Phoenix police is considering assigning more of certain types of calls to civilian positions to free up sworn officers for other duties.
Staff said last week it could be prepared to put a vote before city council to authorize some of these new civilian positions by the end of 2022.
An Arizona State University study, requested by the Phoenix Police Department and city manager’s office, focused on eight types of calls that might not require attention from an armed officer: vehicle crashes with no injuries and minor damages, noise complaints, welfare checks, home intrusion alarm checks, abandoned vehicles, found property parking complaints and civil matter stand-by. The latter typically happens when a person needs to pick up belongings after a domestic or landlord/tenant dispute and an officer stands by to ensure peace is kept.
