The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA) said it has received hundreds of emails and phone calls criticizing Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams' ouster of three officers after separate internal investigations by the department.
Saying she expects more and residents of Phoenix deserve more, Williams announced Tuesday the firing of the officers for a variety of reasons. Those included an officer's response to a shoplifting report, participation in a social media site that displayed racist and violent posts, and an ongoing criminal investigation.
PLEA President Britt London said he blames the majority of the Phoenix City Council for the firings.
"I think they don’t care about us as a group of employees. I don’t think they care about the city's safety. I’ve seen no one act in a direction that would say that they do," he said.
London added the organization may hold an emergency board meeting to discuss what he called Chief Williams' loss of the department.
"I support Chief Williams and the work she is doing to make Phoenix a stronger community," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego in a written statement to KJZZ. "The Chief was clear in her message that public safety officers will be held accountable for actions that do not reflect the values of the police department. We are continuing to move forward with modernizations to strengthen the department and community trust."
Uriel J. Garcia has been covering this for the Arizona Republic, and The Show spoke with him about the decision.
