Law enforcement experts discussed ways the coronavirus pandemic is already changing policing and what reforms could remain even after it’s over in a Thursday roundtable hosted by Arizona State University.
Jerry Oliver — an ASU professor and former police chief for the Detroit, Pasadena and Richmond police departments — said this pandemic offers an opportunity to examine who gets incarcerated, such as non-violent offenders without felonies, as jails and correctional facilities in Arizona and across the country are facing pressure to release prisoners.
“We need to think long and hard about the opportunity to start to move people out of those jail situations and into more community-based situations that would be helpful not only to the community, but to many families in the community as well,” Oliver said.
He said he doesn’t think thinning out the jail population would make society less safe.
Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir said crime in general is down and calls for service have decreased in her city. Her officers are doing few bookings at this time, while still holding people accountable.
“We are not booking as much because we are using cite in lieu of detention,” Moir said, adding that it's a tool that her department would consider using more in the future.
But the Tempe police department is also seeing a rise in crimes like domestic violence, family fights, aggravated assaults, burglary and trespassing.
“What we are finding nationally is domestic violence and burglary are on the increase,” Moir said.
ASU associate professor Jill Messing said domestic violence shelters in Arizona are mostly full so they are not able to shelter new clients at this time.
Messing has also noticed that victims who are injured are now less likely to seek medical care at hospitals. She also worries that with schools closed and children being home, more of them are witnessing the violence.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to correct provided information about where Jerry Oliver was police chief.
