The Phoenix Police Department has unveiled a new website that details numerous incidents reported in a scathing review by the Department of Justice (DOJ), alongside actions taken in response to the critique. Following a three-year probe that culminated in a 126-page DOJ report in June, the site provides insights into the exact nature of the allegations of unconstitutional policing against Phoenix PD, the after-action administrative reviews, available body camera footage, and other relevant details aiming to chart the department's route to reform.
The initiative represents the department's acknowledgment of the 132 incidents referenced by the DOJ report, identifying 120 and disclosing that 48 followed protocol, 17 did not, and 47 were never internally investigated with an additional 12 remaining unidentified, according to the site, the Phoenix PD's accountability stands highlighted by the website—giving the public a lens into instances like the detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter in 2022 and a 2019 incident where a pregnant woman was held at gunpoint during a traffic stop—both underscored in the interactive database. In January, as reported by 12News, the department had already begun to pivot with the release of "The Phoenix Police Department: The Road to Reform," a document outlining planned policy adjustments, a testament to Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan's push for transparency and reformation.
The comprehensive DOJ investigation took 34 months and saw Phoenix PD deliver approximately 179,000 documents, and 22,000 body-worn camera videos to the DOJ, as these figures suggest, the task of dissecting the extensive policing practices was herculean, and its findings critical—the Phoenix PD was called out for a pattern of using excessive force, unlawfully detaining, and citing the homeless population, and discrimination against Black and Hispanic people over the past five years. Notably, 37% of the city's misdemeanor arrests and citations involved the homeless, although they make up less than 1% of the population, per DOJ's analysis of police data from 2016 to 2022, as 12News details.
"Evidence like incident reports, body worn camera videos and internal review documents are crucial to understand each incident described by DOJ," Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan stated in a press release, as detailed by 12News. Rights advocates and city officials alike hope that the department's newfound commitment to transparency marked by this database, and its reflection in changed practices, carry the potential to transform how the community interacts with and perceives its law enforcers, moving forward, the emphasis remains on implementing the DOJ's remedial recommendations, particularly in areas of accountability and training reforms.
