Jack Harris

Daniel Garcia, New Phoenix Police Chief Sworn in Yesterday, Says He'll Bring "Love" to Department

Daniel Garcia, the new Phoenix police chief sworn in yesterday, promises to bring "love" to the department.Garcia's a former assistant police chief from the Dallas Police Department. He's a 30-year police veteran and speaks Spanish. Yesterday, he told the news media: "I promise you... I will take t ... More >>

SB 1070 Redux: Phoenix Police Department Criticized for Post-1070 Operations Order

The Phoenix human rights group Puente is planning a press conference and rally for Friday March 9, to protest the Phoenix Police Department's current operations order on immigration enforcement, which allows crime victims and witnesses to be questioned about their immigration status.The operations o ... More >>

Phil Roberts Exaggerated the Phoenix PD's Kidnapping Statistics, Then Tried to Debunk His Own Numbers

Jack Harris, Deposed Phoenix Police Chief, Wins Cool National Award For Opposing SB 1070

Jack Harris, the career Phoenix cop whose controversial tenure as chief ended abruptly a few months ago, has been named as a surprise recipient of the national Freedom From Fear Award.Jack Harris wins a Freedom From Fear award​To be sure, the honor isn't one that would be doled out by the Fraterna ... More >>

Morning Poll: Does Review of Phoenix Kidnapping Stats Vindicate Former Police Chief Jack Harris

Jack Harris, it turns out, is not a statistic-inflating liar.​Former Phoenix police Chief Jack Harris was forced out of office because of allegations that his department inflated kidnapping statistics in order to obtain extra federal bucks. However, a panel reviewing the Phoenix's kidnapping numbe ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, May 12, 2011

Under Mark Spencer's Leadership, the Phoenix Police Union Has Become an Anti-Immigrant Juggernaut, to the Detriment of Its Members

Mark Spencer's PLEA Supported Kidnapping Stats

From PLEA's RECAP newsletter, dated June 2008As I've pointed out in my cover story this week on Phoenix Law Enforcement Association president Mark Spencer and his sleazy ways, PLEA swallowed the Phoenix Police Department's controversial kidnapping stats whole hog at one time. Long before they used ... More >>

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris Is Retiring -- Again

Public Safety Manager/Police Chief Jack Harris is retiring today.​After months of controversy over whether the Phoenix Police Department intentionally inflated kidnapping statistics to get federal funding, the city's top cop has announced he is retiring today.Public Safety Manager Jack Harris had ... More >>

Equality Arizona: Forum Offers "Good Glimpse" of Phoenix Mayoral Candidates Stance on LGBT and City Issues

​Candidates in the Phoenix mayor's race carefully measured their words during a forum hosted by Equality Arizona, a political organization that advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality. The Monday night forum included questions to gauge candidates' stance on same-sex ... More >>

An Outside Panel Will Probe Whether the PPD's Numbers on Kidnappings Were Cooked

Phoenix Kidnapping Statistics: Review Panel Includes Retired Judges, FBI Agent

Karen Thoreson will chair the committee charged with reviewing Phoenix kidnapping stats​A panel of independent experts charged with reviewing Phoenix's kidnapping statistics will be headed by Karen Thoreson, president of Alliance for Innovation. The other members are retired FBI Agent Larry ... More >>

Morning Poll: Should Phoenix "Public Safety Manager" (Police Chief) Jack Harris be Permanently Reassigned?

Phoenix "Public Safety Manager" Jack Harris.​In response to allegations that his department inflated border-related kidnapping statistics to secure federal grants, Phoenix Public Safety Manager (a.k.a. double-dipping police chief) Jack Harris on Wednesday said the following: "Anyone that wan ... More >>

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris Not Clear On The Real Issue Involving Inaccurate Kidnapping Stats; New Times Helps Set the Record Straight

Let's be clear about a few things regarding Phoenix's kidnapping statistics snafu.Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris tells the Arizona Republic that he is outraged at what is happening in the community regarding kidnappings and other crimes, and he adds:"If anyone doubts we have a home-inv ... More >>

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris Probably Will Be Reassigned to Fire Admin Building; City Manager Will Discuss Future of PD Later Today

Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos to discuss future of police department.​A press conference regarding the flawed kidnapping statistics published by the Phoenix Police Department has been bumped from Friday to 2:30 p.m. today at City Hall.(Read the in-depth analysis published on February 7 ... More >>

Jack Harris No Longer Overseeing Phoenix PD; Acting Police Chief Joe Yahner Taking Over Day-to-Day Operations in Wake of Kidnapping-Stats Scandal (Updated)

