The Phoenix Police Department has been led for years by an interim chief.
Four finalists vying for the permanent job took part in a public forum Wednesday night in City Council chambers.
Forum questions were about individual backgrounds, qualifications and policing philosophy.
Interim Chief Michael Sullivan has made more strict rules for when officers can use violence or physical force.
“Managing a department of this size also requires strong administrative leadership. I’ve kept this department within budget while modernizing our operations,” Sullivan said.
Another internal finalist is Asst. Chief Ed DeCastro. He wants to solve a chronic problem going back more than 15 years: staffing.
“Making sure that we retain the current employees that we have. Make sure that we get new employees because we are desperately needing of officers,” DeCastro said.
The other half of the pool are external candidates. Ed Wessing is an assistant chief for Mesa police.
“We must continue to engage with the community regardless of how they feel about the Phoenix Police Department or our response in general,” Wessing said.
A similar view is held by Casey Johnson, a deputy chief in Oakland, California.
“I truly believe that if you can partner with your community, you can truly drive a department forward in the right direction,” Johnson said.
Phoenix is set to name a permanent chief in April, less than a year after federal civil rights investigators said the department has systemic problems such as a force-first culture.
