Grand Canyon Times

What happened to the proposed amendments to Scottsdale's public safety plan (PSP)?

City staff, including the city manager, police chief, and city attorney, drafted proposed updates to the plan that were intended for consideration at the Scottsdale City Council meeting held on Sept. 20.

The updates included creating more broad definitions of control, changing requirements, making plans for "line management" and information on surveillance equipment, creating new policy violations, and drafting requirements for businesses to "engage in line management," plus other changes.

Shortly before the meeting was set to start, however, the agenda item was removed at the request of staff, according to Grand Canyon Times. It has not come up publicly since then.

Aaron Bolin, public information officer for the Scottsdale Police Department, said the proposed changes are still in progress, and the matter has not been dropped.

"The plan is to get the finalized amendment to the City Council in the next couple of months as the amendments are finalized and the agenda allows," Bolin told Grand Canyon Times. "Two weeks ago, Chief [Jeff] Walther and Deputy City Attorney Luis Santaella met with key business stakeholders and the Arizona Restaurant Association to collaborate and address concerns about the amendments to finalize the PSP."

Bolin said Walther and Santaella, who assisted in crafting the amendments, asked to have the item pulled from the Sept. 20 agenda "to allow further collaboration and to address concerns from the key business stakeholders and the Arizona Restaurant Association."

Bolin said the decision to set aside the issue for further development was made after concerns were expressed.

"We had two community member[s] comment during the public comment time frame," he said. "The key business stakeholders and the Arizona Restaurant Association had some concerns regarding a couple of the amendments that they wanted to discuss before the council voted on them. Ultimately, a consensus was built among the group, and the amendments are moving forward."

Mayor David Ortega told Grand Canyon Times the issue remains very much alive and numerous voices will be heard before decisions are made.

"Safety of Scottsdale residents, guests, and businesses is of paramount importance in Scottsdale," Ortega said. "As the PSP moves forward, it is ensured that all stakeholders will have an opportunity to participate in its finalization."

Scottsdale first implemented a public safety plan in 2013 following a brutal attack and murder of a security officer at Martini Ranch.

Ian MacDonald stabbed bouncer Tyrice Thompson, 27, according to AzCentral.com. Thompson, a former Arizona State University football player, allegedly demanded that MacDonald and his group leave the bar. A fight broke out and MacDonald, a former Marine, stabbed Thompson, who died a few days later.

MacDonald was convicted in 2014 of manslaughter after a jury could not reach a verdict on a charge of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison, AzCentral.com reported in another article. 

The original PSP was adopted with extensive input from the Arizona Restaurant Association, the Arizona Licensed Beverage Association, and the Scottsdale Downtown and Entertainment District Association. The overall purpose of the Public Safety Plan Ordinance was to improve safety standards for patrons and businesses engaged in the restaurant and hospitality industry operating in the Scottsdale entertainment district.

The original PSP has "generally been effective" but several "potential improvements" were identified, according to the City Council report on the proposed amendments.

Public comments were accepted in the spring, a city of Scottsdale news release noted.

One key change in the proposed public safety plan was a broadening of the definition of "control" to include smaller stake owners in a business subject to the PSP. Additionally, the definition of "significant bodily injury" was expanded to include "temporary substantial loss or impairment" of any body part.

The prevalence of violent crime in Scottsdale is less than half it is in the state of Arizona as a whole and well below the national median, according to Neighborhood Scout, a hyper-local statistics website.