Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs picks Tempe police chief to lead DPS

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Tuesday announced that Tempe Police Chief Jeffrey Glover will take over as Department of Public Safety director.

Hobbs also said that Ryan Thornell is joining her administration as director of the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, while Rob Woods is staying on as the state Department of Revenue director.

“Maintaining public safety and restoring trust in these critical institutions is a major priority for our administration,” Hobbs said in a press release.

“I have the utmost confidence that these directors have the expertise and wherewithal to take on the challenges and opportunities in their departments.”

Glover, who succeeds Col. Heston Silbert as DPS director, started with the Tempe Police Department in 1999. He retired in early 2020 but returned as interim chief later that year. He took over on a permanent basis in August 2021.

“Chief Glover has served Tempe with honor and distinction over more than two decades, working his way through the ranks from patrol officer to sergeant to lieutenant to commander to chief,” Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said in a press release. “It is no surprise that someone of such character and skill would be invited to serve at the highest levels of law enforcement.”

Tempe City Manager Andrew Ching will name an interim chief in the coming days and then start the search for a permanent appointment.

Thornell has worked for nearly two decades in the corrections field, most recently as deputy commissioner for the Maine Department of Corrections. He replaces David Shinn in the role of overseeing the state’s prison system, which is staffed by more than 7,000 employees.

Thornell is stepping into an agency that is under intense scrutiny for failing to provide inmates with adequate health care. Last week, a federal judge said she will give the state three months to ensure it has enough health care professionals to meet constitutional standards.

Woods has been revenue director since then-Gov. Doug Ducey named him to the role in March 2021.

Silbert and Shinn, both Ducey appointees, announced their retirements after Hobbs was elected.

Col. Ken Hunter has been serving has been serving as interim DPS director since Jan. 7. The state corrections director seat has been vacant since Shinn stepped down earlier this month.

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