Mesa approves police contract as resident voices concerns over trust, transparency

The Mesa City Council unanimously approved a finalized multi-year labor contract with the Mesa Police Association covering police pay, benefits and working conditions at the Mesa City Council meeting on April 20.

The council also authorized City Manager Scott Butler to sign the finalized agreement.

The agreement gives Mesa police officers a series of pay raises and added incentives during the next few years, including a 3.3% pay increase in 2026 and step raises of up to 5% through 2028, with the chance for more adjustments after a city market study.

It also outlines extra benefits for officers such as a $1,500 yearly uniform allowance, up to $1,700 back for ballistic vests, and an additional $50 to $100 every two weeks for bilingual skills.

The contract also details bonus pay based on years of service, additional pay for specialized assignments, and a small city match for retirement savings.

The contract will go into effect July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2029, but the council can change or end the agreement if there is a lack of funds in the future.

The contract was included on the consent agenda, a portion of the meeting where previously reviewed items are grouped together and approved in a single vote.

Council members or members of the public can request  individual items be pulled for separate discussion.

Mesa resident Lindsay Andres spoke in opposition to the contract but initially removed the wrong agenda item from the consent agenda.

The error was not addressed until after the police contract had been approved as part of the consent agenda.

Andres said she is a Mesa home and business owner and does not feel comfortable calling the police.

“When I say the police, I don’t mean individuals, right? I think a lot of people mean very well and they take the jobs that they’re passionate about. I mean the system, OK? And the system in Mesa has not given us all a reason to trust them,” she said.

Andres then brought up two instances she believes highlights the lack of trust with the Mesa police.

First, she referenced an incident on Jan. 24, 2026, when a gray GMC truck drove through a crowd of anti-ICE protesters crossing the street near Mesa Gateway Airport.

The truck was captured in multiple videos, and its full license plate is visible.

Andres said she contacted the Mesa Police twice seeking an update on the incident but has not been given any information.

The lack of transparency between the police department and Mesa residents gives people a reason to question and not trust the police, she said.

Andres also referenced an ongoing $10 million federal civil rights lawsuit stemming from a 2022 incident in which Mesa Police officers knocked a man unconscious at a quinceañera.

“The body cam footage of that is especially harrowing, and it really feels like some individuals in our community are being targeted by the police,” Andres said. “We need the trust and we don’t have transparency.”

Andres also raised concerns about the public’s lack of information regarding police activity.

Andres, who lives in downtown Mesa, said she frequently hears police helicopters overhead but has no way of knowing what is happening nearby.

She said she understands that police radio traffic is encrypted and that officer safety is a priority, but added the lack of accessible information can make residents feel uneasy.

“It sounds like Afghanistan, and I have no way of finding out why they’re there,” she said.

Andres also mentioned Mesa’s 287(g) agreement with federal immigration enforcement.

Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act lets U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorize local police and sheriff’s offices to carry out certain federal immigration enforcement duties.

According to the city of Mesa, under this agreement officers can check the immigration status of people who have already been arrested and booked into a Mesa holding facility.

If someone in custody is found to be in the country without legal status, that information can be shared with ICE.

“I’ve read the statement about 287(g) and how the police are addressing it,” Andres said. “However, we need to restore the trust between the police and repealing 287(g) would be a good start to that.”

Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman confirmed the item Andres referenced had been approved as part of the consent agenda, and the council did not respond further to her comments.

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