A new acting chief is in charge of the Phoenix Police Department after being sworn in on Tuesday. Dennis Orender said his agency and the community have to work together.
Orender is a U.S. Air Force veteran who has spent roughly 30 years with the Phoenix Police Department. Orender has worked in different precincts, units and management roles.
Civilian Jeremy Helfgot has known him for about a decade while working on police reform. Helfgot said Orender was once a supervisor of the squad that is a liaison to protesters and ethnic groups.
“So he has really strong personal ties at ground level into community members, into marginalized communities. And I think there is respect and credibility that comes with that,” Helfgot said.
Orender replaces Michael Sullivan, who stepped down last week.
Phoenix has resumed national recruitment for the permanent job, which Orender is not competing for, after Sullivan withdrew from a finalist pool. Helfgot said the department moved toward progress under Sullivan, but there is still a long way to go.
“But from the standpoint of leadership, I think there is going to be solid accountability and hopefully movement toward more transparency,” Helfgot said.
Orender is expected to remain acting chief until at least July, when the city plans to name someone to the permanent job.
