Jerry Sheridan, Republican candidate for Maricopa County Sheriff, served as chief deputy in the sheriff’s office under former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He served in various positions with the Sheriff’s Office for 40 years, eventually rising to the rank of Deputy Commander.
Mr. Sheridan said he is the perfect candidate to improve recruitment and retention as the company works to restore employee pride. Several voters told The Arizona Republic in the lead-up to the primary that they supported Sheridan because they believed he would bring back Arpaio-era tactics.
Mr. Sheridan defeated two other Republicans in the primary to advance to the general seat. He proved to be the best fundraiser of the candidates in both primaries.
Mr. Sheridan, a critic of former Sheriff Paul Penzone and current Sheriff Russ Skinner, has sought to differentiate himself from his former boss while campaigning to restore the so-called “tough on crime” spirit of Mr. Arpaio’s tenure. are.
Sheridan charged with contempt, found to be manipulating investigation
Sheridan, who worked for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, was found in civil contempt of court in connection with Melendrez’s racial profiling lawsuit.
The Melendrez case began in 2008 when a Latino driver sued the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, accusing him of racially profiling. U.S. District Judge Murray Snow agreed, and in 2013 he mandated court oversight of sheriff’s offices and ordered reforms to eliminate racial profiling.
Both Arpaio and Sheridan were found in civil contempt for failing to comply with Snow’s orders in the case.
Mr. Penzone took over the litigation and Mr. Snow’s duties when he took office in 2017 after ousting Mr. Arpaio. During his seven-year tenure, he failed to meet all of the requirements of the case.
Mr. Sheridan responded to the contempt finding by claiming that he had no knowledge of the injunction that he allegedly violated. “He thought it was unbelievable,” Sheridan said of Snow during a recent debate. “He didn’t like it and was mad at me for it.”
“Yes, I stood my ground for the congressman,” Sheridan said of his response to Snow’s order. “We knew from the time that that was the chief of staff’s job and that he was going to take some beating for that.”
Mr. Sheridan was repeatedly asked whether he would defy a federal judge’s orders if elected sheriff, but he declined to answer.
An order issued by Snow in 2016 criticized Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Arpaio, calling them authors of “manipulation and fraud.” Snow discovered that they had manipulated the sheriff’s office’s internal affairs processes to protect Sheridan and others from severe punishment for violating Snow’s orders.
Snow also cited potential violations that Sheridan may have committed to warrant further investigation, including “manipulating the timing of the investigation to influence discipline, biased decision-making, and improper conduct.” “Intentional or negligent conduct of investigations, whether criminal or administrative,” were cited. ”
Who supports Jerry Sheridan?
Sheridan’s campaign website lists support from several law enforcement unions, including the Arizona Police Association, Arizona Probation Officers Association and Arizona United Law Enforcement Association.
Prominent politicians supporting Sheridan include Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), former Gov. Doug Ducey, and former Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
Brian Wisda, a financial advisor and former sheriff’s deputy who worked for Mr. Sheridan and donated to his campaign, was unimpressed with Mr. Penzone’s leadership and left the matter in Mr. Sheridan’s hands. He said he thought it was better.
“What the sheriff’s office needs most is someone from the Phoenix Police Department who doesn’t have the experience necessary to run the fourth largest jail in the country,” said Wisda, who previously worked for the Phoenix Police Department. shared about Mr. Kampf. pen zone. “Furthermore, the last thing we need is someone who sexually harasses our employees.”
ABC 15 reports The show, which aired in July, described an internal investigation that found Kamp had sexually harassed female police officers, based on public records from his time with the Phoenix Police Department. Ta. The report also said Kampf was suspended for one day in 2014 “for unauthorized access to a confidential law enforcement database without a legitimate criminal justice purpose.”
In his debate with Sheridan, Kamp asked voters to look at his entire “body of work.” He said he is proud of his long career in law enforcement.
Sheridan faces state commission investigation for contempt
Neither candidate running for Maricopa County Sheriff has been certified by the Arizona Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training Commission.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, also known as AZPOST, is responsible for setting minimum standards for those who want to work in law enforcement.
Records provided by AZPOST indicate Kampf’s certification is “inactive,” noting that it expired in September after a 21-year career with the Phoenix Police Department that met standards. are.
Sheridan’s certification expired in 2020, but records show he was under investigation at the time.
In 2016, AZPOST initiated an administrative investigation against Sheridan in connection with the accusations against him in the Melendrez case. The investigation aimed to investigate alleged violations of multiple AZPOST rules, including conduct that could jeopardize “public confidence in law enforcement.”
Memos provided in response to AZPOST’s records request show the department decided to close the case after Sheridan’s certification expired.
If Sheridan were elected sheriff, what would be his priorities?
Although Sheridan admits that is likely not possible, he has expressed interest in reviving something similar to Arpaio’s infamous Tent City prison, such as a barracks.
Sheridan said increasing hiring will be a priority once he takes office. He said moving up the ranks of the sheriff’s office depends on reversing poor morale, which he blames on a lack of leadership within the department and in law enforcement departments across the country. Ta.
“There’s a lack of people at the top, like sheriffs and police chiefs, who don’t have the backing of the people and don’t understand what their job is,” Sheridan said. He said his decades of experience rising through the agency ranks makes him the best candidate to fill that need.
“We’re going to protect the civil rights of everyone here in Maricopa County because that’s what the Constitution says,” Sheridan said.
He described the position as a “constitutional sheriff” and said “nobody in this country should be afraid of that.”
In recent years, a right-wing “Constitutional Sheriff” ideology has been on the rise. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups and movements, describes this ideology as giving sheriffs the power to circumvent the U.S. government’s system of checks and balances and make their own decisions about which laws are constitutional. It is defined as something that suggests that one has. In the United States, the judicial branch has the power to decide whether a law is permissible under the Constitution.
Sheridan further explained what it means to be a “constitutional sheriff” and said he supports it. New Mexico Sheriff’s Action refused to enforce the governor’s 2023 emergency order suspending the right to carry firearms in public in Albuquerque;
“The sheriff stood up and said, ‘You can’t do that.’ That’s unconstitutional.’ That’s how it works. OK? In my head, this is how it works.” Sheridan said.
Sheridan cited the “fentanyl drug crisis” as the most significant issue facing the community and said he would work to reduce drug crimes and overdoses in the community. He also called attention to the rising number of deaths in prisons in recent years, and said he would introduce a more intensive security program to keep drugs out of prisons after taking office.
Here’s where to contact the reporter: jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com.
