Note: The online Request to Speak window has expired.
The online Comment window has expired
Agenda Item
28 (CONTINUED FROM JUNE 24, 2020) - Request Authorization to Enter Into a Contract with Crisis Response Network, Inc. for a Web-Based Emergency Shelter Availability Portal Due to COVID-19 Pandemic (Ordinance S-46798)
While a database may be a good tool the Phoenix Police Department should have no access to it. Phoenix Police is not trained to deal with unsheltered people and they are not social workers. It makes absolutely no sense why the PD would be given sole or primary access to this database. Give this tool to the people who actually help unsheltered individuals instead of the police who will only further criminalize them. Do not place more responsibility on the shoulders of the police department.
Keep police out of the portal! This is a great tool for those who actually want to help our unsheltered. The police will simply use it as more fodder to ticket, fine, and arrest our unsheltered community. Tasking police with responding to calls for homelessness they are not equipped to deal with puts the City at risk for lawsuits. We need trauma-informed care workers to respond to calls for homelessness, not aggressive and under-trained police officers. VOTE NO.
I strongly oppose this proposal. PHXPD are not equipped to handle unsheltered populations and social problems. They don't have the trained officers to help with mental health crisis. A database or any other way of helping the population is a good idea, but should be managed by the organizations involved, not PHXPD. This population needs more beds & support- the community is only as strong as it's weakest member.
1. I am requesting a portal with no Police Department Access.
2. I am immediately requesting an increase in shelter beds. Homeless people are Phoenix people.
3. I strongly advise that only certified trauma informed care workers respond to calls regarding homelessness.
A Trauma informed care worker, or social service worker, can do more for a homeless person than a police officer can because they will receive transparency from the homeless person and also build trust.
As Poder in Action, we are in opposition of Phoenix Police having access to this database. Shelters agree this technology is important but also know that criminalization for people being un sheltered us exactly part of the problem Phoenix is facing. We must stop throwing police at social problems and instead properly invest in the things that make us safe. Stop criminalizing being poor.
I oppose any motion to give police sole or primary access to a shelter bed portal. Police are not equipped to handle the myriad needs of the unsheltered population in our city and this will make it easier for police to fine and criminalize homelessness, instead of providing people with the services they need.
I oppose this measure. While the database itself is a good tool, tasking the police with responding to homelessness (a task they are not equipped to handle) puts the safety of unsheltered folx at risk, as well puts the city at risk for lawsuits. The community needs trauma informed care workers responding to calls for homelessness. Which is precisely why those same providers should be the ones with access to the database NOT the police.
Please don't approve this ordinance. How, in the midst of a national conversation about all of the social services that police are de facto charged with administering that they are not trained to do, can the Phoenix City Counsel propose to give exclusive access to this database to the police? Please do better. Please do not increase the chances that our homeless citizens will be criminalized. Please vote to add more shelter beds to the city's resources. Please vote to fund social services.
I can't believe proposals like this are still up for debate in the current social climate. So again, POLICE ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO HANDLE SOCIAL PROBLEMS. This is not a matter of whether they get enough training or not. They are NOT the right people for the job. Social workers, Behavioral health technicians, mental health professionals, etc. These are the people who should address and handle social issues like homelessness. Do the right thing already. The people are getting tired of this.
in absolutely no circumstances should the police department have access to a web based emergency shelter availability portal. This threatens the safety of the folks who will benefit. The police do not have the best interests of folks without homes at heart, and they have clearly demonstrated a tendency towards violence and even murder towards people of color. Giving them access would be counterproductive, dangerous, and limit the efficacy of such a portal, harming the people who need it most.
I oppose any action to give PHX PD sole access to any shelter bed database implemented for our unsheltered and at risk population. I ask that a shelter bed database be put in place, and to make sure that there are plenty of shelter beds available for dispersal and use. We have a responsibility to look after one another. I ask that trauma informed care is provided as a primary response for our unsheltered and at risk population.
city council has known for over a year that there is a need for more shelter beds. their slow response to caring for our community members during a pandemic was already unconscionable. how can they now move so quickly to increase interactions with police, knowing this means tickets, harassment, and fines? for years, we have been telling you - this city's police have been showing you - that police do not protect us. they have no business having access to those experiencing housing insecurity.
