Title
27th Avenue Corridor Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan (Ordinance S-48351)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to add six new positions to the Law Department/City Prosecutor's Office, four new civilian positions to the Police Department, and two new positions to the Neighborhood Services Department to support the 27th Avenue Corridor Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan (Plan), which is a pilot project to address community safety in a collaborative manner, leveraging technology as well as community-based resources. Also request authorization to increase budgeted resources for the Prosecutor’s Office and the Street Transportation and Neighborhood Services departments for the remainder of the fiscal year for the implementation of the Plan. Further request to authorize the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item.
Report
Summary
The Neighborhood Services, Police, Public Transit, Street Transportation, and Human Services Departments, along with the Law Department/CityProsecutor’s Office, are working collaboratively through this pilot project to improve the safety and quality of life along the 27th Avenue Corridor adjacent to I-17. The 27th Avenue corridor is consistently a source of violent crime, prostitution, drug use, trespassing, blight, and other quality of life concerns. Ease of access to I-17, in combination with some poorly managed hotels, motels and apartment complexes creates an environment where crime can flourish with few impediments, which creates an undue burden for the residents along the corridor. The uniqueness of the 27th Avenue Corridor, coupled with limited resources, requires modern technological solutions as well as collaborative partnerships to positively impact the quality of life for the community members and businesses in this area. Staff has identified the following areas along 27th Avenue to focus the initiative:
Focus Areas
Midtown Corridor
- Indian School Road;
- Camelback Road*;
- Bethany Home Road*;
- Glendale Avenue*;
- Northern Avenue;
North Corridor
- Metrocenter Mall; and
- Bell Road.
Mobile Hot Spot Package*
- A mobile technology package to provide additional focus to areas based on current need or displacement as the Plan is implemented. These additional resources will allow the ability to focus on all areas of the corridor between Indian School Road and Bell Road in an agile manner, as determined by data and community input.
*Added to the Plan based on feedback at and following the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee meeting in January 2022.
The City will be partnering with Arizona State University (ASU) to conduct a pre- and post-intervention study of the areas and monitor performance measurements. For this study, the focus areas above will run from 15th to 35th avenues to account for any displacement that occurs due to the intervention of the initiative.
This initiative focused on the 27th Avenue corridor is intended to be phase one of community safety and crime prevention efforts planned along I-17. A second phase, pending inclusion in the approved FY 2022-23 budget, would follow to include focus areas along the 19th Avenue corridor. Beginning with phase one, Cactus Park and Desert Horizon Precincts, along with the other departments, will collaborate closely on the implementation. Both precincts will be included in the planning and review from inception. Implementing in two phases will enable departments to successfully hire the additional staff, procure and install equipment, coordinate with the community and implement other elements. Phase two resources will be proposed to the City Council in the City Manager's 2022-23 Trial Budget.
To address these community concerns, the departments have set out to achieve the following within the key focus areas of the 27th Avenue Corridor:
- Improve the safety of area residents, businesses, patrons and students;
- Build upon the City’s relationships with area community groups and business partners;
- Increase coordination of resources to residents experiencing homelessness, mental/behavioral health issues and/or those victimized by human trafficking; and
- Reduce violent and quality of life crimes at key intersections along the corridor.
Strategy Areas
The City Manager's Office will coordinate the multi-department effort over a proposed two-year pilot period with three strategies to address community concerns within the corridor.
Outreach, Education and Partnerships
To develop and foster ongoing collaboration with key stakeholders, the outreach, education and partnerships strategy will include leveraging strategic coordination activities to engage and inform the community.
- Provide presentations to community organizations and schools.
- Collaborate with ASU for pre- and post-intervention study and performance measurements.
- Facilitate coordination between businesses through the North Ocotillo Business Alliance, D27 Business Alliance, the Violence Impact Coalition, and the Metro District Community Collaboration for their respective areas and encourage collaboration amongst the groups.
- Coordinate with area partners to conduct area clean ups bi-monthly along 27th Avenue.
- Install additional lighting in the I-17 underpasses.
- Map the locations of current City activity in focus areas, including active Authority to Arrest documents, blight cases, and PHX C.A.R.E.S. cases to inform action steps.
