PHOENIX — Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano wasted no time in letting the public know his priorities.
“I have very simple priorities,” Giordano said during a press conference on Wednesday. “They’re building trust in our community, making sure officers have the support that they need and delivering a high level of service and protection to the residents of the city of Phoenix.”
The new chief also cares about treating citizens with compassion, holding officers accountable and ensuring they’re working with integrity.
“Building trust in the community is incredibly important,” Giordano said. “We can’t be successful as a police department without listening to the needs of the community.”
Giordano plans to accomplish that by visiting community meetings, advisory boards and schools in order to understand the people his department is working to protect and serve every day.
“We need to go out and engage the community where they work, where they live, so we understand what they’re going through,” the chief added.
Accountability is a top priority, Matt Giordano says
Giordano also said supporting officers is critical to the department’s success.
“Hurt people hurt people and it’s cumulative,” Giordano said.
He explained that the department’s efforts will begin at the academy, ensuring recruits understand the stressors of the profession they’re entering. The department will continue to check in with officers throughout their careers to help them remain healthy and productive members of the community—even after retirement.
“We’ve already seen an increase in the number of people that are applying to us, which is phenomenal,” Giordano said.
“But then we’re also looking at retention. And we want to make sure that the men and women that we have here, because I think they’re the best in the state, best in the country, (we) want to make sure they stay here.”
Currently, the department has about 2,600 officers. Giordano hopes to increase that number to around 3,000.
Matt Giordano talks about AI use within Phoenix Police Department
On Wednesday, the Phoenix Police Department began using an artificial intelligence program to answer nonemergency calls.
“I’m a big proponent of leveraging technology,” Giordano said. “We always want to provide the best level of service to the community, so if we can leverage technology using AI, I’m all for it.”
One area where AI could be utilized would be when public record requests are filed, the chief added.
Will Phoenix Police partner with ICE?
Concerns have been raised about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity within Phoenix over recent months, including an incident last week when an ICE agent reportedly detained a child’s guardian as the child was walking to school in south Phoenix.
Giordano made it clear that his department will have no role in immigration enforcement.
“The Phoenix Police Department enforces Arizona Revised Statutes and City Codes,” Giordano said. “That is our primary responsibility. We don’t enforce immigration laws. We don’t ask about immigration status.”
The reason Giordano felt so strongly about that is because he worked in the Phoenix Police Department before SB 1070 was ruled unconstitutional in 2018 and saw the effect the law had on the community.
“I saw the distrust that created in the community. So, we’re not going back down that road again,” Giordano said. “We will enforce laws. We’ll hold people accountable. … but we are not going to engage and make any kind of enforcement decisions or take any enforcement action related to immigration enforcement.”
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