The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is accepting applications until Friday from people interested in replacing former Sheriff Paul Penzone, who resigned a year early on Jan. 12.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Russ Skinner will continue in his current role but will have the powers of sheriff until a new appointment is made, supervisors said.
Because Mr. Penzone was a Democrat, regulators must appoint a Democrat to replace him.
The appointed candidate will serve until the person elected sheriff is sworn in in November, county spokeswoman Fields Moseley said.
So far, three Republicans have announced their intention to run for Maricopa County Sheriff: Frank Crawford, Jerry Sheridan and Joel Ellis, and no Democrats have announced their intention to run for Maricopa County Sheriff. According to the county elections office.
State law requires sheriffs to be alive. within the county they serve and Prohibits sheriffs from practicing law.
Applicants for appointment must submit a cover letter and resume to the Supervisory Board Secretary by January 19th at 5:00 p.m.
Applicants are subject to a background check and the documents they submit become public records.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors released a resume and letter of intent submitted to the Arizona Republic's secretary of the board. Here are some highlights from each candidate's application.
Maricopa County Sheriff Applicants:See cover letter and resume
Kenneth M. Booker retires in 2023 as Deputy Chief of the Sheriff's Office
- Mr. Booker retired from the Sheriff's Office as a deputy chief in 2023 after a 32-year career in law enforcement.
- “For more than four years, I served as Deputy Chief of Staff and oversaw the Internal Oversight Office, Court Enforcement Division, and Training Division,” Booker said.
- Booker said he plans to bring both “big city” and “intimate small community” experiences to the job.
- Mr. Booker served as interim police chief during Youngtown, Arizona's transition to the Sheriff's Office as its law enforcement agency.
- Booker said he had “direct oversight” of the sheriff's constitutional policing plan, which is Penzone's response to ongoing court orders brought on by civil rights violations. While Penzone lamented the burden of federal oversight, Booker touted the department's successes under the sheriff's oversight.
- Booker cited his work as an adjunct professor at Grand Canyon University and commander of the courtroom security division for the state judiciary.
- Booker holds a bachelor's and master's degree from Grand Canyon University.
- Booker has a history of military service as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Jeffrey S. Kirkham, nearly 40 years in law enforcement
- Mr. Kirkham has 38 years of law enforcement experience.
- He served as commander of the Apache Junction Police Department from 2014 to 2023.
- He served as the Officer Misconduct Compliance Specialist for the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission from 2012 to 2014.
- Kirkham served as Nogales Police Chief from 2010 to 2012.
- He has worked for the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, Florence Police Department, and Mesa Police Department.
- “My expertise in developing and implementing team efforts in community policing, minority advocacy, crime prevention, policy development, and internal investigations, particularly within the Hispanic community, allows me to make significant contributions to the agencies I have worked for. We did it,” Kirkham said.
- Kirkham said he has conducted investigations into misconduct by security forces and worked with law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels.
- “I am particularly drawn to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office because of its commitment to excellence, desire to improve community engagement, while working closely to comply with federal agency requirements. aspirations and to ensure the safety of our residents,” he wrote.
- Kirkham holds a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University and a master's degree from the University of Phoenix.
Scott Meyer, experience as a detention officer with the Sheriff's Office
- Meyer has been a sergeant with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office since 2022.
- “Maricopa County welcomed me as a resident in 2016, and I wanted to repay the kindness this county and its offices have shown me,” Meyer said.
- Meyer is a member of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Honor Guard.
- Meyer cited his previous experience as a private security guard and as a detention officer with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
- “I have the determination, heart and will to lead this great organization. I have experience in the field” as a police officer and sergeant with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Meyer wrote.
Patrick G. Valenzuela, a combination of law enforcement and military experience
- Valenzuela has 27 years of law enforcement experience.
- He has been a lieutenant with the Glendale Police Department since 2020.
- “I gained a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by law enforcement, especially in a diverse and dynamic county like Maricopa,” Valenzuela wrote.
- Mr. Valenzuela has experience as a police patrol shift commander, SWAT team member, field training officer, and school resource officer.
- “Throughout my career, I have consistently prioritized transparency, accountability and community engagement, recognizing the critical role that trust and cooperation play in effective law enforcement,” Valenzuela said. .
- He cited three military deployments and later provided religious services to Air Force personnel at Luke Air Force Base and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
- He was a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
- He holds a bachelor's degree from Kaplan University and a master's degree from Grand Canyon University.
This list will be updated as Maricopa County provides additional application materials.
Do you have news information about the sheriff appointment process, sheriff elections, or the Maricopa County Jail? Here's how to contact our reporter: jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com or call 812-243-5582.Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter@JimmyJenkins.
