PHOENIX — In just two weeks, the city of Phoenix will have not just one, but two new council members.
Kevin Robinson won the run-off election in District 6, which covers Ahwatukee, parts of Central Phoenix, Arcadia, and the Biltmore area.
Before Kevin Robinson takes the oath of office on April 17, ABC15 wanted to sit down with him to find out what his plans are and speak with voters to find out what's on their minds.
Serving the community isn't new for Robinson, but the way he's doing it is.
In 1980, Robinson joined the Phoenix Police Department and would rise through the ranks, eventually becoming assistant chief. At the time, he never imagined he'd be one of our city's elected leaders.
"By no stretch of the imagination," Robinson said. "It was never in my wheelhouse...I feel now that I can make a difference on this council and I look forward to doing that just now."
The subject of police reform is something Robinson is uniquely qualified to tackle, given his more than three decades on the force.
ABC15's Nick Ciletti asked Robinson what his thoughts were on the current Department of Justice investigation into the Phoenix Police Department.
"One thing that is constant in law enforcement is change," said Robinson. "It always has been. I think we need to accept change. It's coming. There will be things that might be mandated once the whole report is delivered to the city. I am convinced that the members of the department, down from Chief Sullivan to the newest officer on the beat, each and every one of them, want the department to do better. They want it to be a good organization. It's a good organization now; it can only move forward and I think that's what people want to see happen."
But policing isn't the only topic people in District 6 were talking about. ABC15 stopped by a park near 44th Street and Indian School Road where many parents we met were concerned about the rising costs of raising a family.
"Childcare is like a second mortgage for a lot of people — myself included," says Daniel, who lives in Phoenix and has a daughter. "Paying for groceries every week - that's a constant concern. Even for her future. If things are expensive now, what is it going to be like when she's older, goes to college, and being able to afford that in the future?"
And it's just not parents. People all over Phoenix are wondering what can be done about the rising cost of living, even down to the roof over their heads.
"Would you say that creating more opportunities for affordable housing is one of your top priorities?" Ciletti asked Robinson.
"It always has," Robinson responded. "There are ways to fashion agreements in order to have more affordable housing. I hate to 'pigeonhole' myself and say there is only one way to do something. We are going to explore every option that's available. At the very least, people should have a home."
But right now, not everyone has a home - and how to deal with our city's homeless population is becoming a growing problem.
ABC15 Data Expert Garrett Archer crunched the numbers for us from the latest report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development showing the unsheltered population in Arizona has grown 160% in the last decade.
"I think it's a multi-level approach," explained Robinson. "I think the solution is working with non-profits as well as business owners to really find the best solutions."
Phoenix business owner and working mom Lenna Bien says she wants the city to also address the underlying issues.
"Especially with homelessness," she explained. "You look at the root cause and it's mental health. How do we help individuals going through a mental health crisis get back into society?"
"There are a lot of challenges," Ciletti said. "What do you think the city needs to do?"
"We have to make services available - and when I talk about services - we need to see who is out there, who is homeless," Robinson replied. "There's going to be drug abuse issues and mental health issues that we have to deal with and we've been talking about affordable housing. These are things that can all be addressed."