Public Safety Manager Jack Harris (left) stripped of his police chief duties, with Assistant City Manager Ed Zuercher.​Public Safety Manager Jack Harris  retains some of his duties as police chief, but Executive Assistant Police Chief Joe Yahner becomes Acting Police Chief in ... More >>

March 3 In Blogs: Jesus, Ace Hotel, Pure Saturdays, Hop Suicide, and Daniel Wayne Cook

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon Fails to Grasp the Gravity of Scandal Involving Flawed Kidnapping Statistics

Public Safety Manager Jack Harris (left) with Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon​Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon tweets this from his iPhone: "The truth about the kidnapping stats? There was no fraud. I'm confident the audit will show that." And, Gordon, who has thrown his confidence and support behind Phoen ... More >>

Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos: Changes Slated for Phoenix Police Department

City Manager David Cavazos​There has been a firestorm of reaction from Phoenix officials over admissions that the kidnapping statistics generated by the Phoenix Police Department are inaccurate.Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris is steaming over reports that the he will be reassigned, and it r ... More >>

Phoenix Police Department Finally Admits Problems With Border-Related Kidnapping Statistics; Agency Spent Months Misleading Public

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris ​Phoenix police officials finally admitted that the border-related kidnappings statistics they trumpeted for years are not accurate, blaming the problem on "challenges with how cases are classified."   The admission from the police department ... More >>

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris Moving to City Hall? New Times Sources Say That's What's Going Down

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris​Sources tells New Times that city officials have been behind closed doors all day trying to figure out what's next after police finally admitted there are inaccuracies with the agency's reported U.S.-Mexico border related kidnapping statistics.   T ... More >>

Jack Harris to Detectives: Don't Spend Federal Grant Money Awarded to Phoenix Police to Combat Border-Related Kidnappings

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris​While a federal audit of the Phoenix Police Department's kidnapping statistics is under way, Police Chief Jack Harris has ordered his troops not to spend any of the $700,000 they collected from the feds to combat border-related kidnapping cases.The Depar ... More >>

Mark Spencer's Spin Machine, and KPHO's Flubbed Segment on Police Supes

KPHOThe "him" in "Fire him" is Mark Spencer, not Jack Harris... I have praised Channel 5/KPHO's reporters and producers in the past. I consider them colleagues. Not necessarily drinking-buddies. (Yet.) But I have fun chatting with them when I see them in the midst of the media scrum.Still, ... More >>

Phoenix Cops May Have Inflated Kidnapping Stats to Get Federal Bucks

Sergeant Sean Drenth's Name Left Off City Memorial -- Much to Mayor Phil Gordon's Dismay

Sergeant Sean Drenth​At a ceremony at Phoenix City Hall this afternoon, city officials honored more than 70 municipal employees who died over the last year. Phoenix police Sergeant Sean Drenth was not on the list.Drenth's body was found shot to death near the State Capitol -- next to his police c ... More >>

New Times' Review of Phoenix Kidnapping Stats Reveals Most Not Linked to Border-Related Crimes as Phoenix Officials Reported

​Phoenix police reported that there were 358 kidnapping calls in their community during 2008, and that a majority of them were linked to drug and human smuggling across the Arizona-Mexico border. In recent months, Phoenix police union leaders have raised questions about the veracity of those stat ... More >>

Sean Drenth Death: Don't Expect DNA Results for Several Months, Cops Say

Sergeant Sean Drenth​More than a month after more than two dozen Phoenix cops were ordered to turn their DNA over to investigators so it could be compared to DNA recovered at the scene of the death of Sergeant Sean Drenth, there are still no definitive answers -- and none are expected for several ... More >>

Richard Mellon Scaife's Cash Pays For Judicial Watch's Ideologically Motivated Lawsuits

Sergeant Sean Drenth Death: Court Orders DNA Samples From Indicted Officers

Sergeant Sean Drenth​Court orders for DNA samples of more than two dozen Phoenix police officers were served on Monday in regards to the death of Phoenix Sergeant Sean Drenth. The officers ordered to turn over their DNA are the same cops believed to be involved in a fraud scheme that resulted in t ... More >>

Twenty-five Officers Eyed in Phoenix PD Fraud Investigation -- Including Officer Richard Chrisman and Sergeant Sean Drenth

Stephen Lemons Phoenix police Chief Jack Harris says fraud allegations are "misconduct" not corruption.​Phoenix police Chief Jack Harris (yeah, we're still callin' him "chief" until he takes off the uniform) insisted this afternoon that the Phoenix Police Department is not a "corrupt organi ... More >>

