Bell Road, Hatcher Road, 19th Avenue).
• Key data (May 2024 – April 2025 vs. pre-intervention average):
  • 27th Ave Area 1: 29% reduction in overall crime (12% reduction in aggravated assaults, 30% trespassing, 31% thefts; increases in prostitution and drug offenses).
  • 27th Ave Area 2: 35% reduction in overall crime (26% theft, 36% trespassing, 69% shoplifting).
  • Bell Road: 43% reduction (17% aggravated assaults, 33% trespassing, 57% drug offenses, 80% shoplifting).
  • Hatcher Road: 38% reduction (68% drug offenses, 54% trespassing, 25% assaults, 17% thefts).
  • 19th Avenue: 17% reduction (14% aggravated assaults, 14% trespassing, 12% assaults; increases in drug offenses).
• Perceptions of safety: Increased in all areas (7% to 43% depending on corridor).
• ASU assessment: Success reported for most desired outcomes, but “not yet successful” for blight, encampments, illicit drug use, and prostitution on 27th Avenue and 19th Avenue. Overdose outcomes were listed as “neither” due to unavailable fatal overdose data.
• Community committee feedback: 27th Avenue committee supportive of continuing the plan but noted persistent drug and prostitution issues. Bell Road committee saw positive shifts and supported quarterly meetings. Hatcher Road committee reported cleaner conditions and wanted continued involvement of Office of Homeless Solutions. 19th Avenue committee noted improvements but ongoing drug, blight, and trash concerns; requested more time to assess.
• Next steps: Continue 19th and 27th Avenue plans with a more focused, data-driven approach; transition Bell Road to quarterly meetings with the business alliance; explore 24/7 real-time operations center (currently 19 hours/day); and consider using traffic cameras to expand the center.
• Council discussion: Councilwoman Guardado questioned crime reduction numbers due to potential underreporting and stressed the need for more resources and a funding plan. Vice Mayor O'Brien asked about how encampment success was assessed and called for strengthening partnerships with ADOT regarding underpasses. Councilman Warren advocated for zero tolerance and criticized slow progress on quality-of-life offenses.

Discussion Item: Police Overtime Usage and Management

• Presenters: Assistant Police Director Jody Wolf and Deputy Budget Director Aaron Mertz.
• Overtime categorized as mandatory (81%) and discretionary (19%). Mandatory overtime includes minimum staffing (largest), call-outs, holdover activities, special events, standby, and court proceedings.
• Policy revisions since 2023: limiting work hours per 24-hour period and per week, prohibiting overlapping overtime, requiring one day off per week, and mandating thorough documentation with executive-level approval for exceptions.
• Financial overview: For FY24-25, total overtime cost including fringe was $98.6 million. Vacancy savings from 470 vacant sworn positions ($77 million) and budgeted overtime ($45.3 million) total $122.3 million, but were offset by $150+ positions added in prior years ($33 million), specialty fund transfers ($19.4 million), hiring incentives ($1 million), resulting in a $12 million shortfall.
• The department is working on a data-driven forecast model to better predict overtime needs. The city is also procuring a new time and labor system to replace the legacy system.
• Council discussion: Councilman Warren emphasized the need for supervisory accountability and reducing unnecessary overtime. Vice Mayor O'Brien asked for more specific categories for discretionary overtime, particularly the “other” category (6%).

Discussion Item: Police Hiring and Retention Update

• Presenters: Commanders Will Joe and Leaf Myers.
• Applications increased significantly in 2025 due to process improvements; January alone had 518 applications. Year-to-date applications (Jan–Jul 2025) exceeded all of 2024.
• Lateral and reinstatement applications also up; hires for laterals/reinstatements in first six months of 2025 nearly double the full-year 2024 total.
• Academy class sizes growing; 92% retention rate in academy (vs. 81% in 2024) and 91% in field training (vs. 69% in 2024). Current recruits in academy: 101.
• Attrition: 30% of recruits lost within first year or academy. Main reasons: personal reasons (family, relocations, military), rule violations/absenteeism, firearms concerns (academy); job performance and personal reasons (field training). New strategies include pre-hire writing classes, increased ride-alongs, and slowing down personal reason resignations to allow officers to reconsider.
• The department is also focusing on community-based recruitment, with applicants closely mirroring Maricopa County demographics (e.g., 10% African American recruits vs. 7% in population).
• Council discussion: Councilman Warren expressed concern about the 30% attrition rate and high costs, urging more screening and retention efforts. Vice Mayor O'Brien suggested providing more real-life exposure through ride-alongs and mental health support. Staff noted that attrition at 20+ years is also a concern and will be addressed.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved minutes of June 4, 2025.
• Unanimously approved Chapter 11 updates to the City Code and the updated Emergency Operations Plan, to be forwarded to the formal council meeting on October 15, 2025.
• The Community Safety Plan will continue in 19th and 27th Avenue areas with a focused, data-driven approach; Bell Road will transition to quarterly alliance meetings; Hatcher Road will continue quarterly meetings; exploration of 24/7 real-time operations center and use of traffic cameras.
• The police department will improve overtime management by refining discretionary categories, enhancing supervisory accountability, and developing a data-driven forecast model. The city will proceed with procuring a new time and labor system.
• Recruitment and retention efforts will intensify, including pre-hire training, ride-alongs, exit interview analysis, and targeted retention programs for officers with 20+ years of service.
• The subcommittee directed staff to provide further detail on discretionary overtime categories and to study funding options for expanded real-time operations centers.
• Items 6 (Community Assistance Program) and 7 (Fire Department response times) were received for information only; no action taken.