Phoenix Police Department

On August 5, 2021, the Department of Justice opened a pattern or practice investigation into the City of Phoenix (the City) and the Phoenix Police Department (PhxPD). The investigation was conducted pursuant to our authority under 34 U.S.C. Section 12601, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Safe Streets Act, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The investigation was led by the Department’s Civil Rights Division and conducted by career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division.

On June 13, 2024, we released the results of our investigation. We found reasonable cause to believe that PhxPD: (1) uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and other types of force; (2) along with the City, unlawfully detains, cites, and arrests people experiencing homelessness and unlawfully disposes of their belongings; (3) discriminates against Black, Hispanic, and Native American people when enforcing the law; (4) violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech; and (5) along with the City, discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities by dispatching police officers in response to behavioral health calls and by failing to modify their response to people in crisis.

The Department of Justice is committed to working collaboratively with the City and PhxPD to address and remedy the harms we identified in our investigation. The full report can be accessed in English and Spanish, and the executive summary is also available in English and Spanish. To contact us, you can:

• Email at phoenix.community@usdoj.gov;
• Call at 866-432-0335;
• Mail us a letter:

ATTN: Phoenix Police Department Team
Department of Justice, Special Litigation Section, Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530