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Monday, Dec. 15, 2025

Has the Phoenix Police Department banned officers from taking unhoused people’s belongings?

Tallulah Anne, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
no

A proposed Phoenix Police Department policy would not prohibit officers from taking the belongings of people experiencing homelessness. While it would bar officers from destroying or discarding personal property without the owner’s consent, it would still allow police to move, impound or store items when needed for safety or legal reasons. The policy would also require officers to handle confiscated property with “reasonable care” and give unhoused individuals a “reasonable opportunity” to retrieve their belongings. 

The city drafted the policy after a U.S. Department of Justice investigation found Phoenix police had routinely and unlawfully seized and destroyed the belongings of unhoused people during arrests and encampment cleanups. The new policy aims to prevent further civil rights violations, clarify what officers can and can’t do, and promote more respectful treatment of people experiencing homelessness. 

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