Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
Encyclopedia
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
that serves Maricopa County, Arizona
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. It is the largest sheriff's office
Sheriffs in the United States
In the United States, a sheriff is a county official and is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county. Historically, the sheriff was also commander of the militia in that county. Distinctive to law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected. The political election of...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and provides general-service and specialized law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Maricopa County, serving as the primary law enforcement for unincorporated areas of the county as well as incorporated cities
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
within the county who have contracted with the agency for law-enforcement services (known as "contract cities
Contract city
Contract city is a term used in the U.S. for a city which provides municipal services by contract with another unit of government, public agency or private organizations....
"). It also operates the county jail system. Joe Arpaio
Joe Arpaio
Joseph M. "Joe" Arpaio is the elected Sheriff of Maricopa County in the U.S. state of Arizona. First voted into office in 1992, Arpaio is responsible for law enforcement in Maricopa County. This includes management of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, county jail, courtroom security,...
is the current Sheriff of Maricopa County. Its ongoing practices are highly controversial
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office controversies
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is a law enforcement agency in Maricopa County, Arizona that has been involved in many controversies since 1995...
, to which it has received national and international media coverage, along with a number of federal investigations and other controversies
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office controversies
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is a law enforcement agency in Maricopa County, Arizona that has been involved in many controversies since 1995...
.
Districts
Maricopa County is the fourth largest county in the United States, and has a total area of 9224 square miles (23,890.1 km²). The county is currently divided into six geographical areas, referred to as Districts, and consist of District 1, District 2, District 3, District 4, District 6, and District 7. Districts are generally staffed by a District Commander (Captain), Deputy Commander (Lieutenant), uniformed sergeants and patrol deputies, detectives, and administrative staff. Districts overlap city agencies, as the Sheriff's Office has concurrent jurisdiction in these areas.District 1 -
District One covers an area of approximately 1053 square miles (2,727.3 km²) in the southeast quadrant of the county. District One encompasses the cities of Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Tempe, along with the Town of Guadalupe and CDP of Sun Lakes. District One also includes portions of the Town of Queen Creek, and the cities of Apache Junction, Scottsdale, and Phoenix, including the Ahwatukee Foothills. While District One is not the largest district in size, it is historically the busiest, averaging approximately 40% more calls for service than any of the other districts.
District 2 -
District Two covers an area of approximately 5200 square miles (13,467.9 km²) in the southwest quadrant of the county. District Two provides service to the rural areas of Buckeye, Laveen, Mobile, Rainbow Valley, and Tonopah, as well as to the contract cities of Gila Bend and Litchfield Park. District Two also includes portions of Avondale, Glendale, Goodyear, and Phoenix.
District 3 -
District Three covers an area of approximately 1600 square miles (4,144 km²), bordered by Northern Avenue on the south and I-17 on the east, extending to the northern and western borders of the county. District Three includes the areas of Sun City and Sun City West, the communities of Wittmann, Waddell, Circle City, Morristown, Whispering Ranch, Aguila, Gladden, and the unincorporated neighborhoods surrounding Peoria, Surprise, and Wickenburg.
District 4 -
District 4 provides law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas of Anthem, Desert Foothills, New River, Cave Creek, Carefree and Tonto Hills. District Four also provides law enforcement to the contract Towns of Cave Creek and Carefree.
District 6 -
District Six provides law enforcement services on a contract basis to the Town of Queen Creek. The Town of Queen Creek was previously a part of District One, but was officially designated as its own district in 2008, with its own complement of deputies and command staff. There continues to be, however, several unincorporated neighborhoods in and around Queen Creek that are still serviced by District One. Portions of the corporate town limits of Queen Creek fall within the jurisdictional boundaries of Pinal County, but are provided law enforcement services by Maricopa County.
District 7 -
District Seven provides police services to the unincorporated areas of Fountain Hills, Tonto Verde and Rio Verde. It also provides contract law enforcement services on a contract basis to the Town of Fountain Hills.
Rank structure
| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Sheriff Sheriff A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country.... |
 |
| Captain Police captain - France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant.... |
|
| Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... |
 |
| Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... |
 |
| Detective Detective A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"... |
 |
| Deputy Deputy Deputy may refer to:* Steward * Deputy , a legislator in many countries, including:** A member of a Chamber of Deputies** A member of a National Assembly** A member of the Dáil Éireann... |
|
Specialized Units
Lake Patrol -In addition to patrolling the unincorporated areas, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is responsible for patrolling the lakes and waterways in the recreational areas within the county. The Lake Patrol Division is responsible for law enforcement services in the recreational areas of Tonto National Forest and Lake Pleasant Regional Park. This area includes Saguaro, Canyon, Apache, Bartlett and Horseshoe Lakes as well as the Lower Salt and Verde River recreational areas, Four Peaks, Superstition, Mazatzals, Camp Creek and Seven Springs recreational and wilderness areas. The total area of responsibility is over 1000 square miles (2,590 km²), which are visited by an estimated 1.5 million people every year.
