A veteran law enforcement officer and Arpaio’s right-hand man.

Jerry Sheridan is the Republican candidate for Maricopa County Sheriff. a 40 years Sheridan, a veteran of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, is primarily known for his 20 years as former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s right-hand man.

This will be Sheridan’s second run for the seat, having lost to Paul Penzone in 2020. In that election, he defeated Mr. Arpaio in the Republican primary.

According to the latest campaign report, sheridan spent As of July 13th, it was $292,318, but Mr. Kamp spent $23,766.. The next cash activity report is expected to be released on October 15th for the third quarter.

He graduated from the training academy in 1977 and then began working as a deputy for MCSO. he worked under 4 sheriffs over 40 years When I was in that department.

Sheridan rose through the ranks and became a captain in the 1990s, overseeing all of Maricopa County, including Sun City and Wickenburg.

In the late 1990s, Sheridan was promoted to warden overseeing the Maricopa County Jail System.

Sheridan has made prison conditions a key element of his campaign, focusing primarily on preventing deaths in custody and stopping drugs from entering prisons.

In August, the Arizona Republic announced: investigation He died while in custody at the Maricopa County Jail. The study found that from 2019 to 2023, Maricopa County had one of the highest prison death rates in the country.

“To improve the safety and security of our detention system, I will reinstate the policies and procedures we have used to prevent deaths in custody in several ways,” Sheridan said for this article. said in a written response to questions sent to the campaign. “First and foremost, focus on suicide awareness with detention officers. I trained the officers.”

An Arizona Republic investigation found a record number of suicides in Maricopa County jails in 2022. That year, 43 people died in prison, a quarter of them by suicide.

“These numbers are indefensible and outrageous,” Sheridan said.

In 2010, then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio asked Sheridan to become deputy chief. He then served in that role under Paul Penzone, who was elected to succeed Arpaio in 2016.

During his time as deputy chief, Sheridan was embroiled in all the controversies that beset the department. Mr. Arpaio’s long tenure was marked by lawsuits and controversies, including allegations of racial profiling.

Reverberations of tent city

In 1990, Arpaio opened an open-air prison. There, inmates wore traditional black and white prison jumpsuits and slept on cots under giant tents in the Arizona heat. The move was intended to serve as an example of Arpaio’s tough-on-crime approach.

The prison, dubbed “Tent City,” became the center of much controversy, even though Arpaio and his allies frequently showed it off to reporters.

sheridan ran through tent city For several years. On the campaign trail, he boasted about tent cities and vowed to revive the idea of ​​outdoor prisons.

“I would say 90 percent, if not all, but 90 percent of the inmates in Tent City loved being there,” Sheridan said. said in a recent debate with Democratic opponent Tyler Kampf. “What I want to do is similar type of housing …I can’t undo Tent City, but the reason I want to do it is because Tent City plays an important role in the overall management of the prison. ”

In a written response to questions for this article, Sheridan said Tent City contributed to the increase in employment numbers and that Tent City’s closure contributed to the current staffing shortage.

“Changes the previous sheriff made to the detention system also contributed to this crisis,” Sheridan said. “That is, the closure of Tent City, which provided a system that placed low-level offenders and trustees in one area and allowed violent offenders to be housed in more secure facilities. This design prevented contraband from entering brick-and-mortar prisons.”

The Brady List and a new path forward

Sheridan and Arpaio were allies for most of Sheridan’s career. Sheridan credits Arpaio with his first promotion in the department. However, their relationship seemed to sour after Sheridan faced Arpaio in 2020.

Arpaio did not support Sheridan He has endorsed him in the 2024 primary, and neither he nor Kampf has endorsed him in the general election.

But Sheridan is clear. Even though he spent much of his career under Arpaio, his regime will be his.

“I’m not Joe Arpaio,” he said during the press conference. 12News interview In August.

Whoever is elected sheriff will be responsible for steering the sheriff out of a decade of court oversight. In a 2008 lawsuit, Sheriff’s Office Targets Latino Drivers in Traffic It will stop. U.S. District Judge Murray Snow issued a ruling in 2013 requiring court oversight.

Kump alleges Sheridan is complicit in the department’s controversial practices and lawsuits that have cost county taxpayers more than $300 million. The Associated Press reported in May. Sheridan points to Kamp’s personnel records from when he worked for the Phoenix Police Department. Its record includes accusations of sexual misconduct and improper use of agency property.

meanwhile, Melendrez v. Arpaio class action lawsuitSheridan was charged with civil contempt of court for his actions during the investigation.

Sheridan is It was found that there was a violation This includes an injunction aimed at preventing MCSO deputies from conducting traffic enforcement operations targeting illegal immigrants.

In a video that surfaced during the incident, Investigation by ABC15Sheridan admitted he did not see the email so he would not have to answer legal questions about the case.

Mr. Sheridan was found guilty of contempt of court for his actions and appealed, arguing that he should not be held responsible because he had retired. judge in charge of the case rejected his appeal.

That landed Sheridan. brady lista statewide database of police officers with a history of reliability issues.

“I think I should be taken off the list because I don’t belong there,” Sheridan said in a written response. “At the very least, I think my due process rights were violated.”

Mr. Sheridan frequently talked about bringing police officers back to the department. At a time when recruiting and retaining officers faces significant challenges, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is currently offering new detention officers a $7,500 signing bonus and other incentives, including approximately $800. It’s missing. According to the Arizona Republic investigation.

“Big, successful organizations are always led from the top,” Sheridan said. “As sheriff, I will bring some of the leadership qualities I have learned working there for 40 years. During this campaign, so many deputies and detention officers have expressed their interest in working for MCSO again if I am elected.” He told me he was deaf.”