The city of Phoenix has launched a multilingual platform where residents can report concerns or incidents related to federal law enforcement activity within the city. The Federal Enforcement Complaint Reporting Portal is available at the Community Transparency Initiative webpage.
City officials say they are launching the platform in direct response to concerns from community members about federal agents, like ICE, committing possible civil rights violations and other unlawful activity and intimidation.
The city says it wants any incident involving federal law enforcement documented, whether it be ICE, the FBI or another agency.
Shannon Johanni is the city’s director of the Office of Accountability and Transparency.
“Community members aren’t always able to determine which federal agency it is that is out there, or that is [causing] those concerns,” Johanni said. “And so in limiting it straight to ICE that would then limit residents’ ability to comment on what their concerns are. As we know there have been multiple federal agencies involved.”
Individuals will have the option to submit their reports anonymously.
“It’s important that this is a mechanism for community members to report in a way that feels safe for them,” Johanni said. “There is the capacity to report anonymously. There is the capacity to share that information and contact information with OAT but not have that forwarded on to the police department.”
Individuals may also speak through a lawyer or another confidant.
Johanni says the city will preserve all reports and share them with the state Attorney General’s Office.