Throughout the years, Chief Elmore has been responsible for handling assignments that involve major crime scenes, investigations, personnel issues, officer training, community outreach, and public speaking. He has honed a talent for refining critical operations by leading the department through key projects, such as reframing staff and resources within the Domestic Violence Unit to focus on primary offenders, and restoring the Tactical Review Committee which is responsible for reviewing critical incidents and identifying operational trends.
He achieved the rank of Executive Assistant Chief in December 2022 and now manages the Administration, Accountability and Transparency Section for the Office of Administration. This includes bureaus which make a significant impact on personnel and stakeholders, including recruitment and training, employee wellness, and community engagement.
Chief Elmore obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Claremont McKenna College in 1989 and has taught college level Criminal Justice courses. He enjoys mentoring staff across ranks in his pursuit to help others reach their career goals. In addition to his work within public safety, he is also active with youth sports in the Phoenix area, which includes coaching track and field and basketball teams.
Assistant Chief DeCastro has served at multiple ranks in the Maryvale-Estrella Mountain, Central City, and South Mountain Precincts, to include patrol, the Walking Beat Squad, and the Neighborhood Enforcement Team. He later led the Assaults and Homicide Units in the Violent Crimes Bureau as their Lieutenant. He promoted to Commander in January 2017 and has served in the Maryvale/Estrella Mountain Precinct, the Violent Crimes Bureau, the City Manager's Office Liaison, the Training Bureau, and the Family Investigations Bureau. In November 2023, he promoted to Assistant Chief of the Investigations Division. Assistant Chief DeCastro was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from Florida State University and his Master of Science in Organizational Leadership degree from Grand Canyon University. Prior to his law enforcement career, he was a middle school math teacher in the very same precinct he started working after graduating the academy. He has also been the recipient of numerous department awards and commendations, to include Distinguished Service Award and the Police Chief's Unit Award.
Assistant Chief Sean Kennedy
Assistant Chief Sean Kennedy is an Arizona native who is a 25-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department. During his career, he has held assignments in the South Mountain Precinct, Maryvale Precinct, Cactus Park Precinct, Desert Horizon Precinct, the Tactical Support Bureau, and the Violent Crimes Bureau. In these assignments he held positions in Field Training, Investigations, Precinct Resource Teams involved in problem-oriented crime reduction strategies, and in tactical operations.
In 2017, he was promoted to Commander and served over the Violent Crimes Bureau and Tactical Support Bureau. He has been the recipient of numerous commendations and awards to include the Police Chief’s Unit Award, Distinguished Service Award, Community Based Policing Award, and Crime Suppression Award.
Assistant Chief Kennedy earned his Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from the University of Arizona and his Master of Organizational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Leadership in Criminal Justice Administration from Northern Arizona University.
Assistant Director Jesse W. Cooper
Assistant Director Jesse W. Cooper is an Arizona native who joined the Phoenix Police Department in April 1995. He began his career as a Police Communications Operator performing as an emergency 9-1-1 call taker and radio dispatcher. In 1998, he was promoted to Police Communications Supervisor and served in the Communications Bureau in various supervisory and management positions. In 2015, he was promoted to Police Administrator overseeing the operations of the Communications Bureau and in 2018 he was assigned to the Strategic Information Bureau. As an Assistant Director he leads the Technical and Support Services Division.
Assistant Director Cooper is a nationally recognized leader in policing technology. He has been a member of the Department of Homeland Security's Metropolitan Area Working Group, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) Technology Committee, Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), National Emergency Number Association (NENA), and Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) with an emphasis on advancing public safety technology for first responders. He is credentialed as an all-hazards Communications Unit Leader and instructor specializing in large-scale incident management response and interoperable public safety communications.
Assistant Director Cooper earned his Master of Administration degree with an emphasis in Public Management from Northern Arizona University and his Master of Arts in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is also a Certified Public Manager and a graduate of the AZPOST Arizona Leadership Program (#6). He has been the recipient of numerous commendations and awards to include two Phoenix Police Department Distinguished Service Awards, Phoenix Fire Department Unit Citation Award, and the City of Phoenix Employee Excellence Award.
Assistant Chief Bryan Chapman
Assistant Chief Bryan Chapman is a 23-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department. Throughout his career, he has held assignments in Central City & Mountain View Precincts, Violent Crimes Bureau, Family Investigations Bureau, Downtown Operations Unit and the Training Bureau. Prior to service with the Phoenix Police Department, he served four years as a police officer and detective with the Bowling Green Police Division in Ohio.
