PHOENIX — The Phoenix Police Department said it’s “temporarily reorganizing” the internal investigations unit to review issues of “timeliness.”
The department confirmed the move after multiple sources told ABC15 that Assistant Chief Derek Elmore and Commander Aimee Smith were reassigned from overseeing the Professional Standards Bureau.
A lieutenant and sergeant in the bureau were also moved, sources said.
Phoenix police executive staff were recently informed of the shakeup, which was based on issues surrounding the timeliness of internal investigations and a growing backlog of cases, sources said.
Police officials did not respond to specific questions about the situation but sent the following emailed statement:
The Phoenix Police Department is committed to continuous improvement by being a self-assessing and self-correcting agency. In this effort, the Department is temporarily reorganizing while reviewing operations of the Professional Standards Bureau focusing on the timeliness of administrative investigations and adherence to City and Department policies. The Professional Standards Bureau will continue its operations conducting thorough and complete investigations in accordance with the Arizona Officers Bill of Rights.
The reorganization comes as Phoenix is trying to convince the Department of Justice that it can police itself and doesn’t need federal oversight.
The DOJ is currently in the final stages of a sweeping pattern or practice investigation into Phoenix police and is widely believed to be seeking a consent decree.
Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@ABC15.com.
