PHOENIX — The first director of a new agency intended to provide more oversight to the Phoenix Police Department has resigned.
Roger Smith's time with the Phoenix Office of Accountability and Transparency will officially end on Feb. 9, according to a spokesman for the city.
The office was established in 2021 with the intention of leading independent investigations of police conduct. But its powers were quickly restricted after a new state law banned police investigations led mostly by civilians.
The Arizona lawmaker who sponsored that legislation said it was introduced specifically in response to Phoenix's new accountability office.
After the law passed, Roger Smith told 12News that the mission of the accountability office would shift from leading investigations to monitoring internal investigations done by the police department.
"It feels like a baby step right now. It won't soon feel that way," Smith said in a 2023 interview.
Smith's tenure with the city occurred while the Phoenix Police Department was under investigation with the U.S. Department of Justice.
His resignation also comes at a time when Phoenix police have reported at least four officer-involved shootings just within the last month.
The city will soon begin the process of finding a new director to lead the accountability office.
"The City will work diligently to find the right leader to ensure OAT’s important work continues including monitoring police investigations, providing civilian oversight into allegations of misconduct, and receiving community feedback regarding complaints, commendations or other comments about policing in Phoenix," a spokesman for the city wrote in a statement.
*Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.*
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