Good morning, Chandler. Council has a full Monday at 88 E. Chicago Street, with three separate sessions on the books.
- 📷 The city is dropping Flock license plate cameras. An internal investigation followed misuse by a department employee.
- 🏫 CUSD coaches' pay stays flat as the school year opens. The governing board revisits stipends in a study session.
- 🏛️ Three council sessions today. Executive session and work session at 3:45, regular meeting at 6.
- 💪 Fitlab AZ plans a second location in Chandler. The Scottsdale gym targets late August or early September.
- 🎭 Downtown and Tech. Run club at QuartHaus, salsa at Recreo Cantina, and free Friday concerts.
- 🎟️ Around the Valley. Diamondbacks, T.I., and TOTO all inside two nights.
Chandler is pulling the plug on Flock cameras
The City of Chandler is discontinuing its use of Flock automated license plate reader cameras after someone inside the police department misused the system.
Key facts:
- Chandler PD confirmed the misuse and has launched an internal investigation.
- The police chief announced the department will discontinue the technology citywide.
- Flock cameras read and log license plates automatically, building a searchable record of which vehicles passed a given intersection and when.
- Dozens of Valley agencies run the same system, which is why a single-city cancellation is unusual.
License plate readers have spread across East Valley policing over the past few years, pitched as a tool for recovering stolen vehicles and responding to Amber Alerts. The cameras read every plate that passes, not only the ones tied to an open case.
What to watch: the outcome of the internal investigation, what happens to the plate data Chandler already collected, and whether the council takes up a formal policy on surveillance technology. Details.
Around Chandler
🏛️ Council meets three times today at 88 E. Chicago Street. A special executive session and a work session both start at 3:45 p.m., with the regular meeting at 6 p.m. The Public Housing Authority Commission also meets at 6. Details.
💪 Fitlab AZ is planning a second Chandler location. The Scottsdale-based gym is targeting a late August or early September opening in the East Valley. Details.
🏠 A 2007-built home in the Fulton Ranch area recently sold for $1,700,000. Figures come from Maricopa County Assessor public records and are approximate.
🚔 Chandler PD ran crisis intervention training for officers. The specialized sessions focus on de-escalating mental health calls, which is the other half of the week's policing news. Details.
🏭 The Industrial Development Authority meets Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. Also at 88 E. Chicago Street. Details.
💼 The Job Center runs every Monday at the Downtown Library. Drop in to the Citrus Room between 10 a.m. and noon for free help with job searches and resumes. Some Mondays include a session with the city's Workforce Development Officer. Details.
🏭 Tech & Downtown Chandler
What's on downtown this week, from the run club to the free Friday concert series.
🏃 Run Club meets Wednesday at QuartHaus. Downtown Chandler. Details.
💃 Salsa + Sips at Recreo Cantina, Thursday. Details.
🎸 Medio Pinto plays Friday at 7 p.m. The band is also on the free summer concert bill downtown. Details.
🎶 The free summer concert series runs Friday nights at the Chandler Community Center through August 21. No ticket, no cover, indoors and air conditioned. The last two Fridays of the run are the ones to catch before it goes away until next year. Details.
🍺 90s and 2000s trivia at The Sugar Bar, Wednesday. Weekly, and this round is all 90s and 2000s. Details.
🎤 Empty Fossil plays an unplugged Alice in Chains tribute at SanTan Gardens, Saturday. The Unplugged series puts bands inside the barrel room, food trucks outside. A better room for an acoustic set than the patio. Details.
From the schools
💰 Chandler Unified coaches' pay is unchanged as the school year begins. Stipends stay flat for now, with a possible increase headed to a governing board study session. Athletic director Shawn Rustad has raised the issue as CUSD competes with neighboring districts for coaching staff across all six high schools. Details.
🖨️ 3D printers are creating a new safety problem in school makerspaces. Districts including CUSD and Scottsdale Unified are dealing with students printing weapon components on school equipment, and Casteel is among the campuses named. The machines went into schools as engineering-pathway tools, and the policy for what can be printed on them is catching up after the fact. Details.
🏈 Hamilton HS fall sports tryouts start today at 4 p.m. Details.
🎓 GCU visits ACP this morning at 9:15. College and Career Center, inside the library. Details.
Around the Valley
A few picks worth the drive up the 101 or the 10 this week.
⚾ Diamondbacks vs. Rockies, tonight at Chase Field. A division matchup on a Monday, which usually means the cheap seats are actually cheap. Tickets.
🎤 T.I. brings The King Succession Tour to The Van Buren tonight. Downtown Phoenix, and The Van Buren is a small room for an artist of that catalog. Tickets.
🎸 TOTO, Christopher Cross, and The Romantics share a bill Tuesday at Arizona Financial Theatre. An unusual co-bill, and three catalogs deep enough to fill the night. Tickets.
🤠 Megan Moroney plays Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Tuesday. The long haul of the three, west side of the Valley. Tickets.