PHOENIX — Chief Jeri Williams of the Phoenix Police Department announced her retirement on Tuesday morning.
Williams, chief of the department since October 2016, said that she will be leaving the department this summer to prioritize family and explore future endeavors. She started her career with the Phoenix Police Department in 1989 working the same streets she grew up on in Maryvale.
"She is from the community, she cares about her community, I don't know anybody that cares more about the people she served than she did. She was very dedicated to helping out her community, neighborhoods, her officers," said Williams' former colleague, Assistant Police Chief Andy Anderson.
After working her way up to an assistant police chief in Arizona, Chief Williams moved to Oxnard, CA, in 2011 to become chief of their department. Then, in 2016, she came home to Phoenix, immediately weighing in on the balance of racial issues related to policing.
"We can continue to talk about how good or bad, how different, how similar we are but if you're not willing to come to the table and sit down and meet then we'll always have this continental divide," Chief Williams said in 2016.
"Being a police officer is one of the most challenging jobs anyone could ever choose to take on and being a chief is even harder," said Anderson.
The Phoenix Police Department has faced numerous controversies under Williams' tenure.
The Department of Justice is investigating the police department on multiple fronts, including the use of deadly force, how police have handled journalists and protesters, and how officers treat homeless people.
ORIGINAL STORIES:
Officers at the department in 2018 shot at 44 people and killed 23 of them, leading the nation that year in police shootings of civilians. A year later, Williams announced multiple officers were put on desk duty and faced possible misconduct investigations after an advocacy group published thousands of social media posts by officers in Phoenix and around the country showing racist comments and imagery.
RELATED: Here's a timeline of Phoenix police cases that may be investigated by the Department of Justice
An independent report ordered by Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher also found that the Phoenix Police Department had "no credible evidence" to charge protesters at a Black Lives Matter rally in October of 2020 as members of a criminal street gang, and police commanders were aware there was “a lack of merit” to the charges.
Williams said she is proud of several things. including, but not limited to:
Being fully compliant with the requirements for #8cantwait - which was enacting all eight major police policies with the hope of decreasing police killings, body-worn cameras, and transparency with the public when critical incidents occurred.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego expressed her support for Williams' decision and said her top priority is making sure the Phoenix police have continued leadership.
"This is a critical time for the Phoenix Police Department. Over the coming months, we will choose an interim leader and later a new chief... I applaud Chief Williams for her accomplishments and for her leadership," Gallego said in a statement.
Chief Williams will lead the department while city leaders choose the right person to temporarily take over. Then, City Manager Jeff Barton says, a nationwide search for a permanent replacement will happen later.
"It's never been more important for policing to be transparent in what they do, they're certainly under the microscope right now, wearing cameras, being scrutinized very closely about what they do, so the leaders of those organizations need to be out front," Anderson added.
This is a developing story. Tune in to 12 News for the latest information.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: La jefa de policía de Phoenix, Jeri Williams, anuncia su retiro
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