On Monday December 5, 2016, PLEA held a press conference to notify the citizens of Phoenix of the realities behind the manpower crisis facing their police department. When PD management says patrol staffing needs to be brought up to 1096 bodies to get us up to “crisis staffing levels” the situation is serious. When we have to take 169 case carrying detectives, patrol specialty officers, and 24 Sergeants out of their details to shore up the front lines of the patrol force, it is indicative of a manpower and staffing crisis. When your hiring for your organization can’t keep ahead of attrition, one might say the organization is in crisis.
PLEA laid out the facts and figures with regard to the state of police manpower, hiring and attrition. We believe the City has kept the citizens of Phoenix in the dark on the true manpower situation facing the PD. Rank and file cops serve the community daily continuously doing more with less. As a result front line patrol officers and detectives have been strained to their breaking point. PLEA appealed directly to the citizens to make our backup. PLEA has asked the citizens to hold City government accountable by demanding that they find the resources to fix the police manpower crisis.
Contrary to some inaccurate news reports, PLEA is NOT asking to reverse the Re-bid.
We suggested a two pronged approach to address the problem. First, find the funds to bolster overtime money as a short term solution to plug the holes and second, force the City to take needed actions that will allow the PD to aggressively hire to get ahead of attrition.
CLICK HERE to read the full statement made at the press conference by PLEA President Ken Crane.