Title
School Safety Update
Description
This item provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee and update on school safety efforts being made by the Phoenix Police Department.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
The Phoenix Police Department is committed to ensuring school safety through the deployment of two types of personnel: School Resource Officers (SROs) and School Safety Officers (SSOs). SROs are full-time officers funded in part by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and the City, assigned to specific precincts and stationed at schools. For the 2023-2024 academic year, the Department deployed 67 SROs across 77 schools. For 2024-2025, the department authorized the addition of two more SROs, increasing the total to 69 SROs serving 80 schools.
Roles of SROs and SSOs
SROs are fully integrated into school environments, providing safety and crime prevention education. SSOs, who are typically off-duty police officers funded through grants or district payments, are not mandated to teach. Both SROs and SSOs may serve multiple schools within a designated zone and respond to security calls as needed. Of the 80 schools covered, 12 are supported by shared SROs, with each of these SROs assigned to two schools.
The largest deployment of SSOs occurs in the Cartwright Elementary District (14 schools), followed by the Phoenix Union High School District (12 schools) and both the Deer Valley Unified and Laveen Elementary Districts (three schools each).
School Safety Plans
In addition to their educational responsibilities, SROs frequently assist school districts in developing safety plans designed to prepare for large-scale critical incidents. While the Phoenix Police Department and its SROs can aid in the formulation of these plans, it is important to note that such plans are not mandated by the City or the Department, but rather regulated by the Arizona Department of Education.
The Arizona Department of Education requires that every school maintains a safety plan.
- Some safety plans are comprehensive, extending up to several hundred pages.
- Each SRO participates in the School Safety Assessment and Prevention Team (SSAPT), meeting quarterly to discuss safety strategies and report back to their supervising sergeant.
- Certain SROs exceed standard expectations by collaborating with the Homeland Defense Bureau, which conducts threat assessments and identifies security vulnerabilities within schools.
- The Homeland Defense Bureau also works in conjunction with the Assaults Unit and School Crimes Detectives to monitor social media for potential threats, proactively identifying and addressing risks.
School Crimes and Threat Investigations
Effective communication is pivotal in addressing staffing challenges and ensuring school safety. The department fosters awareness of criminal behaviors and threats through collaboration among SROs, SSOs, and investigators from the Homeland Defense Bureau and Violent Crimes Bureau.
The Homeland Defense Bureau actively monitors social media and service calls for threats. Upon identifying a potential threat, information is disseminated through a Teams communication channel that includes personnel from both the Homeland Defense Bureau and the Violent Crimes Bureau, as well as School Crimes detectives and Community Engagement detectives who liaise with SROs.
Once a threat is confirmed, investigative teams promptly work to identify suspects and assess the credibility of the threat. Community Engagement Detectives and Homeland Defense detectives also coordinate with the SROs and SSOs at the affected schools, allowing for real-time responses. Many threats are swiftly determined to be non-credible (e.g., widely circulated social media posts), while credible threats lead to immediate investigative action.
Throughout any incident or investigation, real-time communication is maintained among the Homeland Defense Bureau, Violent Crimes Bureau, and Community Engagement Detectives via the Teams platform, facilitating effective information sharing and response.
Upcoming Training
In the near future, the SROs and SSOs will be working with the Tactical Training Detail to refresh active shooter and critical incident training. The SROs and SSOs will be challenged to critically think and plan for a large scale incident occurring at a school and sharpen their response skills.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.