The new Phoenix Police Chief was formally sworn-in on Friday, but his ability to serve as a peace officer in Arizona is restricted, according to the state agency which issues certifications for state, county, and municipal law enforcement officers.
On Oct. 19, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) board approved Chief Michael Sullivan’s application for a certification. But the certification is restricted, to prohibit the chief “from being assigned any duty likely to result in the need to apply physical force.”
The restriction on Sullivan’s peace officer certification would presumably bar him from responding with patrol officers to calls for service or taking part in patrol shifts, activities which chiefs periodically engage in to better understand how officers conduct business. Such activities would put Sullivan in a position where physical force would foreseeably be required.
Phoenix City Manager Jeff Barton, who hired Sullivan in July, has made it clear he did not take Sullivan away from Baltimore PD to have him participate in ride-alongs with his patrol officers.
In Baltimore, Sullivan served as the Deputy Commission of Compliance, which made him responsible for overseeing the implementation of reforms prompted by a 2016 U.S. Department of Justice finding of widespread civil rights violations.
Barton has said Sullivan’s experience working with the US DOJ was a critical factor in the hiring decision, as the US DOJ announced in August 2021 it was initiating a “comprehensive” investigation of Phoenix PD. Sullivan began working for the city in September.
Sullivan is currently working under a one-year employment contract with Phoenix PD which has a one-year renewal option. City officials plan to begin a conduct a nationwide search for a permanent chief, although no timeline has been announced for that effort. Sullivan would also be eligible to apply.
The US DOJ investigation into Phoenix PD will address allegations against individual officers and the agency as a whole involving:
– Use of force, including deadly force
– First Amendment retaliatory activity
– Discriminatory policing
– Unlawful seizures of property of homeless persons
– Response practices toward persons with disabilities
The investigation will also include a comprehensive review of Phoenix PD’s policies, training, supervision, and force investigations, as well the agency’s systems of accountability, including misconduct complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition, and discipline.
Sullivan was with the police department in Louisville, Kentucky for 20 years -rising to the rank of Chief of Staff- before going to Baltimore.
