New Website Provides Public Access to Incident Reports, Videos, and Investigations Highlighted in DOJ Report
The City of Phoenix has launched a website — https://dojrecords.phoenix.gov/ — that offers comprehensive access to materials related to incidents identified in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) June 13, 2024, report. This interactive platform allows the public to explore incident reports, closed investigations, videos, and other documents associated with events referenced by the DOJ.
“Evidence like incident reports, body-worn camera videos, and internal review documents are crucial for understanding each incident described by the DOJ,” said Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan. “These materials are important for our community to see and are vital for the City to analyze as we strive to be a self-assessing and self-correcting department.”
Although the DOJ report does not specify incident numbers or dates, City staff identified many of the events and uploaded the corresponding materials to the website. Visitors to the site can find these records under the “additional information” menu, located on the right side of each incident page. The website features key documents and videos from among the roughly 179,000 documents and 22,000 body-worn camera videos provided to the DOJ during its investigation.
“This platform represents the City’s commitment to accountability and transparency,” said City Manager Jeff Barton. “We believe the community deserves information associated with these events, and the website gives people access to the facts.”
By identifying the events described by the DOJ, the City of Phoenix gains a clearer understanding of the allegations and an opportunity to implement further improvements. “Analyzing these incidents is a valuable process for our City as we continue building on the many improvements made before and after I arrived,” Chief Sullivan added.
A detailed report outlining changes to policy, training, and accountability through 2023 was published in the City’s January 2024 report titled The Phoenix Police Department: The Road to Reform. However, the City recognizes that continuous improvement is essential to gaining the community’s trust. The city council is committed to focusing on the DOJ’s recommended remedial measures, particularly in accountability and training reforms, some of which were already underway.
City staff is actively reviewing the 37 remedial measures recommended by the DOJ, comparing them to actions already taken, and identifying additional opportunities for enhancement. “We want to compare these recommended remedial measures to the steps we have already taken to improve as a department,” Chief Sullivan noted. “This is also an opportunity for us to look for ways we can make additional changes that better serve our community.”
As part of this examination, the City is analyzing how the Phoenix Police Department’s systems currently capture performance measures and exploring ways to improve this process moving forward. Data will guide decisions on advancing public safety efforts, and sharing this data is crucial to maintaining transparency.
