This week, the Phoenix Police Department adopted a new policy on use of force. It was part of the city’s pre-emptive push to avoid federal oversight after a yearslong civil rights review. And portions of the policy are more strict than standards set by Supreme Court precedent.
The department said the new policy came from collaboration with the public, labor unions, legal experts and city leadership.
Officers should now use de-escalation tools to avoid physical force. And if it's unavoidable, officer actions have to be objective, reasonable, necessary and proportional.
Attorney Benjamin Taylor said the orders are built to protect the public and Phoenix police. “That way officers are not getting sued, are not getting reprimanded, or even fired for using force that’s not reasonable,” he said.
Acting Chief Michael Sullivan launched the policy rewrite shortly after taking the job in 2022, and he now seeks the permanent role.
City officials hope to reveal a list of finalists by March. Phoenix has set April as its goal to name a permanent police chief. But now most surveyed members of the police sergeants and lieutenants union agree with a rank-and-file union that they should not support Sullivan’s bid.
Taylor said the need for change at the Phoenix Police Department is laid out in searing civil rights findings released last year.
“So whoever comes in, either it’s Chief Sullivan or whoever, needs to be able to have the guts to stand up to the police union,” he said.
Taylor said the new use-of-force policy is an example of Sullivan showing the courage he believes is needed.