- Add focus areas to the PHX C.A.R.E.S. “hot spot” list for more weekly, proactive outreach efforts.
- Incorporate mental health outreach efforts when upcoming contracts are approved.
Prevention and Intervention
To proactively address community issues and concerns, the prevention and intervention strategy will include monitoring and reporting of blight and working with the community to identify solutions and inform service approach.
- Engage and activate community groups.
- Promote Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principals with community members, groups and businesses to enhance neighborhood safety.
- Monitor and address criminal activity at bus stops and review bus stop cleaning activities, signage and amenities.
- Conduct proactive monthly common blight inspections, graffiti and shopping cart removals.
- Ensure outreach teams obtain additional information from clients during outreach to inform service approach.
- Identify and work with local partners to identify ways they can support the City’s efforts to address drug-related issues (e.g., New Freedom, Community Medical Services, Southwest Behavioral and Health Services, Phoenix Rescue Mission).
- Identify potential alleys, as appropriate, to recommend further expansion of the Gated Alley Program Pilot.
- Conduct CPTED audits within focus areas and ensure staff assigned to this area are properly trained in CPTED principles.
- Work with property owners on solutions for ongoing issues.
- Work with business owners to provide resource information on and within their businesses regarding where to get help.
Enforcement
To decrease violent crime and address quality of life concerns with limited staffing availability, modern technological solutions are necessary to support the Phoenix Police Department's field operations and violent crime follow-up investigations. The enforcement strategies will include portable solutions to work in conjunction with partnering departments on the initiative.
- Provide increased undercover operations to include narcotics, human trafficking, and the Neighborhood Engagement Team.
- Introduce bike-mounted officers and police assistants.
- Utilize portable technology solutions including gunshot detection capabilities, mobile license plate readers, and temporarily installed fixed cameras.
- Dedicate Community Prosecution staff to work with law enforcement, other City departments, and the community to provide resources and education in the administration of justice.
- City Departments will employ a coordinated approach to address properties with blight and zoning issues that are contributing to the overall identified crime that is having a negative impact in the area.
- Provide focused Code Enforcement efforts in the focus areas.
- Identify vacant buildings and ensure they are secured to City specifications.
- Promote Authority to Arrest and proper signage for private properties.
- Identify opportunities for additional enforcement tools like Drug-free zones near schools.
Performance Measurements
The City is collaborating with ASU to study the areas pre- and post-intervention. The success of the initiative will be measured through the following performance indicators:
- Calls for police service in focus areas;
- Types of calls for police service in focus areas;
- Resident/merchant perceptions of problems in focus areas;
- Complaints or commendations from the community about the new responses to the problems;
- Visible signs of disorder in focus areas;
- Referrals of individuals-in-need to social services and uptake of those referrals;
- Ease of procuring illegal drugs in focus areas (i.e., search time);
- Reduction in drug crimes;
- Reduction in overdoses;
- Reduction in violent crime;
- Achieve a voluntary code enforcement compliance rate of at least 90 percent in the focus corridor areas;
- Assessments of vacant structures completed within 90 days (of filling the proposed Neighborhood Inspector I position);
- Initiate any appropriate property abatement cases within 48 hours of assessment inspection;
- Four neighborhood clean-ups conducted;
- Two CPTED audits conducted per month; and
- Improved coordination, communication, and education with law enforcement partners and the community in the administration of justice.
Financial Impact
The total cost for the implementation of the initiative is $4,146,881 for the first year, and $1,642,011 annually thereafter. The cost for the current fiscal year for the proposed additions will be absorbed in the current 2021-22 Budget. The full-year costs will be built into the fiscal year 2022-23 Budget. A summary of the resources for each department are outlined in Attachment A.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee discussed this item at the Jan. 12, 2022, meeting. The Subcommittee recommended the item for City Council approval, with direction to staff to conduct further research and provide information on additional focus areas, with a vote of 3-1.
Location
Council Districts: 1, 4 and 5
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays, Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Neighborhood Services, Public Transit, Police, Street Transportation, and Human Services departments and the City Prosecutor's Office in the Law Department.