City News Scottsdale Police Publish Policies Online THE SCOTTSDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT (PD) RECENTLY CREATED A NEW TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WEBPAGE THAT PROVIDES OPEN ACCESS TO ITS POLICY MANUAL.
The new page can be accessed at scottsdaleaz.gov/ police/transparency-and-accountability.
These are the most current policies, which are continuously reviewed and updated through an extensive revision process, according to the department. While most policies are available online, not every policy is available through the website to preserve tactical, officer safety, and other security concerns. Under the Arizona Public Records laws, such release or withholding must be evaluated pursuant to the Carlson balancing test. If a community member would like a policy listed in the Table of Contents that is not available on the website, one can make a public records request to see if a redacted version can be released. “The Scottsdale Police Department participates in numerous department wide programs to foster public accountability and provide transparency,” according
to Scottsdale PD. “This includes Uniformed Crime Reporting, International Accreditation, data analytics, policy management, and the Strategic Plan for the Scottsdale Police Department.” Every year, Scottsdale PD voluntarily submits to a rigorous review of departmental policies and procedures that address compliance with over 460 standards, according to Scottsdale PD. A departmentwide assessment, including interviews with city leadership and the community, is completed every four years by external assessment teams. The accreditation process ensures accountability within the department in meeting or exceeding the gold standard expectations of policing, cites Scottsdale PD. For more information about police accreditation, call 480-312-1971.
Scottsdale City Council Approves Improvements to Pima Dynamite Trailhead RECENTLY, SCOTTSDALE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED IMPROVEMENTS TO PIMA DYNAMITE TRAILHEAD, LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF MCDOWELL SONORAN PRESERVE, ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF PIMA ROAD AND DYNAMITE BOULEVARD. “We are excited to be underway with the construction of the Pima Dynamite Trailhead. This trailhead is the last of the major trailheads to be constructed, and represents the coming to fruition of the community’s vision to preserve the Sonoran Desert,” says Scott Hamilton, natural resources manager with the City of Scottsdale. “The trailhead will provide access to the Preserve for the citizens of Scottsdale who twice voted to tax themselves to not only protect the
land, but to also provide recreational and educational opportunities for this generation, and for those to come.” The improvements were approved for $5.6 million to Path Construction Inc. Funding comes from the voterapproved 2004 Preserve Sales Tax, according to the city’s website. On its website, the city answers some basic questions about the project: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS TRAILHEAD? The trailhead will provide parking and support amenities for public recreational access to the extensive network of trails in the northern region of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Between 2010 and 2015, the city acquired roughly 15,000 acres of land in this area from the Arizona State Land Department. This land will be permanently protected as part of the Preserve. In 2016, the city
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purchased 400 additional acres of state land on the northeast corner of Pima Road and Dynamite Boulevard for the location of the Trailhead. The first phase of the trailhead will include the following amenities, according to the city: • Parking for 200 or more passenger vehicles • Parking for at least 12 horse trailers • Restrooms • Hitching rails and water trough • Covered ramada and small educational amphitheater • Interpretive, directional, and regulatory signage • Limited site lighting • Small office/storage space with storage yard • Drinking fountains for hikers and dogs • Entry roads with automatic access control gates Construction on the trailhead will start soon with the goal of
being completed in summer 2021, Hamilton notes. The city is looking for community feedback on the project. Interested community members can provide feedback via a public comment form on its website at scottsdaleaz. gov/construction/project-list/pimadynamite-trailhead. The same website is the place to visit for continuous project updates. myhyperlocalnews.com
