by Cameron Arcand
Convenience store chain Quiktrip announced a donation of $3 million to various nonprofit organizations in the Phoenix area, including some supporting local law enforcement.
The relationships between Quiktrip and the Phoenix Police Foundation, Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA), and Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association (PPSLA) are new, which earned the praise of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
“At the City of Phoenix, we know that it’s always better to tackle a problem together, as opposed to on one’s own. That’s why, as Phoenix continues allocating and deploying critical resources at breakneck speed, I am grateful for QuikTrip’s partnership and their support of local non-profits who are serving Phoenicians facing homelessness and addiction,” Gallego said last week, according to a news release.
“I appreciate QT’s ongoing work with us to address our community’s most pressing challenges, and hope this partnership inspires many more to come,” she added.
The support comes as the city itself struggles to hire officers, along with many other major cities around the country. The city has been using many tactics to recruit new officers, including touting the fact that they have the highest pay of any department in the state. According to their website, the starting salary is $33.72 an hour, which equates to $70,138 a year. In addition, there is also a $7,500 hiring bonus.
The current officers in Phoenix are dealing with challenges such as property crime and a homelessness crisis. At the end of quarter three, there were over 31,000 property crimes known to Phoenix police, which tends to have a impact on businesses, according to city data. As for the homelessness crisis, “the Zone” in downtown Phoenix was recently cleared out following a lawsuit demanding that the city clear out the encampment near the state capitol, as it created a tough environment for business and residents in the area, as well as poor conditions for those who lived there.
“The Phoenix Police Foundation is exceptionally grateful for the support from QuikTrip,” Phoenix Police Foundation President Timothy Thomas said in a news release. “This vital funding will allow the foundation to fund youth programming like the Phoenix Police Department Cadet Program, host recognition events such as the Pride in Our Heroes and Women in Blue, and acquire new tools for recruitment efforts.”
Quiktrip, which is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has 115 locations in the Phoenix area, and also supports Valley of the Sun United Way and Child Crisis Arizona. Corporate sponsorships are popular methods of funding for police organizations.
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Cameron Arcand is a staff reporter for The Center Square covering Arizona. A contributor since 2022, Arcand previously worked for Salem Media Group and The Western Journal.
Photo “Quiktrip Store” by Daniel Ziegler. CC BY-SA 4.0.
