TEMPE, Ariz. — He served in the military and as chief of police in Alaska. Now, Kenneth McCoy is leading the Tempe Police Department.
McCoy has held the job for less than a month, but on Thursday he sat down with 12News to discuss what ideas and changes he would like implemented in Tempe.
“For us to truly listen and hear what the concerns of the community are and then for us to respond accordingly,” McCoy said.
He said it comes down to changing the culture of the department. McCoy wants to learn what works best for staff. Which he hopes, will not only retain officers but bring in more during a time when they are short-staffed.
“Where are the gaps? Where do we need more resources? Those resources could come in the form of staffing it could come in the form of technology to be able to help us be more effective,” McCoy said.
It's a problem police departments all over the country are dealing with. McCoy said Tempe also needs to be competitive in recruiting officers.
When it came to residents of Tempe, McCoy said he has spoken with many. He said the two most common complaints he received were about people experiencing homelessness and gun violence.
“When trying to address for the long term, I think that’s where my philosophy in community policing comes to play. We need to partner with our communities to address a lot of root causes that are happening,” he said.
McCoy's philosophy was discussed several times. He believes that creating partnerships with outside agencies could help relieve some of the stress police officers endure. Including potentially partnering with mental health specialists who could assist in calls when needed.
“That will help free up us to do what we are designed to do and that is to investigate and enforce the law,” McCoy said.
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