Title
Police HEAT Unit Overview
Description
This report provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee an overview of the Phoenix Police Department's Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
The HEAT Unit has a primary mission to investigate and disrupt human trafficking and related exploitation, protect victims and enforce laws through proactive operations, community engagement and interagency collaboration. This Unit is housed under the Police Department's Drug Enforcement Bureau and currently has two sergeants, nine detectives and three civilian positions. Funding is received for this unit in the form of grants through agencies like Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.
The core functions of the HEAT Unit are:
- Target human and sex traffickers
- Prostitution activity enforcement
- Commercial sex buyer enforcement
- Victim outreach operations
- Information tip vetting and investigations
- Juvenile victim recovery
- Training and education
2025 Activity Recap
Along the 27th Avenue Corridor, the HEAT Unit:
- Traffickers arrested: 27
- Recoveries: 52
- Street Enforcement Operations: 49 with 394 arrests
- Customer Apprehension Operations: 21 with 123 arrests
Outreach Operations
- Hotel Outreach: 9
- Resulted in 76 individuals contacted and offered services
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.