After years of staffing challenges, the Phoenix Police Department is showing measurable improvement in recruitment and hiring, even as attrition – particularly among new recruits and retirement-eligible veterans – continues to complicate efforts to rebuild the force.
But despite the optimistic report submitted last week to City Council’s Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee, officials also said the department still has over 500 empty positions, mostly in patrol.
The report shows that application numbers, hiring totals and academy retention all improved in 2025, marking a sharp contrast with recent years when Phoenix struggled to keep pace with retirements and resignations…