OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee Meeting - October 1, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, October 1, 2025
BodyPhoenix, Arizona
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, October 1, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 39:09

Transcript — Verbatim
0:08

I'd like to call this meeting order.

0:11

Welcome to the October 1st, 2025 Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee.

0:16

I'd like to introduce City Attorney Jennifer Vega.

0:19

Ms.

0:20

Vega, please explain the role of the public of public comment.

0:26

Mr.

0:26

Chair and Committee members, during citizen comment, members of the public may address the subcommittee for up to three minutes on issues of interest or concern to them.

0:34

The Arizona Open Meeting Law permits the subcommittee members to listen to the comments but prohibits members from discussing or acting on the matters presented.

0:42

Members of the public may speak for up to two minutes to comment on agenda items to be discussed.

0:47

Comments must be related to the agenda item and the action being considered by the subcommittee.

0:52

The city council and staff cannot discuss or comment on matters related to pending investigations, claims, or litigation.

0:59

Thank you.

1:00

Ms.

1:00

Vega, thank you very much.

1:02

I would also like to introduce our interpreter, Elsie Duarte, who will who will provide a brief announcement.

1:09

Elsie?

1:10

Thank you, Mr.

1:10

Chairman.

1:11

My name is Elsie Duarte, and I will be providing Spanish interpretation during today's public safety and justice subcommittee session.

1:19

I will now take a moment to address our Spanish speaking audience.

2:06

Thank you, Elsie.

2:07

Okay, item number one.

2:09

Item one is um approval of the PSJ minutes from September 3rd, 2025.

2:14

Do I have a motion?

2:15

Move to approve.

2:17

We have a motion and a section.

2:19

All those approved say aye.

2:21

Aye.

2:23

Chair votes aye.

2:24

Passes.

2:26

Or the motion carries.

2:27

Thank you very much for that.

2:28

Now, item number two is a presentation on the success of the fire department's lockbox program and an update on the citywide expansion.

2:37

We'll welcome Assistant Chief Justin Alexander to the table.

2:49

Chief, you're all by yourself.

2:52

All eyes are on you.

3:03

Good morning, Councilman Robinson and members of the subcommittee.

3:06

Thank you for the opportunity to highlight our community.

3:10

Are we on the presentation yet?

3:17

My apologies.

3:18

I'll begin again.

3:24

Okay.

3:31

Okay.

3:32

Thank you, Councilman Robinson and members of the subcommittee.

3:35

As I previously began, thank you for the opportunity to highlight our community risk reduction lockbox program.

3:41

The purpose of the lockbox program is to provide quick access to qualified residents.

3:45

And by qualified, we mean those residents who are residents of Phoenix over the age of 55 or who have mobility issues while eliminating damage to locks, doors, and windows.

3:56

To accomplish this, we go up to the homes of qualified residents, collect the key they provide, place the key in a lockbox that is attached outside their residence with the code set by our members, and register the location and code with our dispatch center so our responders have the information when they arrive to make a quick non-destructive entry.

4:14

In 2023, the lockbox program started as a pilot program in Council District One under Vice Mayor O'Brien in partnership with the Phoenix Realtors.

4:23

In January of 2025, it became a permanent program and was moved from fire prevention to the community risk reduction division.

4:30

Major changes to the program include the expansion of the program citywide and the ability for residents to register an existing lockbox, garage door code, or smart door uh knob code if a regular key was not being used.

4:48

As part of the permanent program, a dedicated platform was developed to intake and manage requests while also providing real-time updates to fire personnel conducting installations.

5:00

A map-based application enables installers to view all pending requests and complete installations at their convenience when they are in the area of for other calls.

5:07

Currently, installations for new lockbox requests are carried out throughout the week by community assistance program members, light duty truck crews, and cadets.

5:16

Meanwhile, community assistance program dispatchers process uh process registration only requests as they are received.

5:24

Personnel from fire operations and other city departments, such as neighborhood services, have access to a QR code that helps residents complete the program request form.

5:33

This resource is especially useful when staff encounter individuals during calls who may benefit from the lockbox program.

5:40

Premise Alerts entered into the computer aider dispatch system allow us to track the number of calls to address two addresses enrolled in the lockbox program and verify whether the lockbox was utilized.

5:54

This slide highlights the total number of installations since the pilot program launched in 2023.

6:00

As of two weeks ago, there were 586 completed records in the database.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████69%
Racial Equity█████7%
Mental Health Awareness████6%
Personnel Matters███5%
Public Engagement███5%
Procedural███4%
Public Transit███4%
Summary of Proceedings

Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee Meeting - October 1, 2025

The Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee convened on October 1, 2025, at 18:00 UTC (10:39 a.m. local time) to review the Fire Department's lockbox program, community assistance program (CAP) staffing expansions, and police recruitment/attrition. Key discussions included equity concerns over Spanish-language materials and a call for specialized police training on neurological disorders.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes (September 3, 2025): Moved and seconded; passed unanimously by voice vote (Chair voted aye).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Brady Curren (Program Coordinator, Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute) advocated for a 60-minute police training program on Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders. He noted that symptoms (tremors, slow movement, cognitive impairment) can be misinterpreted as intoxication or non-compliance, leading to escalation. He requested subcommittee support to avoid misjudgments, ensure officer and community safety, build trust, and reduce unnecessary costs. He provided his email (firstname.lastname@commonspirit.org).
  • Diane Barker (Phoenix resident, former Board of Supervisors member) raised concerns about police overtime, citing reports that a third of the department works excessive OT. She also urged police to be more aware of surroundings (e.g., rooftop snipers, pedestrian safety) and highlighted disruptive noise from street racing and loud vehicles around Roosevelt and Central, especially during First Friday. She noted Phoenix leads Tucson in pedestrian deaths and called for greater attention to safety.

