Queen Creek launching its 1st police department to serve fast-growing community

Arizona will soon have a new police department joining its ranks.

Queen Creek on Tuesday plans to launch its first police department after nearly two years in the making.

The town's Council made the unanimous decision to create the new department in March 2020 to accommodate its fast-growing community, according to officials. 

"Queen Creek police officers are very excited to start patrolling the community. Our first squads will roll out at midnight on January 11," the department's first chief, Randy Brice, told The Arizona Republic through a spokesperson.

"Over the last six months, our officers have already made significant connections within the community through outreach events and activities," he continued. "These include visiting schools, meeting with faith-based groups and attending their events, engaging with senior citizens and youth in Queen Creek."

The adopted budget for the Queen Creek Police Department for the 2022 fiscal year was $19.1 million, which includes starting costs and $3.9 million for half a year of law enforcement services from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, according to Brice. 

Queen Creek since the early 1990s maintained a contract with the Sheriff's Office, which now totals more than $6 million a year, according to the town's website. It allowed for more than 40 personnel, including at least five patrol beats and access to SWAT teams, special investigation services, aircraft and other special equipment when needed, the website states.

The more than $6 million annual price tag was a direct service fee to the agency and therefore was not expected to impact its budget, according to Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Calbert Gillett. 

"This will allow us to allocate resources to areas of need to strengthen our operations," Gillett said.

Population growth behind creation of new police department

A large part of the town's decision to create a new police department was to keep up with the community's growth. 

Queen Creek's population in the last 20 years increased from about 4,000 to nearly 70,000, according to Brice. Furthermore, the town's annual population growth rate for several years was between 6% and 10% and a high rate of growth was anticipated for the next five years, said a 2019 police services study conducted by the town. 

"While the Town’s crime rate is comparatively low, the challenges associated with a fast growing population, and a larger population (approximately 110,000) just outside Town boundaries who commute through Queen Creek, have created the need for community-oriented law enforcement that responds directly to Town leadership and can provide the proactive community-oriented policing strategies needed by the community," the study stated.

The study — which was conducted to evaluate the town's options for law enforcement services — found that the town developing its own police department and maintaining its contract with the Sheriff's Office were its most feasible options. Leadership ultimately opted to create its own department because community feedback "overwhelmingly" supported it, Brice said. 

"Like many agencies Maricopa County was already maxed out on resources and personnel," he said of the agency's limitations to meet Queen Creek's growing demands. "The town decided to solicit feedback from the community to determine if having its own police department was something the residents wanted. After great feedback, in March 2020, town Council voted to start its very own police department."

Chief sworn in, more than 70 personnel hired

Brice was selected in June 2020 as the department's first chief and was officially sworn in in early December. 

He began his career with the Sheriff's Office in 1992 and served in many roles throughout his career, according to a news release from the town. He retired as a captain with the Sheriff's Office in May 2016 and a short time later joined the Gilbert Police Department as a commander, the news release said. At one point he served as Gilbert police's interim chief of police and then assistant chief. 

“I am very excited to be a part of this historic process,” Brice said at the time. “The Town of Queen Creek is an amazing community and I am honored to be the very first Chief of Police."

"My commitment is to develop an organization rooted in service, integrity and kindness. We will engage, connect, and innovate and I invite you to get involved," he continued. "This journey will only be successful if we create an atmosphere of collaboration, trust and partnership. I look forward to creating opportunities to communicate and work together with the community.”

Brice said he's since hired two lieutenants, Noah Johnson of Tempe and Mark Newman of Peoria, and a senior administrative assistant, Tina Brinkman. The group was tasked with the finer details of getting the police department off the ground, such as creating its policies and procedures and hiring additional staff, according to Brice. 

As of Friday, the department consisted of 73 officers, recruits and support staff, Brice said. They were also completing the hiring process for a crime scene and evidence specialist and four lateral officers, he said. 

"Queen Creek was lucky to get a huge pool of applicants. At a time when so many other departments are facing a hiring crisis — we had hundreds of great applicants to choose from," Brice said. "The department has hired officers from all over Arizona, New York, Illinois and Colorado. The department was looking for a very specific type of officer — a community-oriented officer who was service-minded and understood the importance of community policing."

Queen Creek police to focus on community policing

Law enforcement officers for several years have faced increasing scrutiny for excessive use of force both nationally and in Arizona.

Tensions reached an all-time high in the months after Queen Creek's decision to create a new police agency following the May 25, 2020, murder of George Floyd at the hands of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin and the Arizona Department of Public Safety's fatal shooting of Dion Johnson locally on the same day. The incidents prompted months-long protests nationally and in Arizona with many calling for police reform. 

Furthermore, Phoenix police in 2018 shot at more people than any other police agency in the nation. And 10 years of Phoenix police records released in 2020 revealed its officers were significantly more likely to use force against Hispanic, Black and Native American residents than white ones.

The department was also accused of misconduct against Phoenix protesters, including submitting gang-related charges against a group protesting police violence.

Many of these incidents are currently part of a far-reaching investigation by the Department of Justice into claims of abuse, excessive force and discrimination by police in Phoenix.

Brice said the national conversation about police and reform was taken into consideration during the creation of the Queen Creek Police Department, which he described as "a modern police agency that has been built on a foundation of community engagement and problem solving."

"Community engagement will be the primary focus of every officer in every squad. It is ingrained into their shift work," Brice said, adding that the officers would visit local schools, businesses and neighborhoods and host "town hall-style" meetings and "coffee-with-a-cop style" events. 

The department's officers have undergone "hundreds of hours" of training in the past few months, which included interacting with diverse groups within the community. The agency has also partnered with Community Bridges Inc. and Solari to assist in calls involving someone facing a mental health care crisis, according to Brice. 

"We are also a part of this community and we care about this community," he said. 

Reach the reporter at chelsea.curtis@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on Twitter @curtis_chels. 

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