In 2019, Assistant Chief Chapman was promoted to Commander and held assignments in the Property Crimes Detail, Center for Continuous Improvement and the Training Bureau. He was promoted to Assistance Chief in 2021 and assigned to the Organizational & Development Division with responsibility over the Employment Services Bureau, the Training Bureau, the Center for Continuous Improvement and the Department of Justice Inquiry.
Assistant Chief Chapman earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Toledo and is a graduate of the Certified Public Manager program at Arizona State University.
Assistant Chief Nicholas DiPonzio
Assistant Chief Nicholas DiPonzio is a 26-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department. During his career he has demonstrated a commitment to innovative crime reduction strategies, utilizing intelligence led policing with a focus on community engagement and partnership. Assistant Chief DiPonzio currently leads the Patrol Division which encompasses the Phoenix Police Departments 7 patrol precincts.
Throughout his career, DiPonzio has held assignments in the Mountain View, South Mountain, Maryvale-Estrella Mountain, and Cactus Park Precincts, along with assignments in the Organized Crime, Violent Crimes, Drug Enforcement and Family Investigation Bureaus.
In 2019, Assistant Chief DiPonzio was promoted to Commander and held assignments in the South Mountain Precinct and as both Day and Night Shift Watch Commander.
Assistant Chief DiPonzio earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Ottawa University and his Master of Science in Leadership from Grand Canyon University. He has been the recipient of numerous commendations and awards to include the Police Chiefs Unit Award, Distinguished Service Award and the Medal of Valor.
Assistant Chief Charmane Osborn
Assistant Chief Charmane Osborn has served with the Phoenix Police Department for 25 years. She has worked in various capacities around the Department to include: Family Investigations, Transit, Professional Standards, Central Booking and the City Manager’s Office as the Department’s Police Liaison to City Council. Operationally she has worked patrol in several precincts to include Maryvale Precinct, Central City Precinct, and she served as sergeant, lieutenant and the commander in the Desert Horizon Precinct.
Assistant Chief Osborn is a legacy child for the Phoenix Police Department; her father was a motor officer killed in the line of duty in May of 1984, when she was in high school. Even with this tragedy, she has dedicated herself to the community and volunteers with multiple organizations including: the Phoenix Police Museum, the Phoenix Police Honor Guard, she is the treasurer for the FBI National Academy Associates – Arizona Chapter, and an adjunct member of the FBI National Academy Associates (National) Finance Board. She previously served as a board member and secretary the Back-to-School Clothing Drive – an organization that has served the valley for over 50 years by providing new school uniforms and clothing to underprivileged children. She currently is the police department’s liaison for the Neighborhood Block Watch Oversite Committee.
Assistant Chief Osborn graduated in March 2018 from the 271st session of the FBI National Academy. She has a Master of Arts degree in Business and Organizational Security Management from Webster University (2009), and a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from Arizona State University (1999) – Go Devils!
Reserve Assistant Chief Joseph Klima
Assistant Chief Joseph Klima has served the citizens of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department for 42 years. He spent 35 years as a career member of the Police Department, working various patrol and operational assignments. He has focused his career on creative, collaborative, and community-based problem solving in addressing crime and quality of life issues. Early in his career he worked on reducing impaired driving while in the Traffic Bureau and on special assignment to the Governor's Office of Highway Safety. There he partnered with groups such as SADD and MADD. He led the City-wide curfew program, and directed Operation Safe Streets, a summertime violent crime reduction effort as the Gang Enforcement Unit Lieutenant.
In 1999, Assistant Chief Klima was promoted to precinct commander working alongside community members through programs such as the Violence Impact Project and Shannon's Law enforcement. As the commander in the Violent Crimes Bureau, he helped implement the Home Invasion Kidnapping Enforcement Task Force and provided management oversight in the Goudeau and Serial Shooter murder investigations. These investigations required collaboration with numerous local, state and federal partners. Other command positions he served in included the Traffic Bureau, Downtown Operations Bureau, Drug Enforcement Bureau and the City Manager's Office. In November 2015 he retired from his career position and began his service as a volunteer commander in the Reserve Division. In March 2022 he was promoted to Assistant Chief and leads the Department's Reserve Division.
Assistant Chief Klima has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. He completed Arizona State University's Certified Public Manager and Executive Management Leadership Training programs. His performance has been recognized throughout his career with Police Chief's unit awards, Distinguished Service awards, City Manager's Award of Excellence, the International Association of Chiefs of Police Webber Seavey award in Innovative Policing, US Attorney's Office, Arizona District's Collaboration in Law Enforcement awards and the FBI's Community Service award.
