Tempe City Council recently examined the current state of Tempe Police Department’s efforts with the city’s school districts to combat gun violence in schools, covering school resource officers, mental health services and more.
During Tempe City Council’s Jan. 25 work study, the council received a presentation from Tempe PD’s Chief of Police Kenneth McCoy, Cmdr. Kim Hale and Sgt. Joey Brudnock, providing an overview of the department and other stakeholders’ work to combat gun violence at Tempe schools.
Schools that receive such support include those in Kyrene, Tempe Elementary and Tempe Union High School districts. Additionally, Tempe PD partners with religious and parochial schools, charter/alternative schools, private schools, certified special education schools and Arizona State University.
In their presentation, the officers covered five key areas for combating school gun violence. These efforts include school resource officers, threat assessment teams, mental health services or school counseling, anonymous safety reporting systems and community engagement.
Speaking of these efforts, Hale said the five areas discussed are considered best practices for addressing gun violence in schools.
“These five all work together in partnership to create a safer school campus for us,” Hale said.
SROs, the first key area, are trained law enforcement officers within schools who can deter potential threats and facilitate immediate responses to incidents. Along with providing support in risky situations, SROs also have an educational component to their roles, connecting with students to increase feelings of safety.
On threat assessment teams, Hale stressed that these are an important facet in combating gun violence, with law enforcement, mental health practitioners and school administration collaborating to address safety concerns. In a similar vein, schools provide comprehensive mental health support to help identify and assist students who may be struggling with emotional or psychological issues.
For the anonymous reporting systems, Hale explained that these programs encourage students and staff to report safety concerns anonymously, helping to prevent incidents before they can occur.
The last area engages parents, communities and local organizations to collaborate on efforts to combat gun violence in schools.
SROs’ continuing work
Handing off the presentation to Brudnock, Hale introduced the sergeant and explained how he has worked within Tempe schools for about 10 years, overseeing the department’s combative efforts against gun violence.
Brudnock went into more detail regarding the department’s SRO unit, which consists of nine officers that serve four high schools, four middle schools and one K-8 elementary school. SROs receive funding from the state’s School Safety Program grant and districts then request and apply for an officer to be at their school.
“Everything we do is a collaborative effort. We wouldn’t be successful without our SROs working with our students on campus, with our parents, with our staff on campus (and) with any community members,” Brudnock said.
Tempe’s SRO program first launched in 1994, evolving over the years to continue to achieve its goal of providing a safe learning environment for students and staff. For example, the SROs now also work with counselors and social workers to foster school safety.
Special to the Independent/Arianna Grainey
(Special to the Independent/Arianna Grainey)
Schools that have SROs are Geneva Epps Mosley Middle School, Fees College Prep Middle School, Connolly Middle School, Cecil Shamley School, Kyrene Middle School, Corona del Sol High School, Marcos de Niza High School, McClintock High School and Tempe High School.
District schools not listed receive SROs from law enforcement agencies in their respective locations like Chandler and Phoenix. Tempe PD works with these departments quarterly to discuss their programs and to continue training.
Brudnock also covered statistics collected by Tempe PD SROs in the 2022-23 school year, showing the number of incidents by type. Incidents recorded included:
Weapon on campus: 15
Gang incidents: 18
Felony arrests: 18
Suicide intervention: 21
Misdemeanor arrests: 29
School threat: 29
Mental health intervention: 142
Restorative justice: 236
Of this list, Brudnock highlighted the restorative justice incidents, which is a law enforcement approach that works with school administrations to explore alternative solutions for addressing criminal incidents to minimize the number of student referrals to the juvenile criminal justice system.
“The last thing we want to do, we do not want to have to arrest anybody… We’ve worked over this last decade in really fine-tuning this,” he said.
Rather than taking a punitive approach for crimes like possession of marijuana or vaping, the department looks to find alternative solutions with parents and staff so that students learn from their mistakes. Brudnock added that reformative justice efforts help students avoid time in the juvenile criminal justice system for nonviolent crimes.
Gun violence locally
Going into local gun violence statistics across the state from 2018-2021, Brudnock cited data from the U.S. Department of Education, which showed instances of gun violence in grades 6-12 during that period.
In 2018, there were six incidents, and in the following year, nine incidents were reported. The number fell in 2020 to four reported gun violence incidents, increasing to seven in 2021.
Compared to Tempe, the department has recorded six legitimate firearms being seized on campus from 2018 to 2023. Breaking it down annually, one incident has been recorded each year, according to Brudnock.
In all incidents recorded at Tempe schools, no actual violence occurred. Each case also highlighted the benefits of the department’s collaborative approach to addressing gun violence, with many cases having been resolved by anonymous tips.
Courtesy City of Tempe
(Courtesy City of Tempe)
Brudnock also explained that when a firearm is seized, the department conducts an investigation, as bringing a gun onto campus is a felony crime, and restorative justice is not an option.
Closing the presentation, Chief McCoy again highlighted the department’s SRO program and the successes they’ve recorded with these officers at Tempe schools, not only in ensuring safety but impacting the lives of the students they interact with.
Of note, he also pointed to the rigorous training SROs receive, which expands their capabilities in teaching students, incident intervention and conducting complex investigations.
“I think that makes our program really special. We have people with the heart that want to be there but they have the skills to definitely investigate and take care of any issues that we see,” McCoy said.
Following the presentation, the mayor and council members commended the officers for their work and expressed their support for the department’s efforts in fostering school safety through their collaborative approach to combating gun violence.
Reporter Caroline Yu can be reached at cyu@iniusa.org. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Caroline Caroline Yu joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2020 as a summer intern covering Scottsdale. As an intern, she continued her coverage of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Tempe. After graduating in 2022, Caroline became a full-time reporter for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She is currently reporting for the Tempe market.
Community: She is a supporter of the environment and tries to get involved with related community events.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in French.
Random Fact: She used to be a ballet dancer for 10 years.
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