Phoenix police outline downtown operations unit staffing, cite arrests and new e‑bike patrol

Assistant Chief Bridal Lee presented an overview of the Phoenix Police Department’s Downtown Operations Unit to the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee on April 1, describing staffing, recent operational changes and results.

Lee said the DoU’s downtown core is roughly a one‑square‑mile footprint and that the unit includes a commander, three lieutenants, 12 sergeants, more than 50 officers and supporting civilian staff. Lee described specialized squads that handle special events, patrol, crime suppression, misdemeanor repeat offenders, infrastructure protection, judicial process and community engagement enforcement.

The presentation emphasized a third‑shift crime‑suppression pilot that began June 1, 2025, and became the permanent X‑Ray 91 squad on Aug. 20, 2025. "This pilot program was an immediate success," Lee said, reporting that from Aug. 1, 2025, to March 23, 2026, the squad produced 96 arrests, 259 incident reports, 61 citations, 22 notices of violation, six investigated traffic accidents and five firearms recoveries.

Lee also described a transfer, in August 2025, of responsibility for the downtown shelter area to the Central City Precinct so that DoU and the precinct would have aligned areas of responsibility and better resource balance. She said DoU staff coordinated training with precinct partners on interacting with people experiencing homelessness.

On crowd‑and‑event management, Lee said DoU continues to manage security and traffic for major team and special events downtown and has participated in citywide planning for large events, including the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four held March 30–April 5. Lee thanked private and nonprofit partners and said donations from Western Alliance Bank, Phoenix Downtown Inc. and the Phoenix Police Foundation helped buy 10 e‑bikes that were deployed during recent events to increase officer visibility and community engagement.

Councilwoman Anne O’Brien asked whether staffing could be increased to provide full 24‑hour coverage for the shift‑3 squad; Lee said staffing a squad with eight positions would provide 24‑hour coverage for that squad but that full seven‑day coverage would require adding a second shift‑3 squad. O’Brien commended DoU’s work and urged continued investment as downtown activity grows.

The subcommittee did not take formal action on the presentation; questions focused on staffing levels and the unit’s role in event planning.