Residents urge transparency on casino public‑safety responses and demand constitutional training after police video controversy

During the Jan. 21 call to the public, multiple residents pressed the City Council on public‑safety coverage for the Desert Diamond White Tanks casino and on police conduct after a widely discussed video involving a local police response.

James Ellis, a Surprise resident, asked whether the city has a written agreement with the reservation or casino governing Surprise police and fire responses, whether that agreement is verbal or written, and whether the city is being compensated for services. Ellis said he has seen Surprise police and a Surprise all‑hazards fire unit responding to incidents near the casino since its opening and expressed concern that call volume tied to casino operations could increase response times in southern Surprise. He proposed that the city and the casino negotiate funding for a medical response (MR) unit — a four‑person unit with ALS staffing that can respond to medical emergencies and provide extra manpower on large incidents — and said the casino could pay for such an apparatus under automatic‑aid responses.

Several other speakers addressed police conduct and the release of an internal video. John Goodnow said the council should require constitutional training for police officers and criticized a police chief for publicly disputing community accounts of an arrest; he challenged the council to mandate training so officers understand the First Amendment protections they swore to uphold.

Paula Anderson urged revision of the city’s public‑meeting rules to avoid language that could invite litigation and to ensure rules conform to First Amendment precedents. Another public commenter used profanity during remarks as an asserted exercise of free speech; speakers at the podium had sharply differing views about whether the chief’s actions warranted discipline or resignation. Grande Johnson urged the chief to resign, saying the chief doubled down on a mistake rather than acknowledging it.

City staff responded on one point: the City Manager directed the Fire Chief to address Mr. Ellis’s questions about automatic‑aid responses and compensation. The council did not take any immediate formal action on the public comments; multiple council members said they had heard residents’ concerns and requested staff follow up.

What was said (examples):

• James Ellis (resident): “Does the city of Surprise have a contract to provide public safety responses to the reservation casino that’s outside our city limits? Is it a verbal agreement or written agreement? If we do, how much is the city being compensated…?”

• John Goodnow (resident): “How about we make constitutional training mandatory for the police? … If every one of your police officers can't recall the 5 protections codified in the First Amendment right off the top of their head, what are they doing with the badging and gun?”

• Paula Anderson (resident): urged corrective changes to public meeting rules to avoid constitutional conflicts and taxpayer exposure to lawsuits.

Council members asked staff to follow up on the casino‑response questions and to return with information; no council motion or formal vote resulted from public comment.