Interim Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan was one of four finalists for the permanent job. But he faced some pushback, including from police unions, and this week, he withdrew from the running. With a new acting chief in place, the city will reopen applications this Friday.
Officials say past community feedback will guide the renewed search.
City Manager Jeff Barton said they’re still looking for the right fit.
“We don't take this decision lightly,” said Barton. “The decision that we made yesterday to kind of restart the process is not uncommon for us. We have processes all the time for different positions throughout the city. If we don't feel that we've got what we're looking for, we restart the process. And this is no different.”
Barton said it’s an important step toward gathering and leveraging data to make the Police Department a more self-assessing and self-correcting organization.
“We're looking for someone that has the capacity to talk about those changes,” he said, “deliver those changes but also do it in such a way that you can bring the department along and not have it be so resistant and hesitant to that change.”
Interim Chief Sullivan did a good job and helped set up some key frameworks for moving forward, said Barton.
But, he added: “I don't think it's the same as when we were looking for folks to be interim. Obviously, I think that it's a different time and we're in a different place.”
Barton said that now, they’re looking to expand the net for applicants who might not have stepped up last time.
Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien emphasized that while they won’t repeat the relatively fresh community listening sessions, the process still centers feedback.
“Critical stakeholders will have an opportunity to still have an input and those critical stakeholders are our residents, our business owners and our labor groups,” said O’Brien. “So while those listening sessions that happen on the front end we're going to use the information that we have and we're going to use the information that we have in this search there will still be a public forum for the final candidates where folks can you know hear from these people.”
O’Brien said it’s important that the new chief is focused on listening at all levels — from within their own department, to city leaders and community members.
