PHOENIX — Phoenix police officer union leaders are mulling over a no-confidence vote in Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams after the organization said it received hundreds of emails and phone calls following the firing of two police officers.
Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA) President Britt London and Darrell Kriplean made the announcement in a video Thursday.
"A vote of no confidence is an extremely serious matter and we do take it very seriously," London said in the video.
The announcement stems from the firing of Phoenix officers Christopher Meyer and Clinton Swick. London said the PLEA office has received "no less than" 200 or 300 calls and emails regarding Chief Williams' decision.
Meyer is one of the officers involved in the viral shoplifting incident in May that garnered national attention. He can be seen in a video sweeping the leg of handcuffed Dravon Ames then yelling, "If I tell you to do something you (expletive) do it."
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Chief Williams said in a press conference Tuesday that the department's disciplinary review board recommended a six-week unpaid suspension for Meyer. A former Phoenix police commander told 12 News Chief Williams is "taking quite the risk" by terminating Meyer.
Officer Clinton Swick was fired following a misconduct investigation related to a nationwide database that compiled Facebook posts by 3,500 active and retired officers in Phoenix and several other big city police departments.
London said he thinks Chief Williams' decisions are being driven by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and the city council because there's been only one councilmember who has "spoken up for us," he said.
"I think this is very telling, I don't think they care about us as a group of employees," London said. "I don't think they care about this city's safety I've seen no one act in a direction that would say that they do."
London said they're "probably" going to have to call an emergency board meeting to address the no-confidence vote. The organization has set up a GoFundMe account to support the officers.
"We've heard it time and time again the chief has lost the department," London said. "She's definitely lost PLEA members, a majority of them it seems. So we will deal with that."