Executive Assistant Chief Derek Elmore
Executive Assistant Chief Derek Elmore has worked for the City of Phoenix Police Department for more than 30 years. His law enforcement career started in 1992. He has progressively achieved promotions since he reached the rank of sergeant in 2006. This is attributed to a focus on his own continuous improvement and professional growth in effort to provide quality service to Phoenix residents. He has held assignments in both Patrol Divisions (North and South), eight bureaus, managed two appointments to the Office of Administration (Chief's Office), and served as Commander over the Maryvale/Estrella Mountain Precinct which has maintained a historically higher volume of calls for service and violent crime than all other precincts.
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 Operations 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.
Executive Assistant Chief Dennis Orender
Executive Assistant Chief Dennis Orender is a 30-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department. During his career, he has held assignments at various ranks in the Maryvale Precinct, South Mountain Precinct, Central City Precinct, Downtown Operations Unit, Mountain View Precinct, Desert Horizon Precinct, Community Engagement Bureau, Communications Bureau, Professional Standards Bureau and the Training Bureau. He also served with the Hamilton, Ohio Police Department, working in both the Patrol Division and the Drug Enforcement Bureau.
During his career, Assistant Chief Orender has had the privilege of working in diverse communities, with a devotion to understanding the unique needs of each community. He is committed to fostering trust with the community through accountability and transparency, inclusivity, and community-based policing efforts.
In 2017, he was promoted to Commander and held assignments in the Communications Bureau, Central City Precinct/Downtown Operations Unit, Professional Standards Bureau, and the Training Bureau.
In 2024, he was selected for the role of Executive Assistant Chief leading the Administration, Accountability & Transparency Section.
Assistant Chief Orender was born and raised in Franklin, Ohio. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Wayland Baptist University and is a graduate of the AZPOST Arizona Leadership Program (ALP) and Valley Leadership Class 37.
Prior to becoming a police officer, Assistant Chief Orender served four years in the United States Air Force, achieving the rank of Sergeant, during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He has been the recipient of numerous military and department commendations and awards, to include the Department's Lifesaving Medal.
Assistant Chief Ed DeCastro
Assistant Chief Ed DeCastro has proudly served with the Phoenix Police Department for 23 years. Throughout his career he held numerous positions and ranks within the organization. Chief DeCastro has been a strong supporter of community-based policing and has remained committed to partnership building with the citizens of Phoenix.
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 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 Strategic & Tactical Services Division which encompasses the Tactical Support Bureau, Airport Bureau, Homeland Defense Bureau and the Traffic Bureau.
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.
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.
