Phoenix Police Department unveils new use of force policy meant to dispel uncertainty

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Police Department released its new use of force policy Tuesday in a change it says will better define what officers should do in situations that arise around the city.

The policy says officers “shall use only the force that is objectively reasonable, necessary and proportional to effectively and safely resolve an incident.”

Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan, brought in to guide the department through a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into civil rights violations, said the terms “necessary” and “proportional” were added to give better clarity for officers.

“We have built on our previous use of force policy by making sure the criteria for using force in any encounter is more clearly defined,” Sullivan said in a press release.

As part of the update, all use of force encounters will be reported in an effort to increase the department’s standard.

Why did Phoenix Police update use of force policy?

The change was a yearslong process as a part of the DOJ’s investigation into the Phoenix Police Department, which was announced in August 2021 and the results of which were announced in June 2024.

The 126-page report listed six areas where the department’s conduct has been unacceptable, one of which was excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Phoenix officers too often fired weapons when there was no immediate threat, magnified the risk by their own actions and delayed providing aid for people they shot, according to the report.

The department released a draft of its updated use of force policy in June 2023, taking in considerations from the community, labor unions, legal experts, city leadership and subject matter experts.

More than 800 comments were received and reviewed before updates were made to the policy.

Employees received training earlier this month before the policy change was publicly released.

“This process underscores our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement,” Sullivan said. “The work here is never complete, and additional reviews of this, and other policies will be ongoing because that’s what the community and our officers deserve.”

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