Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin urges DOJ to end direct oversight of Phoenix PD

PHOENIX — Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin wants the Department of Justice to reconsider its explosive report on the Phoenix Police Department.

The report, which the DOJ released under President Joe Biden’s tenure, accused the Phoenix Police Department of a pattern of civil rights violations.

“That allegation is pure politics,” Galvin said in a Tuesday letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi. “DOJ’s early moves against Phoenix were the prior administration’s attempt to impose its political will.”

Galvin told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Friday that he doesn’t think DOJ oversight is the best way to improve police agencies.

“This is happening throughout the country and I really think there has to be a conversation about this,” Galvin said. “I think the attorney general would be receptive to that conversation.”

Why is Thomas Galvin skeptical about DOJ oversight?

While the Phoenix Police Department isn’t currently under a consent decree, the same can’t be said for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

“In terms of the sheriff’s office, it’s under the oversight of a federal judge, and a lot of people have been saying, ‘Well, there’s nothing you can do,’” Galvin said.

However, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors controls the purse strings of different agencies, he said.

“It’s our job to set the budget for the county, it’s our job to allocate resources to the sheriff’s office,” Galvin said. “But if the money we’re spending on the Sheriff’s Office is being overseen and dictated by a federal judge, I believe there’s some legal and constitutional impacts here.”

Galvin added that the Board is looking for possible lawsuit opportunities. He said they have not arrived at that point yet but are actively examining it.

Lawyers — the main monitor being out-of-state — contracted by the DOJ to file reports on the Phoenix Police Department have no incentive to end their work with money still flowing in from taxpayers. Maricopa County residents have “spent over $300 million” to comply with the investigation, according to Galvin.

Especially with Phoenix police restarting its search for a permanent police chief, Galvin said it needs to be able to operate from the city and people’s wishes, not the nation’s.

“If you have issues with the police department, go to your local councilman, go to your mayor,” Galvin said. “From my observations, the city council and (Mayor Kate Gallego) have been working hard to make sure their police department is as good as it can be. The other thing that I know is police officers want to see a great police department.”

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