No.
A proposed Phoenix Police Department policy would not prohibit officers from taking the belongings of people experiencing homelessness. While it would bar officers from destroying or discarding personal property without the owner’s consent, it would still allow police to move, impound or store items when needed for safety or legal reasons. The policy would also require officers to handle confiscated property with “reasonable care” and give unhoused individuals a “reasonable opportunity” to retrieve their belongings.
The city drafted the policy after a U.S. Department of Justice investigation found Phoenix police had routinely and unlawfully seized and destroyed the belongings of unhoused people during arrests and encampment cleanups. The new policy aims to prevent further civil rights violations, clarify what officers can and can’t do, and promote more respectful treatment of people experiencing homelessness.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- INTERACTING WITH INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS 1.3.XX, Phoenix Police Department
- Phoenix Police Seeks Public Input on New Interacting with Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Policy, City of Phoenix
- Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations by Phoenix Police Department and City of Phoenix, U.S. Justice Department
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
