Phoenix police chief announces she will retire this summer

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams announced Tuesday that she will retire this summer after nearly six years as head of the city’s police department, which is the subject of an- ongoing federal civil rights investigation.

Williams, a 33-year law enforcement veteran, said in a statement she felt compelled to go in a new direction, citing “the rare opportunity to prioritize family and explore future endeavors.”

Williams joined the department in 1989 and worked her way up through the ranks to become an assistant chief before leaving in 2011 to become police chief in Oxnard, California. She returned to Phoenix as chief in 2016.

Mayor Kate Gallego praised Williams in a statement.

“Together, we made important investments, from modernizing training to deploying body cameras. I thank the chief for her partnership with me and for her commitment to excellence,” Gallego said.

In a statement released by the department, Williams cited other accomplishments such as a new process to release information about police shootings and the prevention of some police shootings by officers using less-lethal weapons instead of guns.

The department is the subject of a wide-ranging civil rights probe launched by the U.S. Justice Department into whether officers have used excessive force, abused disabled people and people experiencing homelessness, engaged in discriminatory policing practices and retaliated against people for activities protected by the First Amendment that protects free speech.

Within the department, Williams drew criticism for recent reassignments of detectives to fill vacant patrol slots because of a decline in the number of officers on the force and difficulty attracting new candidates.

Lou Manganiello, the Fraternal Order of Police Phoenix Lodge 2 president, thanked Williams for her service but said Phoenix “needs a chief focused not merely on answering emergency calls, but on responding effectively to cut crime.”

The department said Williams will continue leading the department until an interim chief from outside the department is selected. A nationwide search for a permanent replacement will take place later, the department said.