What to know about new Phoenix police chief Matt Giordano

After months of searching — during which the city scrapped its process and started over — Phoenix has a new police chief. Out of three final candidates, Matt Giordano was selected by City Manager Jeff Barton to lead a Phoenix Police Department that has been beset by years of controversy.

Giordano is a former Phoenix police commander and most recently served as the executive director of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, which certifies all law enforcement officers in the state.

“This selection reflects what we heard from residents, officers, and community stakeholders,” Barton said in a press release. “Matt Giordano is a respected leader with deep knowledge of policing in Phoenix, and he has earned a reputation for integrity, accountability, and building trust.”

Phoenix spokespersons Dan Wilson and Ashley Patton did not respond to a question from Phoenix New Times about Giordano’s salary and contract length. Last year, interim police chief Michael Sullivan — who pulled himself from the running for the permanent job and now leads the U.S. Capitol Police — made about $260,000.

“I’m honored to return to the department where my career began,” Giordano said. “I look forward to working alongside the dedicated men and women of the Phoenix Police Department and deepening partnerships with the communities we serve. Together, we will build a safer, stronger, and more unified Phoenix.”

Giordano takes over after what has been a tumultuous year for the department.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a brutal 126-page report documenting patterns of discrimination and excessive force by Phoenix police, using the report as a cudgel to push Phoenix to accept a consent decree and federal oversight of the department. However, after President Donald Trump took office earlier this year, his administration rescinded the report, ending the possibility of federally enforced reforms.

Both before the report was issued and after it was rescinded, Phoenix insisted its police force could reform itself. Last year, Sullivan issued new use-of-force guidelines as part of that effort.

Despite those efforts, scandal has still found Phoenix police. Last year, two Phoenix cops were caught on camera beating and baselessly arresting a deaf, Black man with cerebral palsy. That man, whose charges were dropped only after a news investigation, is now suing the city. Three officers involved were issued paltry 24-hour suspensions for their role in the incident.

Here’s what to know about the new Phoenix police chief.

Who is Matt Giordano?

As the current executive director of AZPOST and as the only candidate with experience working for the Phoenix Police Department, Giordano was in many ways the most practical choice.

GIordano ran AZPOST for nearly seven years, helming the only organization with real power to discipline misbehaving law enforcement officers. This year, the board has punished 21 current and former law enforcement officers from across Arizona. In 2024, AZPOST opened 48 investigations into officers and punished 43 cops, including for putting the muzzle of a gun to a woman’s head, asking two high school girls when they lost their virginity, driving while under the influence, lying to superiors or investigators and needlessly handcuffing an 82-year-old lady.

It may be that track record of accountability that made him an attractive candidate to lead an embattled department that many communities view with distrust. However, the extent to which Giordano can rebuild that trust remains to be seen. While Sullivan made reform efforts, he was also particularly unpopular among rank-and-file officers.

It may help that Giordano has history with the department, though. He’s a retired Phoenix police commander who spent 20 years with the department. He also previously served as the executive chief of enforcement for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, working with the agency while it was under (ongoing) independent oversight mandated by a federal judge.

The other two candidates were Mirtha Ramos, the former chief of police of the DeKalb County Police Department, and Malik Aziz, the chief of the Prince County Police Department in Maryland.

What are Giordano’s stances?

During the police chief candidate forum in June, Giordano told city officials and audience members that he intends to listen to community members about their concerns with crime and policing. He also wants to improve morale at the understaffed department, which has recently been under fire for its notoriously violent practices.

Notably, Giordano said his department would not play along with Trump’s crackdown on undocumented people.

“We have no role in immigration from a local law enforcement perspective,” Giordano said, citing the controversial Senate Bill 1070 that gave officers leeway to racially profile residents as a detriment to community trust.

“I was here for SB 1070 — I was a Phoenix police sergeant when that occurred,” Giordano said. “I saw the fear and distrust it created in the neighborhood, and it was upsetting. Any time a member of our community doesn’t feel safe calling 911, we failed. And we failed them.”

Giordano also told reporters after the forum that his work with AZPOST has connected him to law enforcement leaders across the Valley.

“I am connected to every police chief and sheriff in the state,” he said. “They’re already in my cell phone. When they pick up the phone, it’s not, ‘Hey, this is Matt Giordano with Phoenix PD.’ It’s, ‘Hey, this is Matt.’”

What Phoenix officials are saying

While members of the Phoenix City Council had no say in the choice, they were allowed to provide input. Several current and former members of the council released statements of congratulations and noted that they wanted to work with Giordano to reform the department in the wake of the DOJ report.

“Chief Giordano has a deep understanding of law enforcement and Phoenix as well as the skills and experience to lead our great department,” said Mayor Kate Gallego. “I look forward to working with him to keep our city safe and continue the reforms instituted by the City Council.”

Gallego also thanked Acting Police Chief Dennis Orender, who led the department for three months after Sullivan resigned.

Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien echoed Gallego’s thoughts.

“There was no better choice than someone who truly understands the issues Phoenix faces and the continuous improvements the Council is committed to,” O’Brien said in a written statement. “I look forward to working with Chief Giordano as he works towards making the meaningful changes instituted by the City Council, designed to keep our officers and community safe and strengthen trust.”

Councilmember Kevin Robinson, the only councilmember with experience working for Phoenix police and a current member of AZPOST, said that Giordano is “no stranger to making tough, ethical decisions” after working for the licensing board.

“I believe that being an exceptional communicator is the most important skill in law enforcement,” Robinson said. “Matt Giordano has made many stops throughout his career, working with nearly every community in Phoenix, and has done a great job at each stop interacting within that diversity of neighborhoods.”

The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, which is the union for Phoenix police officers, has not issued a statement on Giordano’s hire.