We’ve often discussed the value and need to have effective and on-going communication with the public we serve. It is the public who ultimately are the final evaluators in the litany of oversight that resides in the world that we work in each and every day. Our citizens and community partners serve on juries, boards of inquiry, community block watch groups, and study committees. They step up and vote on issues that fund the work we do, and yes, they even line the streets in sorrow as they express their support and grief for our fallen when one of their officers has paid the ultimate sacrifice. It is a partnership. We must continue to be mindful of the importance of that relationship and work with diligence to make sure that we are receptive to their concerns and input.
On December 5, 2012, PLEA and the Arizona Police Association, APA, conducted a meeting with a number of neighborhood community group leaders, all who are members of the organization Citizens for Phoenix. This meeting was held to plan for their scheduled Legislative Day celebration scheduled for February 28, 2013, at the State Capitol. Citizens for Phoenix is a grass roots organization consisting of our community partners and business owners who have come together to promote the unified goal of establishing safer neighborhoods.