The 2nd annual COPS Walk Southwest will take place on February 23-24, 2013.

Concerns of Police Survivors was founded in 1984 to assist surviving families of law enforcement.  They currently serve over 30,000 surviving families nationwide with a wide variety of programs and provide resources to help them rebuild their shattered lives.

Families, friends, co-workers, and supporters of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty will come together in the Valley and walk 12.5 miles each day to raise money for these programs.  They include retreats for survivors and conferences held each May in Washington DC during National Police Week.

CLICK HERE for a flyer which includes information on how to register for the event or make a donation.

On Saturday, January 26, 2013, Arizona State University is hosting a men's basketball game which will pay tribute to Arizona's First Responders and raise money for for First Responder Charity programs.

This special event includes displays of classic police vehicles and police K9 demonstrations, public safety displays and demonstrations, an opportunity to meet and greet the Sun Devil's Mens Basketball team, as well as a three point contest between police and firefighters.

A portion of each ticket sold will go to the Police Charity of your choice.

CLICK HERE for an informational flyer including information on how to order discounted tickets to this event.

2013 has gotten off to a rough start for police officers in the Valley.  Over the course of three days, there were a total of 6 officer involved shootings, two resulting in serious injuries to officers.  On Saturday, January 5th, Surprise Police Officers shot and killed a suicidal subject who pointed a rifle at them.  Later that afternoon, three Phoenix Police Officers shot and killed a shoplifting suspect who pointed a handgun at them at the Walmart located at 5250 West Indian School Road.  On Sunday, January 6^th, Phoenix Police Officer Peter “Chris” Bennett was shot several times after he made contact with a suspicious subject on a bicycle in the area of 2100 West Georgia Ave.

The second annual Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA)/Phoenix Police Department Shop With a Cop event held on December 18, 2012 at the Super Target Store in Spectrum Mall was another success.  Volunteers from Kiwanis made a delicious pancake breakfast for the officers and the children as they awaited Blue Santa’s arrival in his helicopter.  Officers took 62 children from all over the city shopping for Christmas.  The event began at 6:30 a.m. Each child, accompanied by their Phoenix Police Officer, shopped the Chris-Town Target store for clothes, shoes, and toys worth up to $200.00.

As you may know, PLEA filed both a grievance with the City and a couple of unfair labor practices with the Phoenix Employment Relations Board (PERB) over Chief Garcia's decision to eliminate the class D uniform.  PLEA feels that his unilateral decision to completely eliminate an optional uniform violated labor / management agreements, reduced YOUR total compensation package, and intrudes on the MOU.

The unfair labor practice is scheduled to go in front of a hearing officer early next year.  PLEA with be asking for PERB to issue an injunction which will in effect make the class D uniform an authorized uniform choice once again.  PLEA is also vacating the grievance and just this week served the City with a Notice of Claim, which is the precursor to a lawsuit.  PLEA is seeking class status which means all unit 4 members will be included.  PLEA is asking for those unit 4 members deprived of a portion of their allowance to be repaid  since the value of their uniform allowance was reduced by Chief Garcia's unilateral, unwise decision.

As you can see, PLEA is aggressively fighting on multiple fronts to protect your paycheck and the MOU. We will keep you posted as this develops.

Although the holiday season is in full swing and many people have already done their shopping, keep in mind that any time that you shop in the City of Phoenix, instead of neighboring cities or making online purchases, 38% of the retail sales tax you pay on merchandise goes back into the City's General Fund.

When you make purchases at these local and small businesses instead of online or out of state, more of your money re-circulates in our own community instead of going somewhere else.  This translates to more jobs, improvements to our neighborhoods, and community development for the City of Phoenix.

The money that goes into the general fund helps to pay for vital City services, including police and fire protection, parks, libraries, senior centers and street maintenance.

CLICK HERE for a list of regional malls/power centers, retail warehouses, new car dealerships, home improvement, and appliance stores within the City of Phoenix.

 

The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Arizona, CLEAA and Arizona Probation Officers Association, AZPOA, in conjunction with the Phoenix Suns, are sponsoring a Law Enforcement Appreciation Night on Wednesday, January 2, 2013, at the US Airways Center in Downtown Phoenix.  That evening, the Phoenix Suns will take on the Philadelphia 76ers.  Group packages are available and include either a Suns jersey with Lower Level seats or a Suns drawstring bag with Upper Level seating.

$10 from each ticket will be donated to help build the National Law Enforcement Museum.

CLICK HERE for an informational flyer for this event.

We’ve often discussed the value and need to have effective and on-going communication with the public we serve.  It is the public who ultimately are the final evaluators in the litany of oversight that resides in the world that we work in each and every day.  Our citizens and community partners serve on juries, boards of inquiry, community block watch groups, and study committees.  They step up and vote on issues that fund the work we do, and yes, they even line the streets in sorrow as they express their support and grief for our fallen when one of their officers has paid the ultimate sacrifice.   It is a partnership. We must continue to be mindful of the importance of that relationship and work with diligence to make sure that we are receptive to their concerns and input.

On December 5, 2012 PLEA and the Arizona Police Association, APA, conducted a meeting with a number of neighborhood community group leaders, all who are members of the organization Citizens for Phoenix.  This meeting was held to plan for their scheduled Legislative Day celebration scheduled for February 28, 2013 at the State Capitol.  Citizens for Phoenix is a grass roots organization consisting of our community partners and business owners who have come together to promote the unified goal of establishing safer neighborhoods.

On Sunday, November 11, 2012, the Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown Phoenix hosted a fundraiser for Officer Joe Ochoa, of the Central City Precinct, from 6 pm until 10 pm.  Officer Ochoa has been on light duty due to a sudden heart problem and has exhausted all of his leave and sick time.

Thanks to your generosity, over $6000 was raised!

PLEA thanks everyone who attended the event including those who contributed prizes for the silent auction.

On Saturday, October 13, 2012, at approximately 3:00 am in the area of 5900 West Van Buren Street, Angel Padilla fired 37 rounds from an SKS rifle at a Phoenix Police Officer, who pulled him over for a traffic violation.  Unbeknownst to the Officer, Padilla, an ex-convict who was released from prison in May 2011 after serving a 10 1/2 year term for second degree murder, had just kidnapped his ex-wife from her residence.  Thankfully, the Officer, who received minor injuries from broken glass, was able to exit his marked patrol vehicle and take cover from this blatant and vicious attack.

On Monday, October 22, 2012, PLEA, in partnership with Silent Witness, and the Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association, PPSLA, contributed a total of $5000 to the reward for information leading to the location and arrest of Padilla.

This incident is a prime example of the harsh reality of the dangers that rank and file Phoenix Officers face every day they hit the streets to protect our Citizens.

CLICK HERE for a printable copy of the Reward Flyer provided by Silent Witness.