Phoenix is on the cusp of choosing a new shepherd for its police department, with four candidates left in the ring. Following a considerable search, aided by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), the city has zeroed in on four individuals who may soon take the helm, according to the City of Phoenix. The finalists, with varying backgrounds and from diverse corners of law enforcement, were announced after community stakeholders, including labor groups and neighborhood associations, contributed their thoughts on who should lead the charge.
After interviews conducted on March 3, a national search, facilitated in partnership with stakeholders’ visions, brought forth Ed DeCastro, Casey Johnson, Michael Sullivan, and Ed Wessing as the frontrunners. As reported by the City of Phoenix, DeCastro, an experienced Phoenix PD assistant chief, brings two decades and a change of local insight. Johnson, currently shaping up special operations in Oakland, wields business acumen with a side of sports enthusiasm. Sullivan, a temporary chief in Phoenix, has the lay of the land and a streak of public integrity from his time in Kentucky and Baltimore. Wessing, aside from his Mesa PD service, doubles as a community frontline, helping guide sports organizations for the disabled…