Fresh off of a budget approval that will only see a 0.2% increase in the Phoenix Police Department’s budget, an additional $27 million to be precise, the Department released its 2024 Crime Reduction Plan on Wednesday. The new plan carries over much of the previous plan from 2023 but adds an emphasis on firearm-related violence and the fentanyl epidemic. Also on order is a massive technological upgrade integrating controversial solutions such as drones and gun-shot detection equipment.
In a statement released by the City Newsroom, Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan said, “We are losing far too many of our young people to gun violence, and the effects of the fentanyl epidemic on our community have been immense.”
Speaking to KTAR’s Mike Broomhead in a Wednesday interview, Sullivan explained, “If the public takes a look at the plan, you’ll see at the back we have some metrics and those are from things that we learned over the past year. We also looked at what we faced last year and added a couple really small changes focusing on juvenile crime. Something that… not just here in Phoenix but I think we’ve seen throughout the valley an uptick in juvenile crime that we saw last year and then really focusing in on the crime and disorder that’s related to the fentanyl epidemic.”
.@PhoenixPolice Chief Michael Sullivan joined @broomheadKTAR to break down the Department's 2024 Crime Reduction Plan.
— The Mike Broomhead Show on KTAR News (@BroomheadShow) June 11, 2024
According to the release from the City Newsroom, in early 2024 the Phoenix Police Department constructed a Real Time Operations Center at the Cactus Park Precinct to utilize more technological avenues to reduce crime specifically in the 27th Avenue corridor.
The plan calls for Phoenix PD to:
“Increase technology tools to continue to assist with lowering crime in the City. This technology includes the Real Time Operations Centers, drones, license plate readers (LPRs), gun-shot detection equipment, fixed cameras and laptops for all patrol officers.”
A 2021 press release from ASU’s Artificial Intelligence Cloud Innovation Center shows the Phoenix PD launched the Firearm Location and Interdiction System (FLIS) combining “acoustical and visual sensors, data analytics and omni-channel data access to help Phoenix police officers and citizens identify perpetrators of gun crimes.” The system reportedly notifies PPD automatically when a gun shot is fired providing audio, video, and location data to the officers via an application.
“Investigators are able to use the application to access the universe of data associated with the incident location and other evidence like license plates, forensics, and known associates.”
A similar, commercially produced system known as Shotspotter by SoundThinking, Inc.. has garnered serious controversy over the past two years facing major opposition in Chicago from Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson as noted in Law Enforcement Today and from Democrats in Congress such as Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) as reported by The Boston Globe.
In an interview with AZFamily, Ed DeCastro, Assistant Chief over Investigations explained, “We’re using the community as an ally as a partner with us, which has been a tremendous help. We’ve opened up a real-time operations center, so the technology we’ve gotten as a city is tremendous, and we’re able to catch the suspects a lot faster.”
As outlined in Phoenix PD’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Use Guidelines published in 2022, the department may currently deploy drones in cases of: Vehicular Crimes, Violent Crimes/Homicide, Crime Scene/Criminal Investigation, Lab Evidence Collection, and Patrol/Investigative Support. Under tactical deployment, the drones are presently deployed for: tactical operational support, to provide enhanced levels of situational awareness during a tactical incident, and critical incident scene management.
Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office used the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) drone to film the Pride flags on the Executive Tower last June.
AZ Free News is only now reporting on these facts because it took nearly nine months for the governor’s office to respond to our public records request.
Public records revealed that ADOT’s lead drone pilot captured at least 15 clips — over 21 minutes of raw footage — of the Pride flags hanging on Hobbs’ office. The displayed flags were the version of the rainbow Pride flag known as the “Progress Pride” flag, due to their inclusion of white, pink, and blue to represent transgenderism, and black and brown to represent both non-white individuals and those who died from HIV/AIDS.
The display was the first of the kind by the governor’s office. Hobbs previously hung a mainstream Pride flag while secretary of state in 2019, but legislative leadership removed it after several hours. Hobbs revealed the Pride flags on the first day of Pride Month.
