Fire chief & captain: Defund our Police? We say defend our police

Firefighters are built for caring and coming to the aid of those who are in need. It’s in our DNA. Sadly, our preeminent partners in public safety, our law enforcement brothers and sisters, are in need of meaningful support these days.

Are there law enforcement representatives who could do better in the execution of their duties? Sure, just as there are firefighters who need to do the same (these author’s included); but the current climate of social civil discourse pits the protectors of one of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs most fundamental needs, that of the sense of security and safety, against the very people who require it.

Some have turned general societal angst toward these peacekeepers who have sworn to protect the public from the disorder of local crime to the most horrifying of human lawlessness.

As partners and collaborators in the safe keeping of the citizens and visitors of Scottsdale, we are continually amazed at the capacity of the Scottsdale Police Department to manage small, medium and large-scale public misconduct with professionalism, grace and humanity. From the police chief to the newest beat officer, the SPD are comprised of committed and skilled law enforcement professionals in both the sworn and civilian ranks.

Most of us are not aware of the capabilities and accomplishments of the SPD, but please allow us to share with you just some of the highlights.

The Scottsdale Police Department has been accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies since 1994 (there are only 11 such departments in the state). During their annual review in November 2020, their compliance service member assured that they met the criteria set forth by CALEA for compliance demonstrating contemporary policing.

In September 2020, the department enrolled in the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. Through this program, the department will show compliance with an additional 44 standards that are founded in best practices for law enforcement and more closely aligned to the specific needs in the state of Arizona. The Scottsdale department will receive their ALEAP Certification in October.

In response to the nationwide calls for change, the Presidential Executive order on Safe Policing (EO# 13929) was issued on June 16, 2020. This order identifies specific standards that must be met and reviewed by independent credentialing bodies to authorize grant funding of police departments, specifically use of force policies and procedures. The SPD has been certified by the Arizona Chiefs of Police through ALEAP as of Jan. 14, 2021.

The SPD recognized and acknowledged the increase in calls for service regarding those members of our community who are in need of mental health care and services, those experiencing homelessness, those subject to involuntary committal orders, and those who are in crisis, unrelated to criminal activity.

To reduce this call for service volume and to provide the very best services to our community in these areas, they developed the Crisis Response Team. This team is specially trained in crisis intervention and equipped with unmarked vehicles and a softer and more subdued police uniform.

In an ongoing effort to increase the effectiveness of their community outreach and engagement, they also created the Community Engagement Section, which will focus on utilizing social media and other platforms to engage in general outreach and public relation efforts, convey facts related to critical incidents, announce recruitments for job openings, post public service announcements, celebrate organizational and employee achievements, showcase various department workgroups, and release important news and information.

Each of their four patrol districts and the chief of police have community engagement groups that they meet with every quarter to discuss police and community issues. These groups are made up of residents, block-watch captains, business owners, faith leaders, activist organizations, community groups, and other citizen groups with a stake in police community relations.

The Scottsdale Police Department remains a leader in recruitment of new police officers. Candidates seek out working in Scottsdale. Despite their extremely stringent hiring process that ensures the best possible candidates, they are finding success in emphasizing the citizen relationship as a priority of their focus. They train to deescalate and engage their customers with fair and impartial policing.

Most recently they have enacted a Restorative Justice Intervention Program for youthful offenders, which includes two crisis K9 units; one in Police Crisis Intervention Services and one assigned to the School Resource Unit and deployed at Chaparral High School. And SPD has a real-time crime-center initiative to respond more efficiently to in-progress crimes, along with a specialized detective unit that addresses human exploitation and trafficking.

They are embedded in regional, state, federal and international law enforcement actions and partner with the DEA, ATF, FBI, Secret Service and others to ensure the safest Scottsdale possible.

The men and women of the Scottsdale Police Department rise each day to serve us all as citizens of Scottsdale. They ensure that Scottsdale’s “cache” of being a destination location for all walks of life is protected by ensuring the public’s safety, whether at work or play in our wonderful community.

Despite the atmosphere of tribalism that exists nationally and, in some cases, locally, they stand the post.

They’re not afforded the opportunity to defend themselves against the irrational antagonist or the self-interested agitators, so next time you see a member of the Scottsdale Police Department or any law enforcement representative for that matter, give them a special gesture or nod of appreciation. Their professionalism, skill and commitment to the calling of public service certainly deserves it.

To the digital hecklers who will surely have opposition points of view, we say check your method of communication and engagement so you can be taken seriously. Your views are critical to the development of good public policy. Debate is essential, dissent is expected, consensus-based public policy making is democracy.

Rather than defunding our police, what do you say we defend our police?

Editor’s note: Tom Shannon is Scottsdale Fire Chief; and Sasha Weller is President of IAFF Local 5050 and a captain with the Scottsdale Fire Department.