Title
Critical Incident Outreach
Description
This report provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee with information regarding the Critical Incident Outreach program, as well as the role and partnership of the Phoenix Police and Fire departments.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
Program Overview
In September 2019, this program was initiated to provide information and support to neighborhoods and individuals impacted by a critical incident.
Immediately following a critical incident within a community, a Phoenix Fire Crisis Response Unit (CR) is dispatched to provide crisis stabilization, trauma-informed care and other supportive services. The services consist of on-scene crisis intervention, victim advocacy, occupant services, grief support, assessment of safety, assessment of needs, community resources and referrals. The CR Units have phone numbers for counseling services, crisis hot lines, emergency food and financial services, as well as other available community resources. A large part of the enhanced services is that the CR Units respond to traumatic events and provide their services to both victims and witnesses in the area of the affected neighborhood, as well as to the family of a community member involved in a Police Department-related critical incident.
Within 24-48 hours, the Phoenix Police Department's Critical Incident Outreach Team responds to the affected area and initiates contact and connects with the residents and businesses surrounding the critical incident area ensuring information is shared and community concerns and fears are addressed. The team provides connectivity to City resources including referrals to Risk Management and trauma-informed care and support. This team consists of Community Response detectives from the Community Engagement Bureau, Community Action Officers assigned to impacted precincts and a Fire Department Crisis Response Team.
The Police Department's Community Liaison simultaneously contacts those individuals identified as next of kin and parents or legal guardians of directly involved persons of the police encounter or critical incident and serves as the department liaison to provide an overview of the investigation, notify and provide Critical Incident Briefing summary video releases, and coordinate the complimentary release of public records where applicable.
Impact
Since inception, the Outreach Team has conducted 18 outreach events contacting 271 residences and businesses. Outreach incidents have consisted of officer-involved shootings and violent incidents committed by community members that directly impacted their neighbors and surrounding communities. Each contact and attempted contact are provided with a Police Department outreach letter and a Fire CR Life After Trauma resource guide.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Milton Dohoney, Jr. and Jeff Barton, Deputy City Manager and the Police and Fire departments.