“Kicking off pride month leaving no room for doubt that in Arizona, we celebrate the light and energy the LGBTQ+ community brings to our state,” said Hobbs.
Kicking off pride month leaving no room for doubt that in Arizona, we celebrate the light and energy the LGBTQ+ community brings to our state. I will continue to work alongside you until we have an Arizona where everyone, no matter who they are or who they love, has the safety,… pic.twitter.com/2ImKMEKkF3
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) June 2, 2023
ADOT drones are intended for inspections and surveying work on state infrastructure, such as highways and bridges. They were acquired about six years ago through a combination of state and federal funding.
ADOT received much of its drone fleet through a Federal Highway Administration-sponsored Arizona Council for Transportation Innovation program in 2018. At the time, the drones cost $18,100 in federal funds and over $4,500 in matching state funds.
According to public salary data from 2022, ADOT’s lead drone pilot makes over $79,200 a year: an average of $41 an hour on a 40-hour workweek. Drone piloting also requires certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which generally costs around $200.
As part of the display, public records documented how Hobbs invited guests to watch her unfurl the flags from the balcony and stand with her on the ground floor to admire the flags from below. Hobbs then hosted an hour-long “Pride Roundtable” with those guests.
— Arizona House Democrats (@AZHouseDems) June 1, 2023
Among those present at the roundtable were advocates of transitioning children’s genders, including those with personal experience like Lizette Trujillo. She was accompanied by her daughter, 15-year-old Danny, who identifies as a boy.
Other advocates present included two men identifying as women: Gaelle Esposito, lobbyist with Creosote Partners, and Jeanne Woodbury, interim executive director for Equality Arizona.
Today @GovernorHobbs unveiled Pride Flags on the Executive Tower— a demonstration of her commitment to the beautiful & rich diversity of our state.
Together, we’ll continue to uplift and support our state’s LGBTQ+ communities.
Additional public record requests revealed that the governor’s office sourced the flags from Phoenix Pride, the LGBTQ+ activist organization behind the annual Pride Festival. The organization reached out to the governor’s office last Easter.
Last year’s Pride Festival drew controversy for including overtly sexual displays such as genitalia and fetish costumes, nudity, and condom bars. Conversely, Hobbs’ takeaway from the festival last year was that the LGBTQ+ community was one of love and light.
Phoenix Pride is a powerful reminder that love unites us all. Joining last night’s festivities & celebrating the light of the LGBTQ+ community strengthened my commitment to building an Arizona for everyone. #phxPridepic.twitter.com/PW5u6LAHoI
Hobbs identified LGBTQ+ policies as her main priorities throughout her gubernatorial campaign. Her first executive order prohibited gender identity discrimination in state employment and contracts; however, Hobbs campaigned on taking anti-discrimination protections even further.
The governor promised to enact protections similar to those in Civil Rights laws: bans on LGBTQ+ discrimination in housing, education, adoptions, foster care, insurance, public accommodations, and credit procurement, as well as a ban on law enforcement profiling based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Walmart announced last Tuesday that they were bringing drone delivery to Arizona and five other states by the end of this year. Those other states will be Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
The retail giant projected that it would reach 4 million households across the six states, averaging about 1 million packages in its first year.
We continue to reach new heights when it comes to delivery. 🚀 We’re working with @godroneup to expand the convenience of drone delivery to six states with the potential to reach 4 million U.S. households. Read more: https://t.co/0WtkaumbPQpic.twitter.com/3cZmVtbnq6
The drone service would be available between 8 am and 8 pm. Only certain items would be eligible, in packages weighing up to 10 pounds. The delivery fee would be about $4, guaranteed to deliver within 30 minutes.
When it comes to solutions for last-mile delivery, we keep looking to the skies. We’ve invested in @godroneup to continue working toward a reality where drones deliver for our customers. Read more: https://t.co/8gSzaXSRUppic.twitter.com/OEjMJJ51Kv
Walmart is the latest in a race with other corporations seeking to capitalize on speedier delivery services using technology like drones. Amazon has been testing a fully autonomous drone delivery service. Although they completed their first human-free delivery in 2016, the corporation hasn’t launched that delivery option officially.