Discussion Items

  • Presentation on Lockbox Program (Assistant Chief Justin Alexander): The program, piloted in 2023 in Council District One with the Phoenix Realtors, became permanent citywide in January 2025. It provides quick, non-destructive entry for residents aged 55+ or with mobility issues. As of two weeks before the meeting, 586 installations were completed, with 168 requests/month and 40 installs/month on average. Recent weeks saw nearly quadrupled installs. Goals for 2025: 500 installations, continued partnership with Realtors, and staffing adjustments. Councilwoman Guardado raised concerns about lack of Spanish-language materials, noting that 40% of Phoenix residents are Hispanic and that districts 4, 5, 7, 8 have low participation (60, 42, 10, and 36 lockboxes respectively). She criticized the oversight and lack of equity. Staff (Chief Alexander and Lori Bates) acknowledged the oversight, explaining the non-traditional rollout, and committed to translating materials immediately. Vice Mayor O'Brien expressed gratitude for the program's success, sharing a story of a 90-year-old woman in her district who gained independence.
  • Presentation on CAP Hiring and Expansion (Assistant Chief Ray Ochoa and CAP Administrator DC Ernst): CAP has reached 93% of staffing goals as of 2025. They have staffed nine behavioral health (BH) units (goal met in June 2025) and achieved 24/7 coverage for BH supervisors and dispatch. They are at 60% of the goal for 10 crisis response (CR) units, with six units providing 24/5 coverage plus 22 hours on two days; full 24/7 expected in Q1 2026. Calls transferred from police communications to BH dispatch increased 98% (Jan–Aug 2025 vs. 2024), with 417 in August 2025 (highest). BH unit call volume increased 94%; August 2025 was the highest. CAP responds as single unit (no PD/Fire) to 73% of calls. CR unit calls increased 5%. Average response times: BH 20 minutes, CR 22 minutes. CAP units respond from 11 station locations, with three future locations planned. Staff noted they comply with all traffic laws (no lights/sirens). Chair Robinson asked about outcomes for persons in crisis; Ernst explained that officers transfer care to BH units, which stabilize individuals in the community, connect to services, or initiate petitions if danger to self.
  • Informational Items: Police Recruitment and Attrition: Vice Mayor O'Brien requested year-over-year attrition data from 2020 to be included in future reports, noting current reports lack this information and are not available online. Chair Robinson noted 450 applications/month on average and asked about processing timelines, suggesting that delays may cause applicants to go to other agencies. Staff (Lori Bates) committed to including attrition data from 2020 in the next report (November) and to provide application process timelines in the December presentation.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes approved unanimously.
  • Lockbox program: Subcommittee directed staff to translate materials into Spanish immediately and ensure equitable outreach across districts. Staff committed to making materials available shortly.
  • CAP staffing: Goals for nine BH units and 24/7 coverage achieved; CR unit expansion to 10 units and full 24/7 coverage expected in Q1 2026.
  • Police reporting: Staff will include attrition data from 2020 in the next monthly report (November) and present application process timelines in December.
  • Public comment follow-up: Chair Robinson noted that police staff present were taking information on Parkinson's training; no formal action taken but indicated follow-up likely.

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to call this meeting order. Welcome to the October 1st, 2025 Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee. I'd like to introduce City Attorney Jennifer Vega. Ms. Vega, please explain the role of the public of public comment. Mr. Chair and Committee members, during citizen comment, members of the public may address the subcommittee for up to three minutes on issues of interest or concern to them. The Arizona Open Meeting Law permits the subcommittee members to listen to the comments but prohibits members from discussing or acting on the matters presented. Members of the public may speak for up to two minutes to comment on agenda items to be discussed. Comments must be related to the agenda item and the action being considered by the subcommittee. The city council and staff cannot discuss or comment on matters related to pending investigations, claims, or litigation. Thank you. Ms. Vega, thank you very much. I would also like to introduce our interpreter, Elsie Duarte, who will who will provide a brief announcement. Elsie? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Elsie Duarte, and I will be providing Spanish interpretation during today's public safety and justice subcommittee session. I will now take a moment to address our Spanish speaking audience. Thank you, Elsie. Okay, item number one. Item one is um approval of the PSJ minutes from September 3rd, 2025. Do I have a motion? Move to approve. We have a motion and a section. All those approved say aye. Aye. Chair votes aye. Passes. Or the motion carries. Thank you very much for that. Now, item number two is a presentation on the success of the fire department's lockbox program and an update on the citywide expansion. We'll welcome Assistant Chief Justin Alexander to the table. Chief, you're all by yourself. All eyes are on you. Good morning, Councilman Robinson and members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to highlight our community. Are we on the presentation yet? My apologies. I'll begin again. Okay. Okay. Thank you, Councilman Robinson and members of the subcommittee. As I previously began, thank you for the opportunity to highlight our community risk reduction lockbox program. The purpose of the lockbox program is to provide quick access to qualified residents. And by qualified, we mean those residents who are residents of Phoenix over the age of 55 or who have mobility issues while eliminating damage to locks, doors, and windows. To accomplish this, we go up to the homes of qualified residents, collect the key they provide, place the key in a lockbox that is attached outside their residence with the code set by our members, and register the location and code with our dispatch center so our responders have the information when they arrive to make a quick non-destructive entry. In 2023, the lockbox program started as a pilot program in Council District One under Vice Mayor O'Brien in partnership with the Phoenix Realtors. In January of 2025, it became a permanent program and was moved from fire prevention to the community risk reduction division.

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