Phoenix HEAT unit reports arrests, juvenile recoveries and calls for more staffing and partnerships

Phoenix Police and partner agencies updated the subcommittee on the Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) unit’s work, reporting enforcement outcomes and urging continued resourcing and strategic partnerships.

Commander Julia Gia and Lieutenant Chris Preece described HEAT’s mission to investigate human trafficking, protect victims and target demand. They said the unit’s staffing currently includes two sergeants, nine detectives and three civilian staff (an analyst, a civilian investigator and a liquor‑related investigator). HEAT uses grant funding (DPS anti‑human‑trafficking grants), FBI task‑force contributions and state emergency funding (Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs) to support overtime, equipment and specialized positions.

The unit highlighted several results from 2025: 27 trafficker arrests attributed to HEAT’s work, 52 juvenile recoveries, multiple undercover and app‑based operations producing hundreds of arrests across cooperating operations, numerous hotel outreach operations and partnership work with Grand Canyon University (GCU) that included camera deployment and coordinated enforcement on the 27th Avenue/Indian School corridor.

Lieutenant Preece reviewed notable investigations, including a multiyear Royal Inn investigation in partnership with the FBI that led to shutdown of a facility the presenters said operated as a brothel; seizure totals cited in the presentation included large cash and property figures. Human Services victim‑services staff described nearly 300 clients served in 2025 who had been prostituted, with nearly 1,500 unique services provided.

Councilmembers focused questions on HEAT staffing and capacity. Councilwoman Gardado requested a future briefing with concrete options to increase HEAT’s capacity, including staffing and budget recommendations, timelines and near‑term reallocations; Chief Giordano and commanders acknowledged staffing constraints and proposed short‑term rotations, temporary assignments and research comparing staffing models to peer jurisdictions.

Officials and councilmembers praised the GCU partnership’s contributions to deterrence and real‑time information sharing and asked staff to return with comparative staffing models and costed options to strengthen the unit.