Cactus Village Community

SUCCESS IN COMMUNITY SAFETY .. by Dave Siebert, Dist 1

Aug 23, 2003

I wanted to bring to light some successes that we have had over the past year in the area of public / community safety. The most important one being, the reversal of Police Department budget cuts. Believing that dramatic cuts to the number of police officers would have a detrimental effect on public safety, I made the recommendation to stop the 3.9% cut, and it was unanimously approved by the full council. Not only did we stop these cuts, but we also managed to re-allocate funds to enable hiring additional officers for our force. We feel this was the best decision and the residents of Phoenix can look forward to additional officers over the next year.

Over the past few months you may have heard fewer reports about Police shootings in the City of Phoenix. This is due in part to the Taser, less than lethal weapon. Before the deployment of this device, officers had fewer choices to defend themselves against threatening or combative suspects. With the introduction and full deployment of the Taser, options other than deadly force are now available to officers. When I first recommended PD test this weapon in patrol, I knew we would have fewer suspect injuries, but the surprise for me was that there were fewer officers injured in confrontations. This fact alone truly is a success when it comes to saving lives and protecting our officers.

You may soon see the newest advancement for the City of Phoenix flying overhead. This summer the Phoenix Police Department and Phoenix Fire Department are testing a new twin engine helicopter against the stresses of the Phoenix climate. In the works for several years, this aircraft will bring an added safety element for mountain rescues, as well as a greater lifting capacity for fighting brush fires.

To learn more about these issues and others or for questions or concerns please call my office at 602-262-7444 or email us at CDIST1@phoenix.gov
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