| Phoenix Councilwoman Ann O'Brien Visits Ennis, Ireland with the Phoenix Sister Cities Program | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/district-1/2858 | | City Council District 1 | 9/8/2023 7:00:00 AM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2858/Newsroom_Council_News_01.jpg | | Phoenix Councilwoman Ann O'Brien Visits Ennis, Ireland with the Phoenix Sister Cities Program | <div class="ExternalClass7AD0299FFBE0403A8B04810DA01E7134"><html>
<div>Phoenix Councilwoman Ann O'Brien will be representing the City of Phoenix on a trip to Ennis, Ireland starting this weekend with the Phoenix Sister Cities Program to meet with elected officials and share in customs and cultures. The Sister Cities Program was created to foster relationships between the people of Phoenix and our Sister Cities around the world to promote friendship, peace, and prosperity.<br></div>
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<div>The relationship between Ennis, Ireland, and Phoenix, Arizona was established in 1988. Former Phoenix City Councilman Howard Adams was a major influence in the development of the Ennis Sister City Program. The Irish Cultural Center (ICC), located in Downtown Phoenix, was established in 1988 with the installation of the Hunger Memorial, acknowledging the immense loss of life due to the 19th century Potato Famine. Two past Irish presidents, Mary Robinson and Mary MacAleese, have visited the ICC.<br></div>
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<div>“I’m very excited to be representing the City of Phoenix as we celebrate the 35th Anniversary of our Sister City relationship with Ennis, Ireland,” said Councilwoman O’Brien. “My own family history with Ireland runs deep and my connection with the Irish Cultural Center is rich. I look forward to continuing to foster stronger relations with my fellow Ennis elected officials and continue the long history of sharing cultures.”<br></div>
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<div>The most recent Phoenix delegations to Ennis were in 2005 and 2013.</div>
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<strong>Media Contact: </strong>Derrik Rochwalik, Councilwoman O'Brien's Chief of Staff, derrik.rochwalik@phoenix.gov, call or text (480)202-7347<br><br></div>
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| Community Court Approved by Council | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/district-1/2800 | | City Council District 1 | 6/29/2023 7:00:00 AM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2800/Newsroom_Council_News_01.jpg | | Community Court Approved by Council | <div class="ExternalClass773AE5EE0AE44DE2B43D38849F458C11"><html>
<div>Today, the City of Phoenix City Council voted to approve the permanent creation of a Community Court. This court joins the two existing Specialty Courts currently in operation in the Phoenix Court System – Behavioral Health Court and Veterans Court.<br></div>
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<div>Community Court will operate as a pre-adjudication court system offering homeless individuals who have committed crimes the opportunity to receive services, rather than going through the traditional judicial system. Individuals engaged in Community Court will be given the option to choose for themselves – services or consequences.<br></div>
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<div>Once an individual has been arrested and arraigned, a city prosecutor will determine if the individual is qualified to participate in Community Court based on the level of their crime and housing status. No aggravated assaults or domestic assault charges will be qualified to participate in the Community Court program. Once an individual has agreed to participate, a navigator will be assigned to them in order to develop an individualized plan that will help to elevate them out of homelessness.<br></div>
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<div>Should the individual choose to not follow their personalized plan or want to leave Community Court at any point, they will be returned to the traditional judiciary court to proceed through their initial case. When an individual completes their personalized plan and graduates from Community Court, their charges could be dropped, lowered, or considered time served.<br></div>
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<div>“This program has been a long time in the making for us in Phoenix. My office has been researching homeless problems and solutions throughout the past year and came across the successful Community Court model already operational in Mesa,” said Councilwoman Ann O’Brien. “Community Courts has been a staple of my<a href="/district1site/Documents/Proposed%20Homeless%20Solutions%20Plan.pdf" target="_blank"> Proposed Homeless Solutions Plan</a> and I’m pleased Phoenix will have this court in operation as soon as January.”<br></div>
