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Councilman Greg Stanton's
Arcadia News Column
April 2004
Using technology to improve public safety
Dedicated members of our Police and Fire departments are in the community each and every day, sometimes risking their lives, to protect us. The city of Phoenix is doing everything it can to maximize the safety of these women and men while continuing to provide the highest level of public safety services. As a member of the City Council Public Safety Subcommittee, I see it as my job to make sure they are given the resources they need to do their jobs. I am certain that the latest technology is helping them do just that.
Tasers reduce police-involved shootings
In 2003, police-involved shootings in Phoenix decreased by more than 50 percent, compared to 2002, and fatal police-involved shootings fell from 13 to 9, the lowest since 1990.
The city purchased 1,175 tasers to reduce injuries to officers and suspects in high-risk arrest situations, and by March 2003, the Phoenix Police Department became the first major city police department in the United States to fully deploy tasers to patrol officers.
Phoenix Police recently upgraded to a second generation taser, the X-26, which is smaller, easier to carry and more powerful. Once a patrol officer is issued the X-26 and receives training in its use, carry of the taser is mandatory.
Radio system provides seamless services
More good news is that our public safety officers will soon benefit from a new radio system that will further enhance safety with clearer transmissions and wider coverage. The Phoenix Regional Wireless Network Project updates the 1950s technology Phoenix was previously using. This system’s Valleywide coverage means officers and firefighters will remain in continuous contact with dispatch and with each other if they cross city lines. In fact, Phoenix partnered with Mesa on this project and will work together to operate, manage and maintain the radio network.
The new digital system will allow for not only more clear-sounding transmissions and an enormous network coverage area, but also for encryption (secure transmissions not intercepted by scanners), a tool used mainly by the Police Department, and increased coverage while inside buildings.
The Police Department has already begun the transition to the new radio system and the Fire Department will follow suit. Both departments will continue in-depth training that includes classroom instruction and hands-on scenario-based training.
It is often the human touch that saves lives, but it is technology that gives our public safety officers the tools they need to make it happen.
If you have any questions about public safety or any other issue, as always, please feel free to call my office at 602-262-7491, send an e-mail to greg.stanton@phoenix.gov or visit my Web site at
www.phoenix.gov/DISTRICT6.
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