MPD estimates cost for family advocacy center

Maricopa victims of abuse or assault often have to travel more than 90 minutes round-trip for treatment and preserving evidence for criminal investigation.

San Tan Valley and Eloy have family advocacy centers, created specifically for these victims. Eloy’s unit focuses on children. There is no similar clinic in the western side of the county, and little chance of Pinal County creating one.

That has galvanized Maricopa Police Department to start organizing a family advocacy center in Maricopa.

“It is essential that the west side of Pinal County get a family advocacy center,” MPD Chief Steve Stahl said.

He said MPD’s Victim Services Unit had 586 victims in 2016. Of those, 55 involved sex offenses, 29 were child abuse cases and 20 were attempted strangulations. Because the proposed FAC would also treat victims from Ak-Chin and Gila River communities, those statistics would multiply dramatically, he said.

“Most people are not aware that for us to go to a family advocacy center to take a victim and possibly their entire family is at least a 45-minute drive,” Stahl said. “When you look at victimology, it basically revictimizes the victim. It does not give our victims dignity, and in some cases victims have recanted their stories and thus we get no prosecution on the back end.”

Stahl updated the city council on the status of his plans, leaving members with a lot of budgetary questions to mull over the next two weeks.

A family advocacy center is an expensive venture.

So far, MPD has identified a house for lease that could fit the needs of an FAC. It has a grant from Ak-Chin Indian Community for $270,000 that must be put to use by September. That money can be used for a one-year lease of the house plus remodeling.

After that, the annual operating costs would be about $96,000, according to estimates presented by Stahl. He said the project anticipates another grant of $250,000 from Gila River Indian Community.

The expected lease is $48,000 per year, and liability insurance is $860. Utilities are estimated to average $7,200 annually, with another $5,000 or more for maintenance. However, other funding for on-call nurses could remove $32,000 from the annual costs, Stahl said.

Stakeholders, including some organizations that could provide up to $10,000 a year, are Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Pinal County Attorney’s Office, Casa Grande Police Department, Dignity Health, Honor Health, First Things First, Arizona Counseling Treatment, Women’s Hope Center, Pinal County Public Health, Cenpatico, Toyota Foundation, Winged Hope Family Advocacy Center and more.

The cost of the project and the form of management were a sticking point for some members of council. Stahl showed options for city management, partnership management and nonprofit management.

“This is a Pinal County problem that needs to be resolved on the west side of the county,” Councilmember Nancy Smith said. “I’m leaning in the direction of a nonprofit. I don’t think the City of Maricopa should take on all that risk financially.”

Stahl said MPD did not have time for Pinal County to catch up after five years. If they want to be on board they need to get on board right now,” he said.

Councilmember Vincent Manfredi said he did not think Pinal County had the intention or interest to solve the problem on the west side.

“I hate spending money, as you know, but to me it really does seem like a no-brainer,” he said. “I don’t see Pinal County ever taking the lead on this, and I do see that we are a community that needs it. We’re a community that can provide the service.”

Mayor Christian Price said there is a need for the FAC, but he was financially cautious.

“I don’t think we can make these kinds of decisions without looking at the whole picture,” Price said. “While my heartstrings do tug at this, I fear putting out a service that we can’t maintain over time.
We’re not ready to make a decision. I’m willing to say let’s move this forward. Let’s move this as part of the process, but let’s put it into the budgetary process where it belongs so that we can analyze it and talk about it in full discussion.”

“It is not my intention to add any expense to the city budget at all for five years,” Stahl said.