Most of the rank and file of the Phoenix Police Department are members of an influential labor union that negotiates working conditions with the city.
The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association has released a report it says was written by experts who found several significant inaccuracies in Justice Department findings against Phoenix.
The report says dozens of incidents the feds cite as police violence are factually or mostly inaccurate when cross-checked with records released by the city of Phoenix.
One of the authors contributes to a pro-police website called Save Phoenix.
An article on the site links to a podcast posted in June, days after the feds issued findings. Travis Yates told listeners that federal oversight is unconstitutional.
“If you read the 10h Amendment, there is no right of the federal government to be involved in a local government, including law enforcement,” Yates said.
Yates says he worked for the Tulsa Police Department for 30 years.
A union spokesperson says the group did not commission the report, but members were aware the authors were curious to do their own analysis.
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The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s practice of posting mug shots online is unconstitutional. The decision is about the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, but, it could have far-reaching implications for departments across the country. Keri Blakinger, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, has written about the debate over mug shots before and joined The Show to discuss. -
KJZZ's "Policing the Police" series examines the U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation of Phoenix by section, as well as the city's efforts to self-impose reforms. KJZZ News has divided the findings on use of force into deadly and less lethal. This report focuses on the latter. -
It made national headlines when Surprise mom Rebekah Massie was arrested at a city council meeting in August. To put it into context, The Show spoke to Gregg Leslie, executive director of First Amendment Clinic ASU. -
Our "Policing the Police" series examines the U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation of Phoenix by section, as well as the city's efforts to self-impose reforms. KJZZ News has divided the findings on use of force into deadly and less lethal. This report focuses on fatal police shootings. -
Phoenix has spent more than $10 million on the U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the city’s police department.