I am opposing this item because police do not need access to a homelessness database. Homelessness should be addressed by social workers, mental health professionals, and addiction specialists, not police officers. Unsheltered people need community support. Criminalizing them is not the answer. Instead, we need to increase the number of shelter beds in our community and focus on the professionals who are actually equipped and trained to assist people experiencing homelessness.
The availability of a single bed is enough to arrest 100 people sleeping in public. We see that. Giving the shelter bed portal to ONLY the police is a conflict of interest because they are already incentivized to make arrests. We also see that. The police should not be involved at all. Certified care workers should respond to calls about homeless people to offer services, not the police. Also I demand that you immediately schedule a vote to increase the number of shelter beds.
I oppose Item 28 the way it is currently written. Providers of homeless services and the homeless community in Phoenix should have every tool they need to help people survive, but allowing Phoenix Police to have access to this tool is a way to further criminalize homeless people. We need funding for resources and solutions for homelessness, but Phoenix police must not have access to this tool because criminalization is not the answer.
I strongly oppose this measure. There are so many other more qualified professionals outside of law enforcement that could be used to assist the un-sheltered population in Phoenix and are much more equipped to do so. This is not the best use of our city's resources if the intention is to truly help and protect all members of the community.
As the daughter of someone who lived homeless in this city for two years, I oppose this measure giving portal access to police further criminalizing poverty and increasing harassment. Armed law enforcement enacts state violence against the vulnerable. To ensure access to shelter beds, you could start with voting to increase them. Terrorizing, traumatizing, and fining people without homes does not address the root cause. Phoenix needs to offer care to every person and redirect resources to that!
I oppose this measure to create this portal that allows police to have primary access. Whilst it is important to keep the spread of COVID under control, this measure seems to be simply a way to allow for further criminalization and harassment of our unsheltered neighbors from violent and ill trained officers to occur. We must first and foremost increase the number of much needed shelter beds and also allow for mental and physical care workers to be the primary responders in these situations.
While a database may be a good tool the Phoenix Police Department should have no access to it. Phoenix Police is not trained to deal with unsheltered people and they are not social workers. It makes absolutely no sense why the PD would be given sole or primary access to this database. Give this tool to the people who actually help unsheltered individuals instead of the police who will only further criminalize them. Do not place more responsibility on the shoulders of the police department.
Keep police out of the portal! This is a great tool for those who actually want to help our unsheltered. The police will simply use it as more fodder to ticket, fine, and arrest our unsheltered community. Tasking police with responding to calls for homelessness they are not equipped to deal with puts the City at risk for lawsuits. We need trauma-informed care workers to respond to calls for homelessness, not aggressive and under-trained police officers. VOTE NO.
I strongly oppose this proposal. PHXPD are not equipped to handle unsheltered populations and social problems. They don't have the trained officers to help with mental health crisis. A database or any other way of helping the population is a good idea, but should be managed by the organizations involved, not PHXPD. This population needs more beds & support- the community is only as strong as it's weakest member.
1. I am requesting a portal with no Police Department Access.
2. I am immediately requesting an increase in shelter beds. Homeless people are Phoenix people.
3. I strongly advise that only certified trauma informed care workers respond to calls regarding homelessness.
A Trauma informed care worker, or social service worker, can do more for a homeless person than a police officer can because they will receive transparency from the homeless person and also build trust.
As Poder in Action, we are in opposition of Phoenix Police having access to this database. Shelters agree this technology is important but also know that criminalization for people being un sheltered us exactly part of the problem Phoenix is facing. We must stop throwing police at social problems and instead properly invest in the things that make us safe. Stop criminalizing being poor.
I oppose any motion to give police sole or primary access to a shelter bed portal. Police are not equipped to handle the myriad needs of the unsheltered population in our city and this will make it easier for police to fine and criminalize homelessness, instead of providing people with the services they need.
