TEMPE, Ariz. — Tempe's police department will soon have a new man in charge, Kenneth McCoy.
“My philosophy is twofold. First, I have to look internally at the department. I have to ensure we have the right culture,” McCoy said. “Then my focus has to be external with the community, truly listening and giving voice to the underserved."
McCoy will join Tempe after spending decades with the Anchorage police department. He is a U.S. Army veteran with experience in the Alaska Army National Guard and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
"This is a really good department, and they are moving in the right direction,” McCoy told 12News over a Zoom interview.
“He didn’t say anything innovative or bold. His comments were standard; they were canned, and they were safe,” said former Mesa Police Officer Bill Richardson.
Richardson served on the Tempe police citizen review board and is concerned that recent crime data shows Tempe's per capita crime above its East Valley neighbors.
“The numbers speak for themselves. They have a crime problem; they have a poor outcome problem; they have an efficiency problem," Richardson said.
McCoy said he will take a holistic approach to addressing crime, focusing on culture and community involvement.
When asked for specifics, McCoy said he will prioritize keeping the same officers in the same neighborhoods to try and develop relationships to stop crimes.
“They get to know the people. They get to know the trends,” McCoy said. "I have to take some time and listen and evaluate this department, see where are the gaps, where can we be better.”
Staff shake-up
12News learned that two top people at the Tempe Police Department, Kathy Masters and Andre Anderson, are no longer working there.
Anderson will now move to a new position under Tempe City Manager Andrew Ching.
McCoy said he could not talk about personnel changes but will be focused on getting people into important roles that support his philosophy.
"For me as a leader, I have to ensure that we have the right people in the right seats and that we have a team that believes in my philosophy," McCoy said.
McCoy will assume the role of Tempe police chief on June 5.
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