Phoenix PD implements new use of force policy: 'The basis for building trust'
PHOENIX - The Phoenix Police Department announced it's implementing a new use of force policy that will "clearly define" when officers can use force, as well as what needs to be done before, during and after an incident.
"The first thing I began looking at after taking this job in Phoenix was the need to revise our use of force policy, because it is the basis for building trust with the community," Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan said in the Feb. 18 news release.
What we know:
The new policy says, in part, that Phoenix Police employees "shall use only the force that is objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional to effectively and safely resolve and incident."
The department says the policy is stricter than the standards set by the 1989 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1989's Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386. They added the words "necessary" and "proportional" to the already existing standard of "reasonable."
Another addition to the policy is that all use of force encounters must be reported. The department outlines what's considered a use of force on its website.
"The updates to these policies are the result of collaboration between the police department, community, labor unions, legal experts, city leadership, and subject matter experts dating back several years," the news release said.
Timeline:
The first step to creating the new policy was for sergeants and detectives in the Continuous Improvement Unit (CIU) to research other "highly regarded documents across the nation" in January 2023.
They worked with outside experts and Chief Sullivan's executive team to review the existing use of force policy.
"Subject matter experts from within the department leveraged input from various community groups to create an initial draft. This first draft was posted on the City of Phoenix website in January 2023 along with a social media request for the community to weigh in," the news release said.
Nearly 800 comments were received and reviewed, leading to additional updates to the policy.
Finally, in early 2024, Phoenix PD asked for more community feedback on the revisions, and made final changes.
Local perspective:
"Each sworn police employee, and non-sworn police employee working in an enforcement role completed a 20-hour training course on the policy over the course of a 12-month period. Additional feedback was received during these training sessions, which led to updates in the policy language. In early February 2025, all employees who completed the training were required to review a video intended to refresh and update the policy before Interim Chief Sullivan signed off," the news release said.
What they're saying:
"This process underscores our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement. The work here is never complete, and additional reviews of this, and other policies will be ongoing because that’s what the community and our officers deserve," Chief Sullivan said.
What you can do:
Click here to read more about the department's new use of force policy.
The other side:
PLEA, the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, released survey results on Feb. 3 that show 86% of respondents say the Phoenix Police Department is heading in the wrong direction, and 88% do not think Chief Sullivan should be the permanent chief.
Chief Sullivan was named interim chief in 2022 after Chief Jerry Williams retired.
When he took over, Phoenix PD was under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations regarding excessive use of force and abuse of homeless people.
In June 2024, the DOJ released its findings, saying excessive force was used, "including unjustified deadly force and other types of force."
"The members of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association are disappointed and frustrated by the lack of support and leadership from interim Chief Sullivan," said Darrell Kriplean, President of PLEA. "The men and women of the Phoenix Police Department have endured unprecedented physical and political attacks in recent years. Rather than defending our officers when they acted properly and within department policy, Chief Sullivan has succumbed to the pressure of bureaucrats and biased media. Our officers and Phoenix residents deserve better."