In August, the Phoenix Police Department’s Communications Bureau – home to its 911 call center and dispatch operations – officially moved in to the newly-renovated police headquarters at 100 West Washington Street in downtown Phoenix. This is the first fully operational work group to relocate to the new building.
Spanning 14,000 square feet per floor, the three-floor center is designed to enhance the working environment for the employees, including ergonomic desks, wellness rooms, quiet rooms and nursing rooms for mothers. The city says that the move is a strategic first step, enabling communications operations to transition into a modernized, centralized command center equipped with state-of-the-art technology, which will help better serve the community and officers daily.
“Our new center is equipped with updated emergency communications software, ensuring that we can handle emergencies with greater efficiency and reliability,” said Communications Bureau Administrator Allie Edwards. “This technology is a cornerstone of our operations, enabling us to respond swiftly and effectively to the 2.2 million calls we receive each year.”
Formerly home to Wells Fargo, the building was purchased by the City of Phoenix in 2021 and began renovations in 2023. The rest of the department will relocate in stages as specific areas are completed, which is estimated to start in the fall of 2025.
In addition, on Aug. 13, the department rolled out a new AI-powered call triage system for its non-emergency (Crime Stop) phone number. The city says the technology will improve service, reduce wait times and help ensure that emergency calls receive priority attention.
Now, when community members call the non-emergency line (602-262-6151), they will be greeted by a conversational AI system capable of speaking 36 languages. The system will then ask a few simple questions to determine the purpose of the call and will automatically direct the caller to the right resource. If an officer is needed, the call will be routed directly to a Communications Operator for dispatch entry.
