Organizational Structure

The Tempe Police Chief provides leadership and direction for the entire Tempe Police Department, ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. The Department is organized into three distinct divisions, each with specialized responsibilities that support our mission of public safety and community partnership.  Click the links below to learn more about the Tempe Police Department.

Tempe Police Department Organizational Chart

• Office of the Chief
• Field Operations Division (Patrol)
• Investigations Division
• Support Services Division  

“The mission of the Tempe Police Department is to protect and serve our community through innovative and professional law enforcement practices.”

• Excellence: “We advance our community’s well-being by performing at the highest standards, initiating innovative solutions, and being transparent in our actions.”
  
  
•  Professionalism:  “We act with integrity to achieve safety and justice for our community. We advance honor and public trust with our individual accountability and collective leadership.”
  
  
• Compassion:  “We serve with the utmost respect, empathy, and dignity for all. We prioritize objectivity, safeguard confidentiality, and maintain loyalty.”

History of Tempe Police

The Town of Tempe was incorporated in November 1894, and as the population increased, George Compton was elected the town's first Marshal on January 14, 1895. By 1901, law enforcement expanded with the purchase of a motorcycle to enforce the town's speed ordinance. Growth continued between 1920 and 1922, and a night police officer was added to assist with policing. In 1928, a German Shepherd police dog was loaned to the town by the Los Angeles Police Department to supplement the Marshal’s efforts. 

One additional night officer was added in the 1930s, and mobility increased with the purchase of a patrol car in 1938. A short-wave radio and siren would be added to the car by 1941. As the town and police force expanded, Marshal's title was changed to Police Chief in 1949.

As the town's population continued to grow into the 1960s and 1970s, the department continued to expand. In 1974, the department created the state's first Police Mounted Unit; in 1975, a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team was formed, and by 1979 a K9 Unit was operational.

The City of Tempe continued to grow and had more than 100,000 residents by the 1980s. The department responded to this population growth, implementing community policing techniques of the time by 1988. In this same year, the department started the Citizen’s Police Academy, and in 1989 the Volunteers in Policing (VIP) Program was established.

During the 1990s, the Tempe Police Department continued to grow as events associated with a bustling downtown, Arizona State University, and numerous special events grew in size and number. The department's Police Officers provided security and public safety for college football national championships, professional football championships, and one of the nation's largest New Year's Eve block parties. In 1992, the Bike Squad was created to provide a proactive group of officers able to quickly respond for service within the congested downtown. In 1993, the Gang Unit was designed to address the gang issue growing in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. 

In 1999, the City of Tempe approved an ordinance establishing the Tempe Citizen’s Panel for Review of Police Complaints and Use of Force.  The year 2000 saw the development of the Special Enforcement Motor Squad (SEMS) – which was created to respond to traffic-related neighborhood complaints from citizens.

In 2010, one of the department’s objectives was to include the use of intelligence-led policing. This included creating a Crime and Intelligence Center (CIC), more streamlined internal communication, and improved relationships with other law enforcement and government agencies.

The Tempe Police Department leverages technology to its advantage by having a well-operating computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system and records management system (RMS).  In 2019, the department began using SMARTFORCE – an internal SharePoint based site – that allows for enhanced communication, collaboration, and info sharing between workgroups and cross-departmentally.

The Tempe Police Department prides itself in providing the best service to the community and will continue to build on strong partnerships with neighborhoods, city council, city departments, social service agencies, school districts, Arizona State University, businesses, faith-based organizations, and the many diverse people who call Tempe home.