MEDIA

 
KMLE Gunner & Cheyenne Feature Angels on Patrol
 

Phoenix Area Police Replace Child's French Horn

Season of Sharing Awards Grant to Angels on Patrol 

Angels on Patrol is a 501c3 human services charitable organization founded in 2009 by Phoenix Police Lt. Jacqui MacConnell. After repeatedly encountering people in crisis, culminating with a call where children were in cages—she took action.
 

Angels on Patrol provides a direct resource for law enforcement officers during their on-duty hours to help community members in crisis. The organization has continued to expand, and currently services 12 law enforcement agencies in Arizona including municipal police departments, and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
 

The organization is supported through individual monetary donations and grants. Since 2009, Angels on Patrol has assisted more than 18,000 people through direct requests from officers. 

As an Arizona charitable institution, Angels on Patrol is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors who volunteer their time, expertise and resources in service to the agency’s mission. The board oversees the organization’s bylaws, policies and annual budget.
 

Executive Director Melinda Cadena joined Angels on Patrol in 2015, as the Program Manager. Since her appointment to Executive Director in 2018, the organization has grown to serve 13 law enforcement agencies statewide.

Angels on Patrol is the only nonprofit requiring an officer-initiated call for service. Not every police call requires an arrest, and most of the time it requires a crisis intervention. Officers want to help beyond their official capacity and often reach into their own pocket to do so when they encounter barriers. That’s where Angels on Patrol steps in—stabilizing the crisis and connecting families and individuals to resources. 

Another important element of service is our support of officer-run youth enrichment programs. The programs offer youth from at-risk community's an opportunity to develop healthy relationships between them and police officers, while participating in leadership enhancement activities.

a.  A mother of two children, ages two and three, had a long history of domestic violence by her husband. He uprooted her and the children from her family in CA, and continued to assault her physically and verbally in AZ. Avondale police were called out in the early morning to find her beaten. With the husband at large, she was not safe to stay in the home. Angels on Patrol immediately purchased tickets for the mother and children to return to family in CA. The mother had no money and would have had to turn to a domestic violence (DV) shelter for safety, which would have caused more emotional trauma for herself and her children. Angels on Patrol strives to limit the trauma and stabilizes a family as soon as possible.

b. The School Resource Officer (SRO) at North High School learned of a mother’s plight with cancer. Single and without health insurance, the mother of three went into the SRO’s office crying in fear for her health and financial stability. The SRO placed a request and Angels on Patrol paid for three months of her life saving medication.

c.  Phoenix Crisis Intervention Team detectives had been working for six months with a 75-year-old widower suffering from depression and alcohol abuse. Detectives learned that he had lost his wife seven years ago, was lonely, and had been struggling financially. They connected him to services and his condition improved. During a follow-up visit, however, they noticed that recent rains had caused the man’s roof to nearly collapse and he feared mold. Anticipating this crisis would derail the elderly widower’s progress, detectives contacted Angels on Patrol which immediately tapped into its network. Within two weeks, his roof and ceiling were repaired, gift cards and furniture were donated by AoP's network of supporters and assistance towards his monthly bills were provided by Angels on Patrol.