FAQs

A National Misconduct Registry will provide Chiefs with additional information during the hiring and vetting process and serve as a mechanism to help prevent law enforcement officers with histories of misconduct from moving between departments. Law enforcement agencies must also foster a culture of information sharing and be forthcoming when other agencies call to perform a reference check on a current or former officer.

The Mesa Police Department supports a National Misconduct Registry with the following elements:

• Includes only sustained complaints and terminations - a registry that includes non-sustained or exonerated complaints will result in the inclusion of officers who are doing their jobs properly.
• Includes complaints and terminations that have undergone all applicable appeals and grievance processes, unless the officer in question resigns before the process is complete.
• Includes officers who resigned while under investigation for misconduct or have charges pending.
• Is structured in a way that protects sensitive information like addresses and phone numbers.
• Has clear policies and definitions for the types of misconduct that should be captured by the database and how long data should be retained.
• Contains robust oversight and audit procedures.

Qualified immunity protections are extended to a wide range of government employees, not just law enforcement. Qualified immunity does not prevent officers who engage in misconduct from being convicted for criminal offenses.

The Mesa Police Department strongly opposes repealing or amending the qualified immunity statute.

There is a broad consensus among law enforcement that additional training is needed to address systemic issues the profession is grappling with. The Mesa Police Department has already implemented ongoing training in de-escalation, implicit bias, procedural justice, and other critical response training.

The Mesa Police Department supports the development and implementation of additional training requirements on issues such as implicit bias, racial, religious, and cultural sensitivity, behavioral health response, and procedural justice.

Robust data collection and analysis can help inform decision making, identify problems, promote transparency, and build public trust and confidence. When levying data collection and reporting requirements on local law enforcement, the federal government must ensure that the data is necessary, appropriate, and does not infringe on civil and privacy rights. Law enforcement must also be able to report this data easily and efficiently through systems and channels that are already in use or funding must be made available to cover associated expenses -- these requirements cannot become unfunded mandates.

The Mesa Police Department opposes requiring that data be reported by demographic categories such as religion, disability, English language proficiency, and housing status. Chiefs have expressed concerns that these are not appropriate questions for officers to be asking the members of the public they interact with and doing so may open up law enforcement to lawsuits and harm public trust.

We recommend that all new data reporting requirements be supported through existing databases and systems. In the absence of this, the federal government must provide local law enforcement with additional funding to cover the cost of developing and implementing the systems needed to comply with new requirements. The Mesa Police Department recommends the use of a reporting mechanism that does not require local law enforcement to procure new technology or systems.

There is a broad consensus among law enforcement that additional training is needed to address systemic issues the profession is grappling with. The Mesa Police Department has already implemented ongoing training in de-escalation, implicit bias, procedural justice, and other critical response training.

The Mesa Police Department supports the development and implementation of additional training requirements on issues such as implicit bias, racial, religious, and cultural sensitivity, behavioral health response, and procedural justice.

The 1033 Program is facilitated by the Defense Logistics Agency. The program transfers excess military equipment to civilian law enforcement agencies. The 1033 Program is of great value to the Mesa Police Department and greatly enhances our ability to keep our community safe.

The 1033 Program enables the Mesa Police Department to obtain the support that is otherwise cost-prohibitive. Additionally, the increase in the use of heavy weaponry by active shooters and violent criminals highlights the importance and ongoing need for the program. The equipment is not the problem -- oversight and accountability are.

The Mesa Police Department is a national role model for oversight and accountability. We support the implementation of additional accountability measures to ensure all 1033 Program equipment is accounted for, is being used appropriately, and in a way that maintains public confidence. The Mesa Police Department strongly opposes the elimination of the 1033 Program.

The Mesa Police Department has already restricted its use and has implemented strict oversight and approval procedures. For most narcotics cases, the risks associated with no-knock warrants simply aren’t worth the potential benefits. No-knock warrants should be restricted to situations like hostage rescue and violent crimes.

The Mesa Police Department does not use and supports a ban on the use of no-knock warrants for narcotics cases.

Body-worn cameras are an important part of modern policing. These recordings help document police-public interactions, assist with criminal investigations and prosecutions, and provide an additional tool for reviewing complaints, concerns, commendations, use-of-force incidents, and other documented events. Body-worn camera use is governed by department policy, which establishes expectations for when cameras should be activated, how recordings are handled, how long evidence is retained, how recordings are reviewed, and how video may be released in accordance with applicable law and public records requirements.

The Mesa Police Department has used body-worn cameras since 2012, when the department began with 50 cameras. The initial large-scale deployment included officers assigned to the Patrol and Traffic bureaus, beginning with 350 cameras and soon after expanding to 458 cameras.

In 2021, the department’s number of assigned body-worn camera systems increased to 669, allowing the technology to be deployed more broadly across the organization. Body-worn cameras are now used by many frontline, investigative, and specialty assignments, including Patrol, Traffic, SWAT, Canine (K-9), Street Crimes Units, Gang Enforcement, School Resource Officers, the Mental Health Support Team, Mesa Gateway Airport, Task Force assignments, Civilian Investigators, the Bike Unit, and personnel within Criminal Investigation Units. Camera assignments are reviewed and adjusted over time based on inventory, staffing, operational needs, and department priorities. Patrol Sergeants and Patrol Lieutenants were also issued body-worn cameras in 2022.

In late 2024, the department deployed the latest version of its body-worn camera system, the Axon Body 4, continuing the Mesa Police Department’s long-standing commitment to using modern technology to support public safety, accountability, and service to the community. As of May 2026, the department has approximately 684 assigned body-worn cameras in use.

Body-worn cameras support transparency by helping officers, supervisors, investigators, prosecutors, and community members better understand documented events. While body-worn cameras are one tool among many, they provide an important record that can assist with accountability, evidence-based review, and public understanding of police operations.

The Mesa Police Department’s digital evidence system has grown significantly as body-worn camera use has expanded. As of April 2026, the department maintains nearly 4 million digital evidence files, occupying almost 1 petabyte of storage in its evidence management system. Body-worn camera recordings are stored as digital evidence in a secure, CJIS-compliant evidence management system designed to protect the integrity and security of digital evidence. Access to digital evidence is controlled based on authorized roles and responsibilities, while release of records is handled through established legal and public records processes.

As technology continues to evolve, the Mesa Police Department continues to evaluate body-worn camera equipment, evidence management tools, and related features to ensure they remain effective, reliable, secure, and practical for the officers and professional staff who use them. Mesa’s long-term experience with body-worn cameras also provides opportunities to share lessons learned and collaborate with other agencies seeking to improve their own programs.

In April 2022 the MPD became the largest Department, at that time, in Arizona to receive Accreditation by the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP) which is sponsored by Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police (AACOP). Accreditation ensures compliance with established standards and a clear statement of professional objectives which represent current and professional industry-best-practices in the safe, effective, efficient, and non-discriminatory delivery of law enforcement services in the State of Arizona.

Benefits of Accreditation include:

• Recognition for our Department that we aligned with the best practices in policing.
• Advance relations and trust within our Community by demonstrating our commitment to continuous improvement.
• Strengthen knowledge of our policies, procedures, training, and operations.
• Decrease litigation and exposure for our Department.
• Increase eligibility for Federal grants and funding opportunities.