The U.S. Department of Justice did not identify how children are treated as a planned area of review when it announced a sweeping civil rights investigation of Phoenix police back in 2021.
Yet, a blistering findings report released in June says officers don't account for the vulnerability of children.
The DOJ says Phoenix police escalate minor encounters with children by using foul language and needless violence.
One example cited is what happened after a teenage boy asked why officers were holding him for looking inside a truck at a car dealership around midday.
Body camera video shows the boy being told to stand up and put his hands on his head. The boy asks to call his mom, and an officer takes him into custody by slamming him into the walls of a bus stop.
The DOJ says in highly critical findings that a youth told investigators that Phoenix officers “talk to you like they hate you.”
The police chief says a policy for how officers are to interact with young people is being considered.
The relationship between kids and police in schools is an of area of focus for a local advocacy group.
“They are trained to apprehend suspects and arrest people that have committed a crime. But they're not trained to handle disciplinary situations and behavior of teenagers or middle schoolers,” said Janelle Wood, founder and CEO of the group Black Mothers Forum.
Wood expected the DOJ to issue a finding on how Phoenix police treat children because as an advocate, she’s worked with families of children who say police abused them. Wood also used to be a city employee.
“What hurts my heart is that there's so many. And that this is a pattern,” said Wood.
She’s referring to the Justice Department saying problematic tactics and unlawful behavior by Phoenix police can mean consequences for kids such as trauma, depression, being unable to do school work or sleep.
Summaries of the incidents cited by the feds are difficult to read, according to Darrell Kriplean, president of the police labor union called the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association. Kriplean is also critical of language used by the feds.
“They chose their words specifically, I think, to incite that same reaction that you (and) I had,” he said.
Kriplean does not speak for the Police Department or the city, which posted online documents, audio and body camera footage related to three incidents involving children cited by the DOJ.
The records show that the officer who took the teenager into custody by slamming him into a bus stop received coaching.
The influential union Kriplean leads represents most of Phoenix’s rank and file.
“There are probably some officers who have spoken poorly to children. To kids. To teens. To adults. We couldn't condone that,” said Kriplean.
Another image of relationships between Phoenix police and children is a weeklong summertime youth experience at a precinct, which culminates with kids investigating a mock crime scene.
The charity-sponsored event is for kids in junior high thinking about a career in law enforcement.
Interim Chief Michael Sullivan said he’s advocated for youth in police interactions throughout a career that’s taken him from Louisville to Baltimore to Phoenix.
“Being able to understand brain development is different in children than it is in adults, and that it takes a different approach,” said Sullivan.
City officials are analyzing reform recommendations and comparing them to changes already made or in the works.
“As we look at our gap analysis, I know we're looking at putting in a youth policy and being able to train our folks. That's something that I'm focused on right now,” said Sullivan.
Among the city’s promised reforms is public trust policy requiring Phoenix police to treat all people with dignity and respect.
The DOJ warns that abusive language toward children could cause a future generation to not trust law enforcement — a self-defeating prospect for a department with a chronic staffing shortage.
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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'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. This report focuses on the finding by the DOJ that Phoenix police unlawfully restrict free speech. -
Our "Policing the Police" series examines the U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation of Phoenix as well as the city's efforts to self-impose reforms. This time, KJZZ News examines the finding that the city of Phoenix and its police discriminate against people with mental illnesses. -
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. This report focuses on the DOJ finding that police discriminated against Black, Hispanic and Native American people when enforcing the law. -
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. This report focuses on homelessness. -
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. -
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.
