Acting Phoenix Police chief, Joe Yahner addressed the media Friday following his Thursday appointment. This is the second time he’s held the position in his more than 30-year career with the department.
Yahner was appointed to the position after chief Daniel Garcia was fired on Thursday. Yahner told reporters he’d begin making changes in the department in the new year but insisted they’d be smaller in scale.
While Yahner wouldn’t comment on the actions or remarks of his predecessor he did say he planned to work with the police unions.
"There’s not going to be anything new with the unions," he said. "We’re going to talk. We’re going to work through things. And, again, we’re going to make decisions that are in the best interest of everybody. The community and officers."
There's no word yet on whether Yahner would apply for the permanent position. He said much of it depends on how close the posting date is to his anticipated October 2016 retirement.
