Greg Stanton's
My Turn – Ahwatukee Republic News Column
May 2006 Foothills Will Miss Retiring Community Action Officer
There are many reasons why Ahwatukee Foothills is such a great area to live. We have tremendous schools, wonderful recreation activities and clean, safe neighborhoods.
Our Police Department plays a key role in this, providing community support through our Community Action Officer (CAO) program. CAOs help form neighborhood Block Watch and Fight Back groups. They perform security evaluations at homes and businesses; give presentations on crime prevention to civic organizations; work with schools and teach children how to be safe; resolve neighborhood problems by bringing in city agencies to help; and help solve crimes by providing patrol officers and detectives valuable tips they receive from residents in the neighborhoods where they work.
“If we’re not being invited to neighborhood meetings or if there are none being held, then we are not doing our job of being proactive,” said Officer Barney Barnhart, a veteran community action officer in the Foothills. “The meetings are important because we want neighbors to talk with each other and with us.”
Officer Barnhart is an absolute fixture in the Foothills neighborhoods he serves. He was actually the first community action officer in the city more than 17 years ago and has been working in Ahwatukee Foothills for the past 14 years. This friend to so many will be retiring from the Police Department in June after more than 37 years on the force.
Our thanks go to Officer Barnhart for his tremendous accomplishments throughout the years that have meant so much to Ahwatukee Foothills and the whole city.
Officer Barnhart has trained more than 20 fellow Community Action Officers and conducted more than 200 Block Watch presentations.
He has served as co-chair of the Ahwatukee Crime Prevention Task Force since its inception nine years ago.
He coined the title "Community Action Officer," which has since been adopted by other law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
Last year, Officer Barnhart received a commendation from the Police Department for "consistently superior performance."
As a member of the City Council Public Safety Subcommittee and the representative of Ahwatukee Foothills, I am proud to have worked with Officer Barnhart and I continue to support our strong community policing program. In fact, with City Council support, the Foothills has added a second community action officer. Officer Armida Gonzalez was assigned to the area a few months ago and soon will be joined by Officer Jared Charley, who is starting as a new CAO for the area. You can reach them at 602-534-2892 if you want help or information.
When police and residents work hand-in-hand, we can reduce crime, make our neighborhoods even better and enhance our already great quality of life.
Congratulations to Officer Barnhart on nearly four decades of incredible service to Phoenix residents. We will miss him and will use his success as a role model for generations of community action officers to follow. Phoenix City Councilman Greg Stanton represents Ahwatukee Foothills and is a member of the City Council Public Safety Subcommittee. If you have questions about any issues, please feel free to call Councilman Stanton's office at 602-262-7491, e-mail greg.stanton@phoenix.gov or visit phoenix.gov/district 6.
