>> Coming up in the next hour of Arizona PBS, phoenix politician chief Jeri Williams will talk about her decision to retire and other police issue and on Cronkite use this, Daca reporters talking.

That's ahead on Arizona PBS.

Good evening and welcome to Arizona horizon.

I'm Ted Simons.

Governor Ducey declared a state of emergency in response to the pipeline wildfire north of Flagstaff.

That fire has now burned close to 25,000 acres with 27% containment and separate fire called haywire has 11% containment and there's Coconino fire.

And the U.S. senate continues to address gun violence and they're making progress on red flag incentives to keep firearms away from those deemed dangerous.

>> I think we're in a better place with the grants to states that have crisis intervention programs and some of those are in 19 states are red flagged and we want to make sure due process because we're talking about a fundamental constitutional right and other states like mine and Arizona that have crisis crisisintervention.

The boyfriend loophole is a challenge and that is what delayed the violence against women act for a number of years and it's a hard issue.

>> That boyfriend loophole involves the able of some convicted of domestic abuse and stalking to purchase firearms.

The push to close a loophole is lead by Kyrsten Sinema.

Mortgage rates are up and rates jumped a half a percentage point alone and the biggest increase since 1987 for a 30 years fixed mortgage at 5.87% and a day after testing positive for Covid-19, Dr. Fauci said the U.S. should expect a deal with future varients of the virus.

>> This virus is changing and we need to keep up with it and we need to do better with new vaccine platforms such as nanoparticle vaccines and we cannot proceed unless we get additional funding.

>> F.D.A.

vaccine advisers are set to meet later this month to consider if vaccines should be updated this fall to include new strains of the virus.

Congratulations to Bianco and he runs those if phoenix and there was don Garro and he was honored as outstanding baker.

And phoenix police chief Jeri Williams will be stepping down after five years after leading the police department and comes after a tax on local law enforcement officers are on the increase as are calls for police reform.

Joining us is Jeri Williams.

>> Thanks for having me.

>> You bet.

>> You are stepping down and do we know the date?

>> We don't have an exact date.

My husband is saying let's travel and a lot of the things I wanted to accomplish, we've put in place or accomplished.

So I'm trying to give city management time to figure that out and so hopefully in the coming month.

>> You're staying on until they get an interim.

interim?

>> Yes.

>> You kind of referred to family issues and those things and I within to get more of this on attacks on officers and anything that spurred this decision?

>> So nothing in particular spurs my decisions ever.

It's always a combination of a lot of things and I said originally when I first started, you can look at the tapes prior to.

I wanted to be.

Transparent and show how much the officer appreciated and the community is appreciated, too.

I'm certain I've accomplished that.

It would be nice to travel with my husband while we're still able to travel and know that I have made a difference in the city of phoenix.

There there wasn't any heat underfoot or any of those kinds of things?

>> Oh, no.

>> When you took over, what did you expect and did those expectations ring true?

>> Great question.

I expected to work hard.

I expected it to be a tough challenge and I expected it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I expected it to be the ebbs and flows of leaderships.

Remember, this is my not first place chief did.

I was a police chief in oxnard, California.

I was a police chief to move the department forward and despite of that, we were getting calls answered.

>> Did you feel you had the support of the mayor and council in.

>> Great question.

I get that question all of the time and question.

yes.

And those who are not list supporters, I still have a working relationship with them.

>> The mayor is looking for your successor to be someone to build community trust and partner for the right response to calls.

Can that be improved?

>> Absolutely.

So there's always room for improvement and any organization and function and any entity, there's room for improvement and the mayor and I talk regularly and one of the many calls, we shouldn't go on mental health calls.

There should not be this blue suit answering that call for service when you're having your worst mental health day and our folks in the blue uniform can respond to violent crime calls.

>> And I want to get to officer-involved shootings here, and so many officers, again 35th avenue and baseline and 13 officers shot.

And what's going on out there?

>> It's a troubling trend and pattern and what we're seeing is a brazen approach to policing and oftentimes, my officers are being baited in scenarios and situations when they're dealing with an individual who has been incarcerated and they're willing to take it out on the officers approaching.

>> What about the gun violence on the increase?

Just incredibly tragic situations at schools and is that playing a part?

>> Absolutely playing a part and the accessibility to weapons and the fact kids are getting access and 12, 13, 14 years old and our victims are, too, and a few weeks ago, there was a shooting a a trip mall where a 13-year-old died.

I looked at that, are you see the senator talking about the gun issue and I testified and we believe something needs to be done with gun control.

>> If you could speak to state lawmakers and the governor about this, what would you say?

>> We need red flag laws and close the boyfriend loophole.

