Phoenix council receives one‑year update on public safety reforms, data systems and behavioral health response

PHOENIX — City officials presented a one‑year progress report on public safety improvements, reporting completed policy changes, new data systems and expanded behavioral health response teams aimed at reducing avoidable police contacts and improving accountability.

The city manager’s office said 25 of 37 council‑approved action items are complete (about 70%), and the police department said it launched the Motorola PremierOne records management system to replace an older Hexagon system and to enable National Incident‑Based Reporting System (NIBRS) reporting. "This is a major step forward," Deputy/assistant presenters said during the update.

Police leadership described three linked priorities guiding their work: crime reduction, community trust and continuous improvement. Chief Matt Giordano outlined a new strategic framework and said the department has added analytic capacity, staffing and training. Assistant Chief Benza and assistant director Jody Wolf said the department has hired four research analysts and a supervisor in an organizational integrity bureau, restructured professional standards procedures, expanded training and delivered new public‑facing policies. The department reported 136 recruits hired as of July and said it pursued changes to Arizona Post Board procedures to allow certain waivers for recruits.

Officials highlighted new technology and transparency tools. The Records Management System (RMS) launch and a new analytical tool, Peregrine, were presented as foundational for standardized collection of age, race, gender and housing status across police interactions. The department also described a new "community connect" victim services text‑messaging system and a public online tracking tool for sexual assault kits. City staff said the backlog of untested sexual assault kits has dropped 91% since August 2023.

The Community Assistance Program (CAP) reported expansion of behavioral health units (BHUs) and crisis response units (CRUs). CAP said it has staffed nine BHUs providing citywide 24/7 coverage and that the program has reached about 93% of its staffing target. CAP also said crisis response units are at 60% of a 10‑unit staffing goal (six units active), and that a behavioral health dispatcher is available 24/7. CAP reported a 98% increase in calls transferred for BHU response in the first seven months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024; it said total calls for service increased 102% over the same comparison. CAP said BHUs successfully handled roughly 93% of their dispatched calls without police or fire involvement; average response times reported for July were about 19 minutes for BHUs and 21 minutes for crisis response units.

The Office of Accountability and Transparency (OAT) said its staff grew and that it has published 29 review reports to date and made 20 independent recommendations; the police department agreed with 18 of those recommendations and has updated manuals and operations orders for those agreed items. OAT said it is reviewing 146 department administrative investigations and will begin releasing audit reviews of investigations completed after the department implemented reforms in 2026.

The Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) reported system changes since 2022: more than 1,200 shelter beds created across projects, a safe outdoor space that can accommodate up to 300 people (with a 39% positive exit rate during its first 1.5 years), community court participation (623 participants and 149 graduates with eight instances of recidivism), property storage (233 containers stored, 25 returned), and coordinated referral processes between police and shelter/navigation sites. OHS said police made 40 referrals to the safe outdoor space and five referrals to the Phoenix Navigation Center since the city tracked those referrals.

Council members pressed staff on implementation and accountability. Councilwoman Jessica Hernandez asked how customer service and trauma‑informed practices are being incorporated into detective and victim interactions; police and city leaders said customer service and procedural justice training are being rolled into department training and supervisor retreats. Hernandez also pressed for clarity about the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB), OAT’s audit role, and why some units had phased adoption of body‑worn cameras; police staff said special assignments unit officers are equipped and now required to use body cameras and that the unit had been phased in earlier in the department’s overall camera rollout.

Councilwoman Debra Hodge Washington and others requested clearer, public‑friendly reporting and success metrics tied to each completed policy so community members can judge whether reforms change behavior in the field. Staff said a priority is to validate the new data pipelines and analytic tools and that they expect to provide more analyzed findings in the next quarterly update, contingent on RMS and Peregrine validation.

Several presenters emphasized that reforms are ongoing, that data systems are new and will improve reporting capability, and that collaboration across city departments and with community partners is central to the next phase. City staff committed to continuing quarterly updates to council and to publishing additional analysis once RMS and analytical tools are fully validated.