He joined the Coconino County Sheriff’s Department in May 1974 as a lieutenant. I love their careers.

“On my first day on the job, two fugitives from a state prison were caught in a high-speed chase up and down Interstate 17. They were armed,” recalls Driscoll. “He had been trained…we parked the car on the side of the road looking for him and within five minutes he had this car with the fugitive on our doorstep. We passed by and the fun began.”

The suspect eventually stopped but refused to get out of the vehicle. They were eventually taken into custody. Driscoll remembers the warden coming to collect the fugitives and the flood that followed.

“What I’m thinking is the first day of the trip? If my life and future could be like this, wow! This was really fun,” Driscoll said with a twinkle in his eye.

Driscoll is currently named Sheriff of the Year by the county’s Western State Sheriff’s Association. He received an award in Reno this month after being nominated by Navajo County Sheriff David Claus.

In his letter of nomination, Close described Driscoll as a “transformative leader in both the community and the sheriff’s office.”

In addition to assuming that leadership role and being elected Coconino County Sheriff for the first time in 2017, Driscoll has served in patrols, prison and detention services, SWAT, hazard preparedness and control, internet intelligence gathering, search and rescue, and incident management.

Driscoll describes his decades-long career as a joy and a tremendous privilege. He said that he enjoys his work every day, but he cannot say that he enjoys every day.

In the summer of 1992, Driscoll spent only three days at home with his family. He was one of the officers involved in the search for Danny Horning, a convicted bank robber who escaped from prison and was the subject of the largest manhunt in state history.

Driscoll recalls sleeping under pine trees and living out of police cars.

The Driscoll family moved to Coconino County in the 1950s. As a boy he enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was initially drawn to the sheriff’s office by the promise of search and rescue and the opportunity to work outside.

A lawyer’s son, Driscoll was one of three boys. He describes having great conversations at home about philosophy and what it means to protect and serve.

Driscoll explained that in its approach to law enforcement, it focuses on two key things: community service and trust.

“My philosophical approach to this job has always been that law enforcement exists to serve the community. Ever since I became sheriff, I’ve really emphasized that in the department. Our job is to serve the community,” he said.

Driscoll said he believes the sheriff’s office is very close to the people it serves. Deputies are out in the community to patrol, but they also lead search and rescue teams.

During a recent series of snowstorms, a Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputy loaded a sled with food and a propane tank. Driscoll said they often delivered these supplies on foot, taking them over impassable roads to people in need who were stranded in storms.

“Law enforcement is about not only enforcing the law, but serving the community,” Driscoll said. “Today we take the oath of office for new recruits. We always offer the argument that we will survive on the trust of society. I talk to them about it, they’ve gone through that massive process to be able to work here, they know they deserve that public trust and that public trust. It shows that we do nothing that would harm or cause us to lose.”

Driscoll’s ability to put trust and public service first is why he was nominated for Sheriff of the Year.

“Sheriff Driscoll is committed to earning public trust and ensuring professional, high-quality law enforcement for the people and communities of Coconino County,” said Close. “He is personally and professionally active in addressing issues that affect the quality of life in his community.”

Just as Driscoll recounted the joy of his first high-speed chase, the sheriff described the greatest highlights of his career as people’s lives being improved, saved and appreciated. It’s a moment.

“I’ve caught bad guys. I’ve caught murderers. I’ve caught robbers. Things like that. The biggest impact was the day I found a three-year-old girl who had strayed from a mountaintop camp.” I think,” says Driscoll. “Finding that girl and giving her back to her parents was probably one of the most impactful things. Giving life to a child and giving a child to a parent was just amazing.”

During his sheriff’s career, he has worked to restore people’s lives in other ways as well.

Another reason for being nominated for Sheriff of the Year is Driscoll’s involvement in the development and implementation of the Path to Community and Exodus programs at Coconino County Jail.

“The biggest part of our operation is our prisons. I described the 600-bed facility in Flagstaff and the 48-bed prison in Page. “Exodus and Pathways to me are he two of the best programs ever. I think the future of prisons in our country is not incarceration. It’s about programming.”

Exodus is a 90-day treatment program designed to help people recover from substance abuse disorders while in prison. The program began when Sheriff Bill Privil was in command of law enforcement, but is advocated and endorsed by Driscoll.

“Prisoners are in custody for a short period of time, maybe a month, or a year. We have them, but why not give them a chance to turn their lives around?”

Exodus is meant to help people in prison, while Pathways is meant to help people successfully break out of prison. The program is new and the pride of the incumbent sheriff.

“We also found that there was a gap. When a lot of people came out of jail, they would walk out the door after a few days and then immediately go back to their neighborhoods and crowds, and they would get into trouble.” You’ll be back in the same environment,” Driscoll said. “What Pathways is doing is providing an assessment from our primary partner, the health department. The health department will come in and do an assessment of this individual. Do they need housing? Do they need substance abuse treatment?Do they need transportation?Are they veterinarians?Do they need mental health services?”

The sheriff described Pathways as a kind of “gift shop,” where people can access resources on their way out of prison, whatever those resources are.

During the surge of recent winter storms, Pathways helped people who walked into prison wearing flip flops secure winter coats and secure transportation upon release, Driscoll said. Stated.

“That’s where we need to go to prisons across the country. We’ll extend that care so that when they come out of prison, they’ll be immediately connected to that care and the services provided.” Driscoll said.

Looking to the future, Driscoll said he sees Coconino County’s needs rapidly outstripping the growth of the sheriff’s office.

“We need to grow. There are demands and needs that we cannot currently meet due to staffing shortages,” he said. “We are spread out and we do not have enough staff to deal with all these issues at the same time.

Hiring a surrogate can be tricky, as less stressful jobs can often offer more competitive wages and benefits. Meanwhile, the county is growing.

Driscoll remembers Flagstaff in the 1970s, a town with a tiny fraction of today’s population. Sheriffs say it’s not just the fixed population, or pool of locals, that’s growing.

“We see a huge influx of recreation in our community. “It used to be shoulder season. Now it’s full of people,” said Driscoll. “Millions of people who visit this county primarily by car each year get lost. They get stuck. They become victims of crime. All of the finally have [law enforcement] contact. We seem to have been found. ”

Driscoll hopes more people will be interested in pursuing the kind of career he enjoyed. Looking back on the beginning of his career, he quickly appreciates his system of support.

“No one succeeds alone,” says Driscoll. He also mentioned the immense support he received from his family. First from his father, then from his wife. Driscoll states that “he failed three times to retire” to return to the classroom.

Driscoll’s Sheriff of the Year Award came as a welcome surprise to him. In accepting this recent honor, Driscoll credited a lieutenant, Sedona’s interim police chief (for a brief period in 2010), and leaders who helped him find his way as county sheriff. . He also expresses his deep gratitude to his past and his current colleagues and staff.

Over time, Driscoll has worked as a Sheriff and as a leader within the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (AZ Post) to become a mentor himself. At one point, he led a delegation to Kazakhstan to teach law enforcement and search and rescue techniques.

After imparting the skills and wisdom acquired during a career dedicated to building trust and providing service, the 2023 Sheriff will close a long and important chapter in his personal history and county history. I’m trying

“This is my last term and I will never run for office again. It’s time. When I leave, I’ll be in the county for 50 years. And it’s time to hand the torch. People through my career.” We hope to provide them with the opportunity to lead and learn,” said Driscoll. “I think the greatest legacy I can leave behind is the success of the department.”