Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chief Butler: ASU internship partnership helps Mesa Police predict crime; grant covers most costs
Summary
Chief Butler told the council the Mesa Police Department began collaborating with Arizona State University in 2022 to gain master’s‑level crime‑analysis interns and that since 2024 the work has been primarily grant‑funded (grant covers about $184,000 of a $224,000 program budget).
Council members asked about a partnership between the Mesa Police Department and Arizona State University during the June 1 study session. Chief Butler described a relationship that began in 2022 and now uses paid ASU master’s‑level interns to perform crime analysis work that the department says improves predictive mapping and resource allocation.
Chief Butler said the department’s policing model shifted from largely reactive to more predictive analysis beginning in 2022 and that ASU brought problem‑oriented policing expertise and trained analysts into internship roles. “We started researching nationwide … Arizona State University … has a really good problem oriented policing component,” Chief Butler said. He added, “we are a really effective crime fighting police department. We have a really, really safe community,” and credited the ASU partnership with helping the department refine its analysis and patrol deployment.
Council members asked about staffing and cost. Chief Butler said the grant language notes a maximum program budget of $224,000 per year and that the grant covers $184,000 of that amount; two paid interns typically work about 30–31 hours per week. He said the city originally used public‑safety sales tax funds to start the internship program but shifted to grant funding in 2024 and that, since the grant began, the city has not needed to use general funds for the internship staffing.
Council Member Taylor and other members said constituents had questions about whether general funds would be needed if grants lapse. Chief Butler acknowledged that the grant does not always cover the full maximum and said, if necessary, staff would evaluate general‑fund options; he also noted that the department has rolled about $30,000 of prior grant funds forward into the current request.
The exchange was informational; no council action on the ASU partnership was taken during the study session.
