Title
Council Request: Information on City Funding, Services, Protocols, and Training Regarding Domestic and Sexual Violence - Citywide
Description
This report provides the City Council with information in response to requests made by Councilwoman Hernandez at the March 24, 2026, City Council Policy Session and March 25, 2026, Formal City Council meeting.
Report
Summary
At the aforementioned City Council meetings, Councilwoman Hernandez requested information on the City of Phoenix's funding, services, protocols, and training regarding domestic and sexual violence (DV).
The City invests significant financial and staff resources toward addressing DV. These include both external services to the community, as well as internal training and protocols. The following report briefly summarizes these efforts.
Funding
The FY 2026-27 Proposed Budget includes roughly $15.2 million in funding toward addressing DV. Nearly $13.9 million of this funding comes from the City's General Fund, while the remainder reflects federal grants, Affordable Housing, and Public Safety Expansion funds. This funding spans several departments, including Housing ($500K), Human Services ($3.6M), Municipal Court ($1.0M), and Police ($10.1M). Additional detail is provided in Attachment A.
Services
The City engages in a range of services and efforts aimed at addressing DV. These services and efforts are documented below by department, though significant coordination and collaboration occurs among these departments to provide resources, support, and justice to DV victims.
The Human Services Department (HSD) administers multiple programs and services to address DV in the community. At HSD’s Family Advocacy Center (FAC), professionally-trained victim advocates provide direct support to DV victims, including support to obtain protective orders, connection to shelter services, and other needed case management services. These efforts aim to empower victims and family members as they begin the process of finding safety, personal healing, stabilization, and navigating law enforcement and criminal justice systems. To date in FY 2025-26, there have been 2,760 referrals received, with an average of 1,300 individual services being provided to clients on a monthly basis.
In addition, HSD has three contracts with community-based organizations that address DV in the community:
• Child Help.
• Chrysalis Domestic Violence Homeless Shelter.
• Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter Hotline.
HSD also has three strategic initiatives that work in collaboration with City departments and community-based partners to provide training and education, community presentations, resource fairs, and other activities to support DV prevention and awareness. Although these programs are linked to awareness months, they include activities that occur all year long.
• Teen Dating Violence Awareness (February).
• Sexual Assault Awareness “Let’s Talk TEAL” (April).
• Domestic Violence Awareness “Paint Phoenix Purple" (October).
The Phoenix Police Department's Domestic Violence Unit is a specialized team dedicated to investigating and responding to incidents of intimate partner violence, family violence, and related offenses. The unit works closely with patrol officers, prosecutors, victim advocates, and community organizations to ensure thorough case follow-up and robust support for victims. Detectives focus on evidence-based investigations, offender accountability, and victim safety planning, often handling complex cases involving repeat offenders or high risk situations. In addition to enforcement, the unit emphasizes prevention and education by connecting victims with resources such as shelters, counseling, and legal assistance to reduce recidivism and enhance community safety. The unit also oversees the Arizona Protective Order Initiation and Notification Tool (AZPOINT), ensuring plaintiffs are supported throughout the protective order process and notified 100 percent of the time when orders remain unserved.
The Phoenix Municipal Court’s Protective Order Center (POC) has eight staff and two victim advocates (Sojourner Center and the FAC) that assist victims of DV and sexual assault obtain protective orders and victim services. The Community Justice Resource Center (CJRC) has three staff and four community partners (Hope Lives, COP Family Services Center, Recovery Empowerment Network, Southwest Behavioral Health) that staff the Center and provide referrals to community resources for victims and members of the public.
The Court has also facilitated 23 community trainings on how victims can obtain a protective order remotely without the need of coming to Court and attended community events where Court Navigators have educated the public on available community resources and CJRC services.
The Court was the first to design a process for Defendants to safely transfer firearms to Police pursuant to an Order of Protection petition being granted after meeting certain criteria. The Firearm Transfer project has the support of the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, and she has encouraged courts in the State to adopt the process created by Phoenix.
Relevant statistics on the POC and CJRC are provided below:
POC - January 2026-present:
• The Court has had 635 petitions filed and another 95 remote requests for protective orders from the FAC.
• September 30, 2019-Present - The Court has issued 2,637 Firearm Transfer Orders.
CJRC - November 2022-present:
• Assisted individuals with completing 269 protective orders (includes Injunction Against Harassment).
• Assisted another 56 individuals with how to navigate the petition process (includes Injunction Against Harassment).
• 97 DV referral services.
The Housing Department provides funding for 12 emergency housing units for victims of DV. It also funds the 15-unit Phoenix Starfish Place. This program is dedicated to the healing and empowerment of human trafficking survivors, who may also be victims of DV. In addition to providing safe affordable housing, case management, and supportive services, this funding also allows residents to apply for orders of protection.
The Equal Opportunity Department may also investigate DV cases under Chapter 18 of the Phoenix City Code as part of fair housing investigations, if the source of the fair housing complaint may have involved DV-related incidents.
Protocols
The Equal Opportunity Department (EOD) investigates allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination under A.R. 2.35 for complaints involving employee misconduct. EOD investigators are trained to identify potential sexual violence or assault and refer those cases to the Phoenix Police Department (Special Investigations Detail for criminal review). Additionally, EOD staff will coordinate with the Human Services Family Advocacy Center to provide support and resources.
If an employee is charged with domestic violence, the City uses a structured framework to ensure consistency, fairness, and alignment with policy, law, and operational needs. Each situation is evaluated independently, using this structured framework. The City assesses several key factors to determine the appropriate response:
• Work status and availability: determine if the employee is incarcerated or unable to report to work, which may result in administrative action such as job abandonment or leave status.
• Disclosure and policy compliance: determine if the employee appropriately reported the arrest or charge as required by City policy, which may independently result in corrective action.
• Nature and severity of charges: review the severity of the charges and any immediate risk considerations.
• Job duties and public impact: determine if the employee’s job role involves vulnerable populations, public safety, or positions of trust that may elevate concerns.
• Criminal case status: determine if the case is pending, resolved, or results in a conviction, including potential incarceration.
• Prior discipline history: review the employee’s work history and any previous misconduct.
Based on these factors, the City may take actions ranging from administrative leave to conducting a formal investigation and imposing corrective action, up to and including separation from City employment. This approach allows the City to respond appropriately to each situation, while balancing employee rights, workplace safety, and public trust.
Training and Other Efforts
The City makes available several domestic violence-related courses for City employees. Courses range from general education and awareness to recognition, staff expectations, and training on available resources and services. Some courses are department-specific and aimed toward staff awareness and expectations. Domestic violence courses and events are often scheduled in conjunction with the Paint Phoenix Purple Campaign that occurs every October, as well as the Let's Talk Teal Campaign in April.
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October), the HSD hosts multiple engagement and educational events for City staff to learn about DV. This year, there was a four-hour workshop and educational presentation held for City staff at the Family Advocacy Center, with 40 staff in attendance. During Sexual Assault (SA) Awareness Month (April), HSD hosts at least one seminar and/or webinar for City staff to attend to learn about SA. This year's seminar was “Breaking the Silence: Let’s Talk Teal”, which 40 employees attended.
The City also promotes DV awareness and services for victims through external facing social media posts and other content, including the Paint Phoenix Purple and Let's Talk Teal campaigns.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by City Manager Ed Zuercher and the Budget and Research, Equal Opportunity, Housing, Human Services, Municipal Court and Police departments.