Criminals continue to grow more violent. Every day, the men and women on the front lines in the City of Phoenix face a full-on assault from the criminal element in our city. You and your family continue to be at risk.
FACT: The Phoenix Police Department is dangerously understaffed with hundreds fewer police officers than in 2008.
FACT: With 530 square miles to cover, response times for emergency 911 calls can often take 7 minutes or more.
As you read this, the Phoenix City Council is creating the city’s $3.9 billion annual budget.
Here are some numbers to put things in perspective:
The City of Phoenix currently has just under 2,850 sworn officers. Hundreds fewer than 10 years ago. The City Manager wants to stop hiring when we reach a level of 3,125 officers because “its what we can afford.”
The real question is how many officers do we need to effectively and safely police a city the size of Phoenix? Data from the 10 largest cities in the nation (Phoenix is #5) shows the average staffing level is 2.5 officers per 1,000 citizens. This is an extremely reasonable number, in fact many cities staff at higher ratios. Based on the current population of Phoenix (1.6M citizens), this would equate to a police force of 4,200 total sworn officers.
Phoenix needs to hire more than 1,000 police officers to meet recommended policing best practices and to make up for years of shortchanging public safety.
How can you help keep our City safe?
Call or email your Phoenix City Council member today. Tell our city leaders they must increase police hiring now and insist on a ratio of 2.5 officers per 1000 citizens.
Click here to find your City Council district.
Know your District. Here are the numbers to call and the emails:
Mayor Greg Stanton: (602) 262-7111 mayor.stanton@phoenix.gov
Vice Mayor Thelda Williams (District 1): 602-262-7444 council.district.1@phoenix.gov
Jim Waring (District 2): 602-262-7445 council.district.2@phoenix.gov
Debra Stark (District 3): 602-262-7441 council.district.3@phoenix.gov
Laura Pastor (District 4): 602-262-7447 council.district.4@phoenix.gov
Daniel Valenzuela (District 5): 602-262-7446 council.district.5@phoenix.gov
Sal DiCiccio (District 6): 602-262-7491 council.district.6@phoenix.gov
Michael Nowakowski (District 7): 602-262-7492 council.district.7@phoenix.gov
Kate Gallego (District 8): 602-262-7493 council.district.8@phoenix.gov
We cannot solve this problem without citizen support. Every day the Phoenix Police Department remains understaffed is one more day we risk lives in the City of Phoenix. On behalf of the police officers on the front lines, we want to say loud and clear that this risk is wrong, it’s not sustainable, and it could end up costing our city lives, resources and our reputation as a safe place to live.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!