If we're together and we have a child, we may not be married, but that's a relationship.

And the boyfriend loophole closes that if we're not light y married.

>> Supporters of the police are saying that fund movement and all of those things, that they are making for brazen criminals out there and do you see a connection?

>> I don't see a connection to that.

What I see is a connection to individuals who have a mindset that the scantity of life isn't there and willing to take it out on officers trying to protect themselves.

>> Antipolice rhetoric not even partly to blame?

>> Gosh, no -- well, yes and no.

If you have a notion and idea who folks who fund you are not supportive of police and police don't hear me say that, folk cas can think, with can do whatever we want.

I can tell you I know communities of color want law enforcement to help them and keep them safe.

>> The DOJ investigation of abuse, discrimination, where are we?

>> So they came in August of last year, and they are still in the investigative process and now making routine visits to the city of phoenix and ridden along with officers and spoken to myself and city management and so I don't know how much longer it will take and not at the end of the investigation.

>> Did it have anything to do with you retiring?

>> No.

I said to you or to the world, I have been the transparent chief that if there's another person to see what we're doing and tell us what we're doing right and better, I'm all for it.

>> Critics pouring out to 2018, police-solved shootings than any department in the U.S. and 12 officer-involved shooting this year and what is going on with that?

>> What is going on with that?

I called in the police foundation to look into that.

I've had how many officers shot and injured?

I think we have a gun problem in this community.

>> And, again, things like the boyfriend loophole and red flag laws, access to guns, expanded background checks and these things, you're in favor of?

>> Absolutely in favor of and a 70 plus pool of chiefs across the country and we believe in all of those things, as well as banning high capacity weapons and high capacity magazine holders.

>> You seeing that in rank and file and they have to be feeling that.

>> It's stress.

It's tension and keep in mind, we have body-worn cameras everything is captured, good, better and different and I marvel at the fact that the men and women put this uniform on and want to do great police work.

>> Transparency is not there.

>> We have over hundreds of over different reform measures and a lot of which was put in place before George Floyd happened or before the critics came about and we're not afraid of changing and that's been the mantra of the police department.

>> Advice for your successor?

>> Wow!

Love the agency and love the department, be will be to work hard, but you have to love doing what you do and have to want to make a difference.

>> Police chef Jeri Williams, thank you for your time.

>> Good talking to you.

>> Up next on Arizona horizon, what to consider when hooking at assisted and elder care facilities.

>> There are lots of things to consider when signing onto assisted care facilities.

In the AARP segment highlighting older adults in Arizona and we here about things when choosing assisted care facilities and the law firm of Fennemore.

>> You need to know what type of elder care.

You have independent living and this is like renting an apartment and this coming with amenities and what you see and assisted living and there's three different divisions in assisted living and the division that your loved one or you may be assigned to is on the doctor's recommendation.

The least stringent level of care is called supervisory care and that just means that someone will look in on you and assist with activities of daily living and largely independent and you have monitoring.

>> The contracts are the big thing here and you have to be careful what you're signing.

>> Yes.

>> Can you negotiate these contracts?

>> If you're looking at true independent living, it looks like a lease you could see if you were signing a lease with an apartment but with additional activities.

In assisted living, it's different because you have the traditional elements of a lease along with medical care that's baked into that and you might have an opportunity to use insurance or Medicare and Medicaid to pay for some of your assisted living and all things to look at within the contract and you look and negotiate to an extent.

>> I don't want to think or do anything about it or worry about my loved one, including giving me a place to live and I'll take care of the rest in.

>> It's important to determine the appropriate level of care.

We have the supervisory care which is monitoring under that and we have personal care where someone will assist with daily living and hands-on, medication, helping with daily living and memory care falls under directive care and this is suitable for folks with cognitive impairment.

>> When you're choosing a facility one should ask the facility what levels of care they offer and you can also find that information on the Arizona department of health's website and they do specifics types of care and always look for that in the contract.

The contracts themselves as well, when a higher level of care is needed.

>> I was going to ask about that.

Let say you need a new placement because you don't like the view or you don't think your loved one is quite happy and would be happier and how do you get out of that?

>> So under state regulations, if it's something where someone needs a higher level of care, the facility will provide notice in writing and that has to include the level of care they cannot provide and you can ask for a written referral to another facility that can meet that need.

If you don't like view, and this is where you can be living long-term, you're looking at more traditional leasing terms and you can get out within 13 days and this can be negotiable.

If we have someone not happy, it's not the view and they're not happy with the services offered or something is not a great fit, we will work with them and their family to find them a better placement, because you don't want an happy resident.

