Tempe’s Police Chief Kenneth McCoy has been accused of providing city officials with sensitive information on unhoused people, as well as those who help them, at the behest of the city manager.
"These allegations are just completely off base. They're false, wholly unsupported by the facts. And to be honest, they're defamatory," Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy said responding to a letter asking the Department of Public Safety to investigate his alleged breach of sensitive law enforcement data.
"At no time have we provided any type of confidential information regarding any of our citizens to unauthorized personnel for any type of political purpose or tracking or whatever it may be," McCoy said.
That same letter alleges that Tempe’s city manager requested and was given information from the database to harass two homeless advocates who have faced legal consequences for their work in public spaces.
Rosa Inchausti called those allegations a “flat-out lie,” in a statement. The attorney behind the letter represents a Tempe police commander who is now on leave and accuses the department of racial discrimination.
Austin Davis is the director of AZ Hugs, a local nonprofit, and one of the targeted advocates.
“Just the abuse of power as well is really frightening,” Davis said. “If elected officials — or in this case, non-elected officials like the city manager — can access an FBI database that is used to track terrorists?”
Davis has been jailed for aiding homeless people in Tempe’s public parks.
DPS confirmed that it has received the letter and its contents are currently under review.
-
The new plan adopted by Phoenix City Council sets goals to decrease homelessness and further expand shelter and housing availability in the city. -
Homelessness has risen dramatically since the 20-teens when there were around 5,600 people living on the street and in shelters. Today, the count is closer to 10,000. -
HB 2682 would set aside $5 million to create a new rental assistance program in Arizona. Qualifying renters would be able to apply for up to $5,000 to cover up to two months of rent. -
A bill to make it easier for unhoused individuals to get a state ID is advancing in the Arizona Legislature. -
Arizona officials want to understand how many young people are experiencing homelessness across the state. The state is launching a new survey this week to find the answer.
