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PUHSD Adopts Resolution Supporting Civilian Oversight Of Phoenix Police

Phoenix Union High School District’s leaders adopted a resolution urging the city to create independent civilian oversight of the Phoenix Police Department.

The district’s governing board, led by president Stephanie Parra, voted to adopt the resolution on Thursday. 

The resolution cites the need for students’ safety and security, “both at home and in school,” and states that police violence “creates a direct risk of physical harm for students and their families.”

The district’s leaders join growing calls for civilian oversight, sparked in part by videos of police cursing and pointing guns at a family last summer.

Poder In Action, a local activist organization, said in a statement that many schools within the district’s boundaries serve predominantly students of color who’ve been most impacted by police violence.

“Youth of color continue to be at the forefront of the fight against police violence. Supporting civilian oversight is an important step, and we must do more towards increasing safety on and off campus,” said Michelle Ruiz, a youth organizer with the Puente Movement.

Phoenix is one of the largest cities in the country without independent civilian oversight of its police.

Ben Giles is a senior editor at KJZZ.