Photo courtesy of city of Peoria
After an extensive and months-long recruitment process, followed by a rigorous three-day interview procedure and mandatory background checks, City Manager Henry Darwin has officially chosen Thomas Intrieri to assume the role of the next police chief for the city of Peoria. The Peoria City Council unanimously confirmed this selection at their regular meeting in November, marking a significant milestone for the city’s law enforcement leadership.
Thomas Intrieri, often referred to as Thom, brings a wealth of experience from his 28-year tenure with the Mesa Police Department, where he held the position of Red Mountain Division Commander. In this capacity, he oversaw an expansive jurisdiction spanning approximately 40 square miles, serving a population of 154,000 Mesa residents, with a dedicated team of 146 police personnel under his command.
“Public Safety is extremely important to our residents, and our city council, I am very pleased that we will continue to keep Peoria a safe community and innovate in the area of policing under the watch of Thom Intrieri,” says Peoria Mayor Jason Beck.
City Manager Henry Darwin echoed this sentiment, saying, “Thom has the vision, experience, and passion to serve our exceptional men and women of the Peoria Police Department very well as chief.”
“I am honored to join the city of Peoria Police Department as chief,” says Intrieri. “Peoria is a wonderful community, with an incredible team of police officers doing an exceptional job of engaging with residents and maintaining a safe community. I can’t wait to join them.”
Throughout his career, Intrieri has enjoyed a series of rewarding assignments that have enriched his skill set and expertise. He has served as a commander for patrol operations across three distinct divisions, including Red Mountain, Superstition, and Fiesta. In his role as the special operations division commander, he actively collaborated with five federal law enforcement agencies to combat violent offenders and organized crime in the East Valley, while also supporting a fully complemented Tier 1 Tactical Team for the city of Mesa. Additionally, as the criminal investigations commander, he served as the director of the Mesa Family Advocacy Center, overseeing the investigative processes of various specialized units, such as the Special Victims Units, Victims Advocacy Unit, Homicide Unit, Fraud Investigations, and the Human Trafficking task force.
Prior to his current role, Intrieri held the position of academy director for the Mesa Police Academy, which serves the cities of Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, and Tempe, contributing to the professional development of future law enforcement officers.
In addition to his professional achievements, Intrieri is a family man, having been married to his wife, Rochelle, for 25 years, and they have three adult children. Over the years, he has actively participated in his community in various capacities. Notably, he served as the president of a nonprofit youth soccer organization that annually served 6,000 youth from 2008 until September 2022. Intrieri holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelor of Science in finance/accounting from Hofstra University in New York.
Intrieri replaces Peoria Police Chief Art Miller, who announced his plans to retire earlier this year.