>> How does this work with Medicaid and Medicare?

>> It's dependent on the program.

But, again, that is something to ask about upfront and I always advise clients, hey, have that conversation upfront so you know what your options are.

I also tell people, the as a department of health services is another resource and you can use the website about your rights and options.

>> Another question, I hear about a resident's bill of rights and what's that all about?

>> That's incredibly important and this is personal to me.

I had to place my grandfather in a facility in Arizona and because of family reasons, I Icouldn't do it.

They make sure they're treated with respect and dignity and to not be subject to abuse or coercion and to be able to have some control of the finances if they are able to and to not be discriminated against.

These must be included in all assisted living contracts and you should have a copy of it.

In addition to that, when you enter into one of the leases, make sure that both the resident, as well as any family member gets a copy of the dispute resolution processes, because that way you have those in advance and that way you know exactly what to do.

There are ombudsmen to help should you run into an intractable issue.

>> Heather Marcre from Fennemore, thank you for joining us.

>> Thank you.

>> Just days after the elementary massacre in Texas, a team of dog was deployed to provide comfort.

It's not unusual to use dogs to deal with those stress.

There's nearly 500,000 nurses to retire or leave the profession this year alone.

They offer training and teaching to future nursing and they report, there's an interesting way to help students deal with stress.

>> Reporter: The most popular visitor at the Arizona school of nursing is not a teacher or a student.

>> She's gentle and family friendly.

>> Reporter: It's Lucy, the therapy dog.

>> She's an AKC, Irish setter.

>> Reporter: This doctor is Lucy owner and the executive director of academic operations at the school.

>> The students here have a lot of stress as preparing for the nursing career and they have a very high stress environment.

>> Reporter: To help ease that high stress level, the doctor decided to try something different.

>> Research done on therapy dogs and in general, dogs lower heart rate.

>> Reporter: Lucy can be found walking the hallways with the doctor and sneaking out snuggles.

>> If we have an exam, I always come in a half an hour so students are in early to prep for the exam and do last-minute studying, I walk around and try to get the mind off of the exam for a few minutes.

>> Reporter: It's offering comfort when students are struggling that Lucy shines.

>> A number of times a student has had a rough day because of a personal issue and meeting with the counselor and that helps.

>> Reporter: This has been a factor in the student's stress level.

>> It's worse because not only have students experienced Covid themselves while they've been this school and many of the family members have.

We have had students who have had deaths due to Covid.

They're staying focused on studies doing well and they have personal issues going on where they can be upset.

>> Reporter: The doctor adopted Lucy at eight weeks old and when she turned a year, they placed her in a rigorous dog program.

>> Reporter: Any breed can be a therapy dog and the demeanor is important and looking for the gentleness, the calmness and the ability to be trained well.

It's important to note they're not service dogs.

They do not perform specific daily specific tasks for their owner.

Instead, they work in tandem to improve the lives of others to destress in schools, hospitals or nursing homes.

>> I'm a veteran of the United States' Army.

>> Reporter: It was his time in the Army that sparked Jonathan keen's next career choice, to be a trauma nurse.

>> I know in the military, it was the heightened sense of security.

You want to protect and be able to help people, and you want to make sure that nothing comes into contact with the United States, essentially.

In the nursing field, you have to be a different type of protecter and make sure the person is safe.

>> Reporter: Having Lucy helps Jonathan relax so he can refocus.

>> It helps me because if you go in and injury nervous, you won't give them the care that the patient deserves and being able to interact with Lucy prior to doing anything helps me work a little bit better.

>> I love dogs and so when I saw that Lucy was here, it just brightened my spirits.

>> Reporter: Nursing school is a family affair for Jonathan and his wife is studying to be a nurse and a midwife.

>> I wanted to do this because my grandmother was an RN and would take me to work and I would see her helping the patients, passing medications and just her environment and the way that she cared about these people made me just want to do it.

>> Reporter: Juggling a full course load and a mom of six can be challenging and Lucy helps her calm down before labs.

>> I know I'll be OK because Lucy was there during the stressful part.

>> Reporter: The school does offer additional ways to deal with stress including art therapy, but Lucy is by far the most popular choice and for good reason, she says.

>> I think dogs are so nonjudgmental and no matter what, after a rough day, you're tired or some kind of stress in your day, dogs are accepting and there for you and very understanding.

>> The doctor has adopted a second Irish setter and plans to train that puppy to be a therapy dog, as well.

If you're interested to see if your dog would make for a good therapy dog, visit the American kennel club's website.

That is it for now and you have a great evening!

Coming up in the next half hour, on Cronkite news, how lieu librs to get folks back in the stacks.