Walmart contracted with DroneUp, a drone service based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia, last November. The drones require a flight engineer to navigate them from the stores to the homes.
Their latest partnership hasn’t been the first. During initial months of the pandemic, Walmart used DroneUp’s technology to deliver COVID-19 tests to Las Vegas residences.
The future is now! In North Las Vegas, we’re offering free COVID-19 self-collection kits via drone delivery. https://t.co/54V5CEzmrv
We’re partnering up with @Zipline to pilot a first-of-its-kind drone trial. Set to launch in early 2021, this trial will enable deliveries of select health and wellness products in under an hour. 🚀 Read more: https://t.co/5swkvBtXzxpic.twitter.com/ol7Isyhevu
Prior to launching drone delivery test runs in the U.S., Walmart tested drone delivery in 2019 with the Japanese supermarket company it owned at the time, Seiyu.
Following the ambush of five Phoenix Police Department (PPD) officers during a hostage call, Councilwoman Ann O’Brien issued a memo requesting that her fellow councilmembers and Mayor Kate Gallego move to purchase drones for PPD. O’Brien explained that drones were needed during the ambush to mitigate the crisis, but that PPD didn’t have any.
I’ve just delivered a copy of this memo to every council office and the Mayor. It’s time for my fellow council members to show their support for our police and put their words into action! pic.twitter.com/tJCh9MIlMd
As of press time, O’Brien’s request for drones wasn’t included among the agenda items for Wednesday’s council meeting.
News of the attack on the officers made headlines internationally. As of Sunday, two of the five officers shot directly remained hospitalized. Another four officers were wounded from the shooting ambush indirectly. A total of nine officers were injured.
A little more than 48 hours after Friday morning's events, another officer has been released from the hospital. 2 officers remain hospitalized. We are so thankful for all of the medical staff who have helped our officers begin their journey of healing.#PHXPDStrongpic.twitter.com/AQdoEtg3Vw
The ambush took place on Friday morning around 2 am. The shooter, Morris Richard Jones III, fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, Shatifah Lobley, then shot at police as they attempted to rescue a one-month-old baby girl left on the outside doorstep of the home where the shooting occurred. The baby was unharmed.
PPD Chief Jeri Williams said Jones’ attack “makes no sense” to her during a press conference later that day, and expressed dismay that these types of crimes happen “over and over again.” Williams said that this latest ambush was part of a greater pattern of intentional violence against police.
“This is senseless, it makes no sense. I’m trying to make rhyme and reason of this,” said Williams. “This violence has no place in our city, but it continues to happen over and over again in our city and in our country.”
Per court records, Jones was a career criminal who once went by a gang alias “Petey Gunn,” most recently released from his five-month prison sentence for conspiring to turn a profit smuggling illegal immigrants across the border in 2020. Lobley assisted Jones in the smuggling and was charged with a misdemeanor amounting to $10 in fines and time served. Jones received three years’ probation for that crime originally; however, a judge revoked his probation after he punched his ex-girlfriend in the face and stole her gun while using marijuana and cocaine — the same woman he shot and killed last Friday. Years prior to his human trafficking excursion, Jones was a Oklahoma street gang member: the Hoover Crips, located in Tulsa. After one year imprisoned for stealing a car in 2004, Jones spent seven years in prison for involvement in drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession as a felon in 2006.
That latter crime was discovered by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Special Agent Josh Petree who was investigating criminal street gangs in the area. At the time of Jones’ conviction for possessing the firearm illegally, Jones had five outstanding misdemeanor warrants for his arrest and was heading to a location to purchase crack cocaine to sell.
After his release on probation in 2014, Jones recommenced his previous lifestyle and would alternate between prison and probation. In 2016, Jones received another sentence of four years before receiving an early release in 2019. It appeared that Jones decided to move to Arizona between his 2019 release and his 2020 arrest.
PPD will release body camera footage of the incident on February 25.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
