Scottsdale City Council approves funds for victim services, technology
By Terrance Thornton | Digital Free Press
Scottsdale City Council has approved two measures at the request of Police Chief Jeff Walther who believes the recent actions at City Hall will provide vital improvements to the care of victims of crime within city limits.
The two measures — resolution No. 12743 and resolution No. 12736 — were approved unanimously by Scottsdale City Council Tuesday, Feb. 14, at City Hall, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
The first approval is focused on providing additional funding for victim services at the Scottsdale Family Advocacy Center while the other is a technology solution meant to help notify both victims and reporting parties of police action and community services.
Scottsdale City Council Feb. 14 approved the acceptance of a grant from the Office of the Arizona Attorney General in the amount of $26,266 for training and purchasing of equipment specifically for the Family Advocacy Center, records show.
“The Scottsdale Family Advocacy Center was designed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of crimes against persons investigations while reducing the stress and trauma to the victim,” Police Chief Jeff Walther said in his report to City Council. “This is done by co-locating multiple disciplines involved in the investigation and care of the victim in one building that is intelligently designed to address the unique needs of these types of crimes.”
Chief Walther explains the Family Advocacy Center serves the unique needs of families in distress. Those facilities include:
- A child’ s playroom;
- Several quiet rooms;
- Two restrooms;
- A resource room for investigators;
- An evidence processing room with forensic drying cabinet;
- Two interview rooms;
- A kitchen;
- Conference room;
- Training room;
- Video processing areas for detectives, a forensic artist office; and
- A case storage room.
Chief Walther explains the Family Advocacy Center provides one place for all aspects of the police investigation to unfold.
“… The center provides a safe environment where all parts of the investigation can take place, instead of the victim traveling to different locations and being required to re-tell the situation over and over,” he said. “In December 2018, a multi-state judgment was reached by the Office of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. During the 2018 and 2019 legislative sessions, the Arizona Attorney General’ s Office worked with the Arizona Legislature to re-appropriate monies from civil settlements for the purpose of establishing a fund to provide grant support to Child and Family Advocacy Centers.”
Chief Walther explains the grant dollars will go toward training of personnel at the Family Advocacy Center.
Scottsdale police victim notification
Under state law, Chief Walther explains, the Arizona Treasurer’s Office provides a reimbursement program for technology funding to create automated crime notification software.
“A technology solution provided by SPIDR Technologies, Inc. has been identified by [the] SPD technology services division and the prosecutor’s office that will enhance the victim notification process in providing timely, thorough, and accessible case notifications,” he said in his report to City Council. “The statute requires that the victim notification systems must include, among other items, the date, case number, name of detective(s) assigned to their case, when arrests are made, and when the case is sent to the prosecuting agency.”
Chief Walther explains the new technology is also mobile friendly as the majority of Arizona residents encounter the digital world through a smart phone.
“The technology will also allow customers to receive mobile-friendly surveys comprised of questions chosen by SPD that can be utilized to measure community trust and satisfaction in responses for calls for service,” he said. “This solution is primarily Software-as-a-Service or (SaaS).
SPD TSD has worked with internal City stakeholders in the process to assure Information Technology concurrence, sole source verification with Purchasing, and reimbursement availability.
Scottsdale City Council approved the measure on consent Feb. 14 allowing for reimbursement for the first year of costs associated with the SPIDR Technologies contract for victim notification technology.