I oppose this measure. While the database itself is a good tool, tasking the police with responding to homelessness (a task they are not equipped to handle) puts the safety of unsheltered folx at risk, as well puts the city at risk for lawsuits. The community needs trauma informed care workers responding to calls for homelessness. Which is precisely why those same providers should be the ones with access to the database NOT the police.
Please don't approve this ordinance. How, in the midst of a national conversation about all of the social services that police are de facto charged with administering that they are not trained to do, can the Phoenix City Counsel propose to give exclusive access to this database to the police? Please do better. Please do not increase the chances that our homeless citizens will be criminalized. Please vote to add more shelter beds to the city's resources. Please vote to fund social services.
I can't believe proposals like this are still up for debate in the current social climate. So again, POLICE ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO HANDLE SOCIAL PROBLEMS. This is not a matter of whether they get enough training or not. They are NOT the right people for the job. Social workers, Behavioral health technicians, mental health professionals, etc. These are the people who should address and handle social issues like homelessness. Do the right thing already. The people are getting tired of this.
in absolutely no circumstances should the police department have access to a web based emergency shelter availability portal. This threatens the safety of the folks who will benefit. The police do not have the best interests of folks without homes at heart, and they have clearly demonstrated a tendency towards violence and even murder towards people of color. Giving them access would be counterproductive, dangerous, and limit the efficacy of such a portal, harming the people who need it most.
I oppose any action to give PHX PD sole access to any shelter bed database implemented for our unsheltered and at risk population. I ask that a shelter bed database be put in place, and to make sure that there are plenty of shelter beds available for dispersal and use. We have a responsibility to look after one another. I ask that trauma informed care is provided as a primary response for our unsheltered and at risk population.
city council has known for over a year that there is a need for more shelter beds. their slow response to caring for our community members during a pandemic was already unconscionable. how can they now move so quickly to increase interactions with police, knowing this means tickets, harassment, and fines? for years, we have been telling you - this city's police have been showing you - that police do not protect us. they have no business having access to those experiencing housing insecurity.
It is safer for officers and unsheltered persons if outreach is done by individuals with a background in social work or mental health.
I am opposing this item because police do not need access to a homelessness database. Homelessness should be addressed by social workers, mental health professionals, and addiction specialists, not police officers. Unsheltered people need community support. Criminalizing them is not the answer. Instead, we need to increase the number of shelter beds in our community and focus on the professionals who are actually equipped and trained to assist people experiencing homelessness.
I oppose Item 28 as written. This contract is a waste of valuable dollars. Please use this funding to directly benefit the homeless.
The availability of a single bed is enough to arrest 100 people sleeping in public. We see that. Giving the shelter bed portal to ONLY the police is a conflict of interest because they are already incentivized to make arrests. We also see that. The police should not be involved at all. Certified care workers should respond to calls about homeless people to offer services, not the police. Also I demand that you immediately schedule a vote to increase the number of shelter beds.
I oppose Item 28 the way it is currently written. Providers of homeless services and the homeless community in Phoenix should have every tool they need to help people survive, but allowing Phoenix Police to have access to this tool is a way to further criminalize homeless people. We need funding for resources and solutions for homelessness, but Phoenix police must not have access to this tool because criminalization is not the answer.
I strongly oppose this measure. There are so many other more qualified professionals outside of law enforcement that could be used to assist the un-sheltered population in Phoenix and are much more equipped to do so. This is not the best use of our city's resources if the intention is to truly help and protect all members of the community.
As the daughter of someone who lived homeless in this city for two years, I oppose this measure giving portal access to police further criminalizing poverty and increasing harassment. Armed law enforcement enacts state violence against the vulnerable. To ensure access to shelter beds, you could start with voting to increase them. Terrorizing, traumatizing, and fining people without homes does not address the root cause. Phoenix needs to offer care to every person and redirect resources to that!
I oppose this measure to create this portal that allows police to have primary access. Whilst it is important to keep the spread of COVID under control, this measure seems to be simply a way to allow for further criminalization and harassment of our unsheltered neighbors from violent and ill trained officers to occur. We must first and foremost increase the number of much needed shelter beds and also allow for mental and physical care workers to be the primary responders in these situations.