PHOENIX, AZ - The Phoenix Police Department (PPD) is seeking feedback from its community as it works to update its non-lethal weapons policy.
PPD released an interactive webpage that allows the public to review and provide feedback on the current policies surrounding various non-lethal weapons, according to AZ Family. The policies that are being reviewed include: department-approved spit sock, handheld irritants, taser energy weapon, impact weapons, and less-lethal launcher.
The public will be allowed to provide feedback through October 31. All feedback is expected to be reviewed and taken into consideration before the policy is finalized, the police department said. Genuine community engagement is central to policy formation, highlighting the department's acknowledgment of the civic narrative, Hoodline reported.
“Once finalized, the policies will ensure law enforcement actions involving less-lethal tools are carried out by trained officers and will establish guidelines for deployment and documentation of such force. Updates include the addition of REPULS and Taser 10 to police loadouts and include specific medical aid considerations when such tools have been used, according to a press release from the city of Phoenix.
In 2025, there were 13 Phoenix police shootings. Eight of those were fatal, according to AZCentral. Five occurred between January and May. The rest happened after Matt Giordano took over PPD in August.
Giordano was previously the head of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, where he increased statewide training standards for officers to help restore public trust. He also said, as chief, that he believes in accountability, transparency, and gaining community trust.
In response to the shootings, Giordano said the officers need more training. Measures include a department-wide refresher on use of force policies and de-escalation training; officers involved in a shooting will participate in training focused on de-escalation, communication, tactics, officer safety, use of force, and supervisory oversight within 30 days; getting more officers access to less-lethal weapons; and encouraging more officers to become certified in crisis intervention training.
PPD released an interactive webpage that allows the public to review and provide feedback on the current policies surrounding various non-lethal weapons, according to AZ Family. The policies that are being reviewed include: department-approved spit sock, handheld irritants, taser energy weapon, impact weapons, and less-lethal launcher.
The public will be allowed to provide feedback through October 31. All feedback is expected to be reviewed and taken into consideration before the policy is finalized, the police department said. Genuine community engagement is central to policy formation, highlighting the department's acknowledgment of the civic narrative, Hoodline reported.
“Once finalized, the policies will ensure law enforcement actions involving less-lethal tools are carried out by trained officers and will establish guidelines for deployment and documentation of such force. Updates include the addition of REPULS and Taser 10 to police loadouts and include specific medical aid considerations when such tools have been used, according to a press release from the city of Phoenix.
In 2025, there were 13 Phoenix police shootings. Eight of those were fatal, according to AZCentral. Five occurred between January and May. The rest happened after Matt Giordano took over PPD in August.
Giordano was previously the head of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, where he increased statewide training standards for officers to help restore public trust. He also said, as chief, that he believes in accountability, transparency, and gaining community trust.
In response to the shootings, Giordano said the officers need more training. Measures include a department-wide refresher on use of force policies and de-escalation training; officers involved in a shooting will participate in training focused on de-escalation, communication, tactics, officer safety, use of force, and supervisory oversight within 30 days; getting more officers access to less-lethal weapons; and encouraging more officers to become certified in crisis intervention training.
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Comments
2025-10-05T20:13-0400 | Comment by: James
So we get to pay for these thugs to be housed in a prison!