President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order directing the U.S. attorney general to review any ongoing federal oversight of law enforcement agencies. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has been under a federal monitor for over a decade.
The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to rescind or modify any federal oversight orders that impede law enforcement.
Possible oversight of Phoenix police has loomed since last year, when the Department of Justice said it found police routinely violated civil rights.
County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin says he supports Trump’s order.
“I would hate to see the Phoenix PD get under federal oversight under the DOJ because it would just decimate the police academy. It would decimate the Police Department. We would see issues with attrition and difficulty to recruit," Galvin said.
In a letter last month, Galvin urged Bondi to protect Phoenix police from federal control. He said more than $300 million in taxpayer funds have been used to comply with court orders in the sheriff’s office case.
Galvin says any accountability should be local.
"If you are unhappy as a resident with the way that the Police Department is going, talk to your council member. Talk to your mayor, and if you're not satisfied, vote them out," Galvin said.
