Public Safety Manager Jack Harris hosts “town hall”
For 30 minutes each month, interested local media have been invited to Phoenix Police Headquarters for an informal question and answer session relevant to community law enforcement topics. Leading the sessions was Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris.
Commander Chuck Miiller who oversees the department’s Public Affairs Bureau and is facilitating the sessions stated, “The Phoenix Police Department enjoys a professional and beneficial relationship with the valley’s media partners. It is our hope that these sessions will provide another avenue for police and media to work together to enhance the quality of life and safety for the community we both serve.”
Each “town hall” type meeting will feature a variety of topics, some offered by police and others from media. In today’s meeting, Harris opened by thanking those gathered for the great work they have done to address issues of timeliness, especially back-to-school safety, the dangers of texting while driving, light rail safety, and internet safety for children. Other topics raised and addressed included budget concerns, human smuggling, home invasions and immigration issues, the purchase of rifles for patrol officers and the department’s continued focus on repeat offenders and other career criminals. Harris emphasized “…as the fifth largest city in the nation, Phoenix is still a safe place to raise your family as evidenced by the significant decrease in violent and property crimes.”
Harris reiterated how proud he is of the department he leads, “I attribute a large portion of the drop in the overall crime rate in our city to the hard work of the men and women who are our first responders as well as the civilian staff who support their everyday efforts.”