Now hiring: Phoenix Police Department looking for police chief candidates

PHOENIX — The search for the next police chief of Phoenix is ramping up ahead of current Chief Joe Yahner’s retirement in October of this year.

Assistant City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. said city leaders recently finished conducting a survey of community stakeholders to find out what qualities they would like to see in the city’s next police chief.

“They want a chief that will be engaged with the community,” he said. “They want someone that will have integrity and show leadership.”

As assistant city manager, Dohoney oversees the police and fire departments and is helping to lead the recruitment and hiring process. He said the city is using the responses gathered from the community to find qualified candidates.

“So we have taken the feedback from the survey and the comments that people have submitted, we’ve incorporated that into the recruiting brochure that we put out,” Dohoney said.

As of January, there have been 18 candidates who have applied for the job. Dohoney said those candidates are being made aware of Phoenix’s culture, the need for continued transparency within the department and additional requirements of the job.

“They know there are certain things that have already been decided,” he said. “For example, the city of Phoenix has made a commitment to body-cameras, so we are telling people right up front that is something you will be implementing if you get this job.”