Searing results of a nearly three-year civil rights investigation of the city of Phoenix and its police department were finally made public this year.
City leaders started 2024 with a resistance campaign of pushing back against the prospect of independent oversight while pointing to self-imposed reforms.
The DOJ released findings in June, when a top official said the kinds of systemic problems found in Phoenix, such as excessive violence and racial discrimination, need independent oversight to be rooted out.
City leaders met with the DOJ only once after the report was made public.
The DOJ did not sue Phoenix to impose changes.
In 2025, an attorney general chosen by President-elect Donald Trump will decide what comes next.
More law enforcement news
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Republican lawmakers in the state House of Representatives advanced two bills they say will improve safety on Arizona’s school campuses. -
In less than a week, a new Trump administration is set to take charge of a yearslong civil rights investigation of Phoenix and its police department. There’s been a recent flurry of action involving two other cities reviewed by the U.S. Justice Department during the Biden administration. -
A national search is underway to find Phoenix’s next police chief. The city expects to have three finalists who will take questions from the community during a public forum in March. -
Ridenour was convicted of six arson and hate crimes counts for burning two Douglas churches in May 2023 because they included women and LGBTQ parishioners in church leadership roles. -
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes created a new unit to help local police departments investigate unsolved cases.
