Title
Remote Protective Order Project (Ordinance S-46847)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into individual contracts with “Non-City Partners” that are non-governmental organizations and that wish to participate in a one-year pilot program, “The Remote Protective Order Project.” The term of the contract will be for one year, with an additional one-year option. There is no impact to the general fund.
Report
Summary
At present, a domestic violence victim begins the process of obtaining an order of protection (“protective order”) by either coming to a courthouse and physically completing and filing a petition for an order, or by completing and filing the petition on-line. Once a petition is filed, and after an in-person hearing on the petition, a court may issue an order based on evidence presented. Some victims experience difficulty in completing and filing petitions because either there is not a safe environment for them to complete and file the petition on-line, or the closest courthouse is too far to travel to without arousing suspicion of a partner, spouse, etc., or due to lack of transportation. The Remote Protective Order Project (“Project”) is a program designed to provide domestic violence victims the ability to obtain protective orders remotely from safe locations within the City, while minimizing in-person appearances at courthouses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Approximately 15 Non-City Partners (“NCPs”), all of which are non-profit organizations, have expressed interest in participating in the Project and have offered to provide dedicated, safe and private locations for victims to remotely complete protective order petitions on-line, and for remote video hearings on the petitions. Training of NCP staff will be required prior to any NCP’s participation in the Project. The training will be conducted by Phoenix Municipal Court personnel and will include instruction on (1) navigating AZPoint, the State of Arizona’s on-line protective order platform; (2) setting-up video hearings; and (3) working in partnership with the City of Phoenix Family Advocacy Center, which will provide domestic violence victims with advocacy, counseling, and case management services, and provide safety planning as needed.
Each NCP will be provided computer hardware equipped with a webcam and headset so that on-line access to AZPoint can be established and so that the remote video hearings can be held.
Contract Term
Because this is a pilot program, the contracts with the NCPs will be for one year, with a one-year option to extend at the City’s discretion. The initial, one-year contract term is anticipated to begin on or about Oct. 15, 2020.
Financial Impact
The is no financial impact to the City.
Department
Responsible Department
The item is recommended by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters and the Phoenix Municipal Court.