Phoenix Police Department to Make Changes in South Mountain Precinct

www.phoenix.govPhoenix Police Chief Jack Harris says changes will be made at the South Mountain Precinct.​In wake of several incidents that have strained the relationship between the Phoenix Police Department and the community, the department announced today that several changes will be made in on ... More >>

UPDATED: Phoenix P.D.'s Killer Cop to be Arraigned This Morning -- This Time for Murder

Phoenix Police Officer Richard Chrisman​Charged with assault and currently free on bail, the Phoenix police officer who fatally shot an unarmed domestic violence suspect -- and his dog -- will be in court this morning to be arraigned on new charges.Officer Richard Chrisman will be arraigned on cha ... More >>

Police Chief Jack Harris Won't Say Who Asked Him to Write Declaration in Support of Anti-1070 Lawsuit

  ​Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris won't tell Judicial Watch who asked him to write a letter in support of the feds' anti-1070 lawsuit. And he won't tell you, either. If you'll recall, Harris' declaration -- which ended up attached to the federal filing -- outlined ... More >>

Joe Arpaio's Neo-Nazi Supporters Surface for Bill Montgomery Event, and Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris Slams SB 1070

JT Ready & pals try to give Joe Arpaio and Bill Montgomery some Nazi love in Phoenix today As most of you have no-doubt heard, there's strong speculation that Sheriff Joe Arpaio will announce his run for Arizona Governor on Monday. Personally, I hope he does run. He'll have to resign to d ... More >>

Phoenix Film Festival Review: Closing Night Screening of Middle Men, Complete with Celebs

​Last night the Phoenix Film Festival came to a close. Finishing out its 10th year, the fest decided to go out with a bang. The closing screening was of a new movie starring Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, James Caan, and Gabriel Macht titled Middle Men, which won't be released until August.While th ... More >>

Councilman Michael Johnson Cozies up to the Nation of Islam; and the Fault Line Between Brown and Black in Maricopa County

Councilman Michael Johnson's Altercation With Phoenix Officer Strains Local NAACP's Patience With Top Cop Jack Harris

america's voiceonline.org City of Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris​ Even before this morning's press conference to discuss the alleged abuse of power by an unnamed Phoenix police officer against City Councilman Michael Johnson, we're told that top city officials met with loca ... More >>

Judicial Watch Group Targets Double-Dipping by Phoenix Police Chief

​ Judicial Watch, a non-profit group based in Washington D.C., wants the state Attorney General's Office to find a way to reduce the paycheck of Police Chief Jack Harris. The group wrote a letter to Attorney General Terry Goddard recently, asking him to file a lawsuit against the Phoenix Pol ... More >>

Behind BadPhoenixCops.com: The Blogger Who Took on the Phoenix PD — and the Homicide Detective Who Might Be His Best Source

Phoenix Police Union Members Turned Away by City Council on Issue of Chief Jack Harris

  Souring relations between Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris (pictured at right) and members of the department's union were the source of a squabble at a City Council committee meeting today. As KTAR news (92.3 FM) reports, union president Mark Spencer and other union members want ... More >>

Jack Harris, Phoenix Police Chief, Stepping Down from AZ POST Board

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris is stepping down from his position as a board member of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board after a five-year run. No reason was given for the departure in an announcement by police this afternoon (see below). The announcement itself, police say, ... More >>

David Spade Donates $100,000 to Phoenix Police Department for New Rifles

David Spade doesn't forget his roots. The former Valley resident cut a $100,000 check today to fund the purchase of new rifles for the Phoenix Police Department. In a news release, (reprinted below), police say Spade "had been made aware" of a program -- covered in a previous Valley ... More >>

Bruce Jacobs Accused of "Verbal Attack" on Widow of Slain Phoenix Officer Nick Erfle

Sheriff Joe’s goons bring new heights of absurdity to Phoenix City Hall

Gary Peter Klahr sues Mayor Phil Gordon over attempt to alter PHX PD Operations Order 1.4.3.

Roger Sensing: The Eveready jackass who just keeps on losing...

Hen Party

The hellacious hooter watches Mayor Goober lay a colossal huevo, and wishes a heavenly millstone on the neck of a nativist numskull

Welcome to Phoenix, the ethnic cleansing begins at noon.

Big Dipper

The cleated tweeter tackles O.J. Simpson, The PHX's hip-hop Klan war, and Police Chief Harris' second helpings of salary pie