Kevin Reagan, Chase Golightly - 12 News
The director and deputy director of Mesa's parks department have retired from their positions following a months-long investigation into the city's park rangers.
Category: In The News
By: Nicole Grigg - ABC 15
Two Mesa Parks Department leaders have resigned after an investigation into the Park Rangers found misconduct, according to a city news release.
By: Nicole Grigg - ABC 15
The City of Mesa confirms it has placed several park rangers on administrative leave pending a criminal investigation into allegations of misconduct while on duty.
Andre Miller, the Vice President of the NAACP, says the organization is calling on the city to take action and fire the rangers involved with any misconduct.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic
Attorney Ben Crump announces a lawsuit against the state of Arizona outside the Old Maricopa County Courthouse on Jan. 28, 2025, in Phoenix.
PHOENIX — Dozens of sober living providers claim they were improperly targeted and forced to close their doors nearly two years after the state sounded the alarm on a $2 billion sober living crisis.
“The state suspended, terminated, and got rid of people with a knee-jerk reaction. They did not give people due process,” said Pastor Andre Miller, vice president of the Arizona Conference of NAACP.
12News asked local leaders what they hope to see from Congress and the Trump Administration.
PHOENIX — On Monday, a new administration comes to power, bringing with it four years of a new president, at least two years of a new Congress, and the hopes of hundreds of millions of Americans.
Civil rights advocate and Mesa pastor Andre Miller said he hopes for better representation.
"Right now, we have a lot of rich people making decisions for people who are not rich," he said.
Miller also wants some sort of movement on immigration. It's an issue that can't be postponed anymore, he said.
"I think that we've kicked the can of immigration down the road too long," Miller said. "I think there needs to be legislative action to just put that to be it once and for all."
PHOENIX — Outside a house of refuge, the community gathers and works to find hope. But this month, violence is evident in the Valley.
"I'd rather have a conversation with my kids than bury them,” says Andre Miller, a pastor at New Beginnings Christian Church.
He is also a father to five boys ranging from 19 to 27 years old.
"I've always tried to talk to them about conflict resolution and what it looks like and stepping away from a situation versus escalating the situation,” Miller said.
The state crackdown on fraudulent and excessive billing for outpatient behavioral health services has not waivered since its May announcement.
If anything, the Arizona Heath Care Cost Containment System’s actions under the American Indian Health Program has accelerated.
The agency added 64 providers to its list of suspension last month alone – bringing the total number of suspensions since May to 226.
Eight of the latest suspensions are in Mesa.
Rev. Andre Miller, pastor of the New Beginnings Church in Mesa, has been speaking with many providers and clients affected by the crackdown.
The state’s actions are “bleeding out many businesses and that’s not OK,” he said.
Miller has been working with suspended providers to try to find new housing for people facing displacement from sober living homes.
He believes the state was unprepared to handle the surge of people displaced from housing connected with suspended behavioral health clinics.
QUEEN CREEK - Story Highlights:
"That's threatening and it's terrifying," said Andre Miller, a pastor at New Beginnings Christian Church. He said these actions are unacceptable, "You have kids that, you know, if they're in 9th grade, they're 14 years old and maybe have never seen anything like this before. It's traumatizing." He is proposing QCUSD implement ACLU's 'No Place for Hate' program.
"It's a program that says all students should be in an environment where hate is not tolerated and everyone should be accepted for who they actually are," added Miller.
Miller is already setting up meetings to get the ball rolling on this.
"So, the conversation I plan on having with the superintendent as well as the police chief there, is that this is something that we definitely need to bring on board, and then have these hard conversations," he told ABC15.
New demands for accountability following the death of another person at the hands of police officers. Community members are discussing changes in policing.