In a turn of events last week, the Goodyear Police Department's Special Assignment Unit, tasked with duties akin to a SWAT team, has returned to their roles following a collective resignation prompted by a compensation dispute. The unit, which handles high-risk operations such as responding to barricades and executing high-risk warrants, temporarily stepped down from these specific duties while maintaining their regular full-time roles within the department.
The collective resignation, as reported by Arizona's Family, involved all 17 officers of the SAU yet did not pose additional risk to community safety, according to city officials. The Goodyear Police Officer’s Association has been engaged in ongoing negotiations with the city, aiming to reach a satisfactory resolution over the pay dispute.“The SWAT team responds to the incidents that go beyond the typical capabilities of patrol. We’re dealing with the most serious of offenders and the most serious crimes,” said Goodyear Deputy Police Chief David Farrow.
With the SAU team stepping back into their specialized roles, a statement from the Goodyear Police Department expressed relief and a continued focus on community safety: "We are pleased to share that the Goodyear Police Department's Special Assignment Unit (SAU) is back in service after a brief pause to address a compensation issue. Through communication and collaborative efforts with leadership, the SAU members have returned to their SAU duties as work continues to address their compensation concerns. Public safety was never compromised during this period," ABC15 reported. The department highlighted ongoing efforts to resolve compensation concerns while underscoring the importance of valuing the dedicated work of their officers.
During the hiatus of the SAU, Goodyear had arranged for mutual aid agreements with neighboring West Valley cities, such as Buckeye, Surprise, or Glendale, ensuring that the community's safety requirements would be met unflinchingly. These partnerships were meant to carry and typically shouldered by the SAU. Details about the nature of the compensation dispute that triggered the resignations have not been publicly disclosed at this point.
