Phoenix police chief finalists outline priorities on trust, recruitment and training at public forum

Three finalists to lead the Phoenix Police Department appeared at a public forum moderated by Vilka Miller on the evening before their scheduled meetings with city officials, laying out competing approaches to rebuilding trust, boosting recruitment and retention, and revising training and policy in the wake of a Department of Justice review.

The forum, hosted by the City of Phoenix, gave each candidate time to introduce themselves and answer a set of questions from staff and residents about priorities for the first year, officer wellness and morale, community relations, immigration enforcement, responses to homelessness and human trafficking, and steps to increase accountability.

Director Matt Giordano, executive director of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (Arizona POST), said his top priorities would be to re-engage department personnel and to review hiring and screening practices. "Our mantra now is how do we get to yes while it falls within the rules and the guidelines set…