Title
Voice Activated Intelligence System for Crime Stop Project Plan Update
Description
This report provides the Mayor, City Council and community an update on the project plan to implement a voice activated intelligence system for Crime Stop. This item was requested by the Mayor and City Council during the September 24, 2024, Policy Session.
Report
Summary
The Phoenix Police Department's (PPD) Communication Bureau is the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for all 9-1-1 emergency calls for service in the City of Phoenix, as well as Crime Stop calls. In 2023, the Communication Bureau handled a total of 2,367,554 calls for 9-1-1, Crime Stop, and non-emergent calls. This total included 1,848,275 calls for 9-1-1 and 527,335 Crime Stop calls. Nationally, high yearly call volumes, declining recruitments, ongoing retention issues and increasing physical and mental health impacts present significant challenges to most 9-1-1 call centers.
In order to address the challenge of managing the high volume of calls, the Mayor and City Council provided direction to staff at the September 24, 2024 Policy Session to develop a project plan by October 22, 2024 to implement a new technology to triage non-emergency calls, such as a voice activated intelligence system for Crime Stop. Since receiving this Council-approved direction, City Manager's Office, Police, Law and Finance staff have collaborated to develop a proposed work plan to implement the system with the goal of proactively managing incoming calls for the Communications Bureau staff and improving the overall responsiveness to Crime Stop calls.
Since September 24, 2024, staff have worked diligently to complete the following tasks:
- Initiated the determination memo process to pursue approval of direct engagement with Versaterm, which is the City's vendor for our Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.
- Completed and submitted a Business Investment Request Form (BIRF) for review and approval by the City's Information Technology Services Department.
Project Plan and Timeline
October - December 2024
- Complete determination memo process and develop the proposed contract.
- Receive approval of the BIRF and evaluate potential review by the Generative Artificial Intelligence Executive Committee.
- Collaborate with Budget and Research staff to identify funding sources and update projected budget for future fiscal years.
- Submit the proposed contract to City Council for review and approval.
January - June 2025
- Once the Council-approved contract has been executed, staff will submit an order to the selected vendor.
- Coordination between selected vendor, Police and ITS staff to implement in the Department's Communications Bureau will begin noting that the staff responsible for the Police Records Management System (RMS) project are the same staff resources that will be responsible for the implementation of the proposed intelligence system, so this project will be implemented as resources allow until the completion of the RMS project at which time, it will become the priority.
July - September 2025
- Implementation and testing of technology solution with staff training.
- Community outreach and media engagement on the improvement to service delivery.
Financial Impact
Staff estimates the financial impact in the first year, Fiscal Year 2025-26, to be approximately $700,000 to $1 million. The estimated ongoing cost is approximately $500,000.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.