New Phoenix police chief Michael Sullivan pledges reform, crime fighting - Axios PhoenixLog InLog InAxios Phoenix is an Axios company.

New Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan pledges reform crime fighting

Interim Phoenix police chief Michael Sullivan. Photo: Jessica Boehm/Phoenix started as interim Phoenix police chief Monday, a role he could hold for up to two years following the retirement of former chief Jeri Williams. Catch up fast: The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the Phoenix Police Department for numerous . City manager Jeff Barton said he hired an interim chief to see the city through the investigation. After that, he will conduct a nationwide search for a permanent leader, he said.Sullivan, who previously served as a deputy commissioner in Baltimore, helped that department enact the mandates of its 2017 federal consent decree, which stemmed from a DOJ investigation. State of play: We got to sit down with Sullivan on Wednesday. Here's what he told us. On the temporary assignment: He said he left his permanent gig for an interim one because he wanted to help Phoenix implement reforms that will propel the department forward."(It was) the opportunity to come here and be able to leverage my skills with the great men and women of the Phoenix Police Department and this terrific community."He would not say whether he plans to pursue the permanent chief position. On the DOJ investigation: Sullivan said the nature of the investigation creates an adversarial relationship between the city and the DOJ, but it doesn't need to be that way."Reform is about self-assessing, self-correcting and continual improvement. That's what the Department of Justice is, I believe, looking for when they talk about reform. And that's what I'm looking for." On violent crime: He said addressing rising levels of violent crime is a priority and he will focus on the "small percentage" of people who are causing problems and deploy resources to the "most violent places.""I truly believe that reform and crime fighting are not mutually exclusive. And as a matter of fact, they're dependent on each other if you're going to do it right." On police unions: Sullivan said he's been in touch with the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association since his hiring and will work collaboratively with it."What I promised them is, we won't always agree, but we're going to have an open line of communication."PLEA last month that the city did not ask its members for their input on Sullivan before hiring him. 1 fun thing to go: When asked if he'd be switching his football allegiance from the Baltimore Ravens to the Arizona Cardinals, he said yes.But that's because he's a two-time graduate of the University of Louisville, where the mascot is — you guessed it — a cardinal. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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