PHOENIX — Three weeks after the DOJ issued a scathing report on the Phoenix Police Department, the Maricopa County Attorney and the Arizona Police Officer Association (PLEA) called the report "misguided" and "dangerous."
Their words come in response to the DOJ finding Phoenix PD had a pattern and practice of using excessive force, unlawfully arresting and citing people experiencing homelessness, and discriminating against Black and Hispanic people over the last half-decade.
“Everyone needs to recognize that the carpetbaggers from the Department of Justice are not the solution. You've heard the expression a solution in search of a problem. Well, the DOJ is a problem in search of a problem," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said.
Justin Harris, President of PLEA, called for the DOJ to keep their oversight out of the Valley's law enforcement community.
“I've heard a lot about defunding police. How about we defund the Department of Justice and send them back to DC," Harris said.
On June 14, Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights for the DOJ, said Phoenix PD has a history of ignoring the rights of the aforementioned groups.
“This behavior is not only unlawful but it conveys a lack of respect for the humanity and dignity of some of the most vulnerable members of our society," Clarke said.
Tuesday's press conference was held not to claim there isn't work to be done to repair the relationship between activist groups and law enforcement. County officials claim there are already safeguards in place to hold local officers accountable for misconduct on the job.
“The Phoenix Mayor, Phoenix City Council, Phoenix residents, they have the tools and resources in place to implement the needed changes and to hold the department accountable."
The DOJ holds a differing belief. Clarke claims that needed reforms are outstanding, and increased federal oversight may be the only way they are implemented.
“Today, many reforms have not yet been implemented. Other reforms exist on paper but not in practice. In total, these efforts are simply not enough to address the full scope of our findings," Clarke said.
However, Mitchell and Harris don't want to see Phoenix Police experience a similar fate of other cities like Seattle and New Orleans, cities they claim have seen spikes in violent crime after the Department of Justice got involved with overseeing their police departments.
“Oversight of the Phoenix Police Department should remain with Chief Michael Sullivan and the city council, which answers to the voters. The men and women of Phoenix Police, who put their lives on the line every single day for us, deserve our gratitude and not our condemnation," Mitchell said.
12News reached out to the Department of Justice for comment on these pointed words by Mitchell and Harris. They declined to comment.
What happens next remains unknown. The Phoenix City Council met in an executive session last week to discuss the DOJ report, but neither the council or the Mayor have directly commented on the report.
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