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<div>Mesa’s Community Court has been in operation since 2020 and of those who have graduated from the Mesa Community Court, 93% have lifted themselves out of homeless and not returned to the Community Court.<br></div>
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<div>“Community Courts is a proven model in other municipalities that show when homeless individuals commit low-level crimes as a result of their conditions, there are positive outcomes,” Councilwoman O’Brien continued. “We have a responsibility to all our citizens to prosecute crime and to keep our streets clean and neighborhoods clean. But, we also have a responsibility to provide the services needed to ensure people who want to, can lift themselves out of homelessness and potentially prevent people from becoming homeless.”<br></div>
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<div>As a result of today’s vote, the City Court will begin hiring the additional judges, prosecutors, defenders, and navigators needed to make the Court successful. Community Court will operate two days a week, with two presiding judges. This specialty court will begin hearing cases starting January 2024.</div>
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<strong>Media Contact:</strong> Derrik Rochwalik, Councilwoman O'Brien's Chief of Staff, derrik.rochwalik@phoenix.gov, call or text (480)202-7347<br></div>
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| Councilwoman O’Brien Releases Yearlong Study into Homeless Causes and Solutions | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/district-1/2791 | | City Council District 1 | 6/26/2023 4:05:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2791/Newsroom_Council_News_01.jpg | | Councilwoman O’Brien Releases Yearlong Study into Homeless Causes and Solutions | <div class="ExternalClass20D57CA94AC043D4991A034AA785ED7A"><html>
<div>For the past year, Councilwoman Ann O’Brien’s office has been researching causes of the homeless epidemic and how other cities and towns across the Country have implemented solutions to reduce their homeless populations and increase the quality of life for community members and their neighborhoods. During this period of research, her staff met with stakeholders ranging from elected officials from all over the country, to non-profit leaders operating in the sphere of homeless solutions ranging from shelters, to mental health facilities, to drug rehabilitation programs.<br></div><div><br></div>
<div>In research, it was discovered that while Phoenix only has 37% of the regional population total, Phoenix bears the brunt of the homeless problem with 71% of the region’s homeless population. Factors leading to that could include the fact that Phoenix houses the Human Services Campus, a regional group of homeless service providers, in our Downtown Core. Additional factors could be related to the exponential increase in housing prices and the exponential decrease of traditionally affordable and attainable housing units.<br></div><div><br></div>
<div>“Homelessness is a complex problem derived of compounding issues. I don’t believe these proposed solutions I’ve put together are the end all be all, but many of them are proven solutions in various cities and towns who are experiencing the same growth in homeless populations and the same constraints put on us by our court systems,” said Councilwoman O’Brien.<br></div><div><br></div>
<div>This plan includes solutions such as calling for the creation of a Community Court system within our City Courts to provide services to the traditionally service-resistant individuals who are committing crimes. Also included in this document are calls for more partnerships between the State and the County related to additional legislation to explore regional services so Phoenix does not bear the brunt of all of Maricopa County’s problems.<br></div><div><br></div>
<div>“I think this plan provides well-rounded thoughts and ideas for city staff to explore. We didn’t get to this problem overnight and it will not be an overnight solution. However, I believe, through some of these solutions, we can work to implement new city strategies to catch folks before they become homeless and create new city programs designed to make our neighborhoods and parks safer and hold people accountable for their actions,” Councilwoman O’Brien continued.<br></div>
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<a href="/district1site/Documents/Proposed%20Homeless%20Solutions%20Plan.pdf" target="_blank">
<div>To view Councilwoman O’Brien’s proposed solutions plan, click here.<br></div>
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<strong>Media Contact:</strong> Derrik Rochwalik, Councilwoman O'Brien's Chief of Staff, derrik.rochwalik@phoenix.gov, call or text (480)202-7347<br></div>
</html></div> | https://www.phoenix.gov/district1 | News | district-1 |
