The Phoenix Police Department is asking the community for input on a new policy for how officers should treat unsheltered people.
It details how police should interact with unhoused people and report encampments, as well as how the personal property of unsheltered people should be stored.
The policy follows a Department of Justice investigation last year that found Phoenix police had a pattern of misconduct, including unlawfully detaining, citing and arresting homeless people and unlawfully disposing of their belongings. The DOJ retracted the findings in May.
Public comments can be given on the survey page through Dec. 13.
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