Peoria Mayor Named Among 2023’s Leaders Of The Year

Peoria Mayor Named Among 2023’s Leaders Of The Year

by | Sep 7, 2023 | News

By Daniel Stefanski |

A first-year mayor is getting recognition for his emerging leadership as a government official.

Late last month, the Arizona Capitol Times released its 2023 Leaders of the Year awards, highlighting Peoria Mayor Jason Beck as a winner for the “Government” category.

In addition to congratulating Mayor Beck and others who earned recognition under various categories, the Arizona Capitol Times wrote, “These individuals have demonstrated a commitment to serving their communities that are second to none. Their passion and talent have made Arizona a better place for all that live here.”

Since entering office at the beginning of this year, Mayor Beck has proven he is up for the task of leading his city forward, working with the council to keep several of the promises he made during his 2022 campaign. Beck made public safety a key focus of his campaign, and he has delivered on multiple fronts to increase funding and resources for Peoria’s police, fire, and school.

In July, Beck announced that there would be a police presence at all Peoria Unified School District schools during the 2023-2024 year. He added that there would be four new SLOs (School Liaison Officers) and rotating SLOs at every school, that this presence would be expanded to all elementary schools, and that there would be 22 Peoria schools with police coverage and an increase in SLO salary.

The action to provide additional school safety personnel for Peoria schools comes on the heels of an earlier announcement from Mayor Beck on funding for the city’s police pension funding. In a social media post, Beck noted that the Peoria City Council had moved $6 million to the police pension funding, which was now 80% funded – compared to 48% funded in 2020.

Earlier this spring, the mayor highlighted his vote “to approve the Peoria Police Association’s proposal for a wage increase for Peoria Police Officers.” His communication on March 16 stated that the Peoria City Council “unanimously voted to increase police wages by a 10% market adjustment and a one time lump sum payment of $2,500 to go in effect March 18th.”

Beck also revealed that his city had just arranged for the acquisition of land for a new, “state-of-the-art” police and fire station, which would ensure “efficient collaboration between the two crucial services in times of emergency.” Mayor Beck explained that he is “committed to ensuring that Peoria remains a safe and secure place for everyone,” and that he “understands the vital role that our police officers and firefighters play in maintaining this safety.” He expressed his pride in supporting the city’s first responders in “their tireless efforts.”

The mayor’s success at the helm of his city comes as no surprise to those who have interacted with him in the private sector before he entered the political realm. Before taking the oath as Peoria’s chief executive, Beck founded TYR Tactical, which manufactures police and military equipment. Beck has served as the company’s CEO since its inception in 2010, growing his operation into one of the city’s top businesses. In a letter posted on TYR’s site, Beck asserts that “protecting and serving the men and women of U.S. and Allied Armed Forces, as well as Law Enforcement and Federal Agencies, has always been my number one priority.”

At the beginning of March, Beck announced that he had been presented with the Patriotic Employer Award from the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. The honor is a recognition for “contributing to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employee participation in America’s National Guard and Reserve Force.” Beck wrote, “Those that have worked at TYR know the intensity in which we focus on perfection of the product and why we say every stitch matters. Every Police Office, Every Soldier and Every Life Matters! It’s what I am proud of TYR’s performance and we are proud of Renato and the many vests that have worked for us in the past and currently working for us now.”

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.

Peoria Mayor Commits To School Safety For All

Peoria Mayor Commits To School Safety For All

by | Jul 19, 2023 | Education, News

By Daniel Stefanski |

A west valley mayor is continuing to keep his commitments to his city.

Last week, Peoria Mayor Jason Beck announced that there would be a police presence at all Peoria Unified School District schools during the 2023-2024 year.

Beck highlighted that there would be four new SLO’s (School Liaison Officers) and rotating SLO’s at every school; that this presence would be expanded to all elementary schools; that there would be 22 Peoria schools with police coverage and an increase in SLO salary.

The mayor said, “It’s the fact that we are trying to take care of our kids. Our first priority as a city is to take care of the residents. Safety and well being is our first priority.”

Peoria’s increased investment in school safety followed a communication from the first-year mayor in the city’s May 2023 newsletter, where he updated residents on his plan for keeping children safe. Beck wrote, “As Mayor, I believe the first priority of our city is to ensure that the kids, teachers and staff of the Peoria Unified School District not only feel safe, but are safe while in and around schools and associated facilities. Likewise, parents and loved ones should be able to have peace of mind that this is always the case. With this in mind, there should be nothing more important in our city’s budget than providing for the protection of our kids, teachers and staff while allowing them to have a great educational experience and positive work environment.”

Mayor Beck concluded his letter, stating, “No one should pit the skills, dedication, and good intentions of these wonderful public servants against one another. The choice is not between social workers, counselors, and law enforcement. We need an all-of-the above approach to show our children and community that we value safety and education for the happiness and prosperity of our community.”

The action to provide additional school safety personnel for Peoria schools comes on the heels of an earlier announcement from Mayor Beck on funding for the city’s police pension funding. In a Facebook post, Beck noted that the Peoria City Council had moved $6 million to the police pension funding, which was now 80% funded – compared to 48% funded in 2020.

Earlier this year, Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne and the Arizona Department of Education released the findings of a poll, which found that “81% of Arizona Public School parents support having a police officer” and “78% of Arizona Public School parents think that safety at schools is VERY IMPORTANT.”

Horne held an April press conference with Arizona legislators to address this issue. The group called on school boards “to support having an officer at every school and to apply for funding through an available school safety grant.”

After that press conference, Senator T.J. Shope added, “While we certainly see the value in school counselors as a component to safe and healthy schools, we believe SROs (school resource officers) are a necessity in this day and age where we’re witnessing increasing school shootings across the country. SROs can also help detour gang activity as they foster positive relationships with students.”

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.