TEMPE, Ariz. — The City of Tempe has appointed Assistant Police Chief Josie Montenegro to serve as police chief until a permanent replacement is hired.
Chief Jeffrey Glover will step down next month to serve as director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Montenegro, a 22-year veteran of the agency, will work as chief on an interim basis as the city conducts a nationwide search for Tempe's next police chief.
Montenegro has a bachelor's degree in criminology from the University of Oklahoma and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Northern Arizona University.
City Manager Andrew Ching will be responsible for selecting Tempe's next police chief.
The city will start reviewing applications for the top job after Feb. 20.
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What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.