Chief says patrol staffing is prioritized for 911 response; city coordinates with neighboring agencies for major events
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Summary
Interim Chief Dennis Orender told Councilman Jim Wherry that patrol remains the department priority for 911 response, that staffing per squad varies by precinct and time, and that Phoenix provides mutual aid or memoranda of understanding for large events in neighboring jurisdictions.
Phoenix’s interim police chief said ensuring patrol coverage for 911 calls is the department’s priority and described how staffing varies by precinct and by time of day.
Dennis Orender, interim police chief of the Phoenix Police Department, said the city analyzes “hot spots” and peak hours to place squads and that one precinct might have 10 officers on a squad while another has seven or eight, depending on call volume. He said geographic size matters: “In Black Mountain, it's a lower crime rate, but it's more spread out. So if you have fewer officers because of lower crime rate, it takes longer to get to a call.”
On large, multi-jurisdictional events such as the Super Bowl or NCAA Final Four, Orender said Phoenix works with state and federal partners and may use memoranda of understanding or reimbursement agreements: “Sometimes the whole city may pay for the overtime. I think sometimes, the actual event itself might get reimbursed the city to pay us back.” He said Phoenix both gives and receives assistance from neighboring agencies including Scottsdale, Glendale and Peoria.
Councilman Jim Wherry raised concerns about how many officers are visible on streets; Orender said minimum staffing levels are tracked and, when needed, overtime is used to supplement patrols so someone will respond when a resident calls 911. He described the vacancy-driven redeployment of officers toward violent-crime workload and emphasized the department’s “minimum staffing” formula based on calls for service and peak hours.
These remarks were descriptive of department operations and mutual-aid practices; no formal intergovernmental agreements or new budget appropriations were announced during the interview.