Interim Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan announces executive team

PHOENIX — Interim Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan announced his executive team as well as organizational changes, including the addition of a second executive assistant chief, on Friday.

Six additional assistant chiefs will work on the executive team, while the department will realign bureaus, divisions and units and divide the command structure under two executive assistant chiefs.

“This reorganization will serve as the foundation as the department moves forward to address the challenging issues of violent crime, staffing shortages and quality of life issues for our community,” Sullivan said in a press release.

Sullivan used input from law enforcement, city managers and the public to pick his executive team.

Sean Connelly was assigned as executive assistant chief over operations, with Derek Elmore assigned to the role of executive assistant chief over administration accountability.

Connelly is 26-year veteran with the Phoenix Police Department, and Elmore has served for 29 years.

Anthony Vasquez, Sean Kennedy, Nicholas DiPonzio, Jesse Cooper, Bryan Chapman and Charmane Osborn make up the rest of the executive team. Their assignments will be effective Sunday.

The department will finalize decisions on reassignments of command staff next week.

Sullivan took over for Jeri Williams in October and was hired to steer the ship during a Department of Justice investigation into potential civil rights violations and abuses of power by the police department.

He previously said he’d work to reform the department regardless of the DOJ investigation’s outcome.

Follow @KTAR923