The Lake Patrol Division is composed of highly trained deputy sheriffs who operate four-wheel-drive vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, patrol boats, jet skis and an air boat to perform their duties. All Lake Patrol deputies are certified Emergency Medical Technicians and several are Paramedics. The division also has a detective section which investigates crimes, deaths and boating accidents on the lakes and rivers.
Trails Division -
The Trails Division has the responsibility for law enforcement services in the recreational and wilderness areas of the Maricopa County Parks. The total area of responsibility consists of over 120000 acres (485.6 km²) that are visited by approximately 1.8 million persons each year. The Maricopa County parks system is the largest regional parks system in the nation, and includes the areas of Buckeye Hills Recreation area, Cave Creek Regional Park, Estrella Mountain Regional Park, Lake Pleasant Regional Park, McDowell Mountain Regional Park, San Tan Mountain Regional Park, Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, The Desert Outdoor Center at Lake Pleasant, Usery Mountain Regional Park, and White Tank Mountain Regional Park.
The Trails Division is also composed of highly-trained deputies who operate four-wheel drive vehicles and all-terrain vehicles, and also uses bicycles, mounted, and foot patrol to perform their duties.
Aviation Division -
The Aviation Division provides airborne law enforcement support to uniformed patrol, Lake Patrol, Search and Rescue operations, narcotics enforcement, extraditions and SWAT operations.
The Aviation Division is staffed with a Commander, Helicopter Flight Operation Supervisor, Fixed Wing Supervisor, Director of Maintenance, fourteen sworn Deputies, five Civilians, two instructor pilots and an Administrative Coordinator. The Division is a 24 hour a day 7 days a week operation and employs four helicopters and two fixed-wing aircrafts.
The flagship of the division is a Bell 407
Bell 407
The Bell 407 is a four-blade, single-engine, civil utility helicopter; a derivative of the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger. The 407 uses the four-blade rotor with composite hub developed for the United States Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior instead of the two-blade, semi-rigid rotor of the 206L-4...
helicopter with a call sign of "FOX 1." This helicopter is equipped with FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red), stabilized binoculars, Ultichart moving map and an SX-5 night sun spotlight. This helicopter performs direct patrol, search and rescue operations, narcotics surveillance and photo missions.
In addition "FOX-1", the Aviation Division operates "FOX 4," a Bell Military OH-58 helicopter acquired in 1996 from the Defense Reutilization Program. It was completely rebuilt and placed into service in July, 1998, and is also used for direct patrol, search and rescue operations, narcotics surveillance and photo missions.
"FOX 5" is a Schweitzer TH-55 helicopter acquired from the Defense Reutilization Program. "FOX-5" has been fully restored and is the primary training aircraft for MCSO Aviation personnel. This is the same type of aircraft used by the military to train pilots since the 1960’s.
For fixed wing, the division utilizes a single engine Cessna 206 and a twin engine PA-31 Piper Navajo. Both aircraft are housed at Glendale Airport and are used primarily for extraditing fugitives from other states. Fixed wing aircraft are also used for narcotics and smuggling surveillance missions.
K9 Division -
The Sheriff's Canine Unit includes 25 canines with various specialties, including narcotics, tobacco products, explosive ordinance, cadaver, and patrol. The unit's staff consists of one Lieutenant, two Sergeants, twelve Deputies, and eight Detention Officers.
All canines trained in narcotic detection are capable of finding and aggressively alerting on cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines, heroin, and their derivatives. Collectively, they have assisted in the seizure of over 5.3 million dollars in narcotic tainted monies. All canines trained in explosive ordinance detection are trained to detect and passively alert on 13 different odors. The tobacco canine is trained to find and aggressively alert on all forms of tobacco.
Patrol dogs are trained in building searches, area searches, officer protection, crowd control, trailing, and provide a strong psychological deterrent to certain types of criminal misconduct. Our cadaver canine is trained to find and passively alert on decaying human tissues, bones, and fluids. Our bloodhounds are utilized to track down suspects and locate missing or lost individuals.
Canine team members typically work patrol operations during peak activity hours, usually from about 6 PM to 4 AM. They also augment SWAT operations; provide contractual services for narcotic detection at several local schools; provide narcotic and explosive ordinance detection for not only our office, but for other local, state, and federal agencies; they are on call 7 days a week 24 hours a day, and conduct over 100 public relations demonstrations annually.
The utilization of police canines provides law enforcement with a non-lethal means of apprehending dangerous criminal offenders; detecting intruders and alerting handlers to their presence; pursuing, attacking and holding criminal offenders who resist apprehension; searching and clearing buildings and large open areas for criminals; tracking lost children or other persons; detecting the presence of certain narcotics, explosives, and tobacco products; locating deceased subjects, crime scenes, and minute physical evidence; and provide a strong psychological deterrent to certain types of criminal misconduct.
Posse
There is a permanent, organized Sheriff's PossePosse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
that provides civilian volunteer support to the sworn deputies of the Sheriff's Office. Dozens of individual posse units can be called upon for various needs, such as a Jeep posse, equine mounted units in various cities, a ham radio operator posse, a diver's posse, and an air posse of licensed pilots.
Contract cities
- Town of CarefreeCarefree, ArizonaCarefree is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 3,799.-History:...
- Town of Cave CreekCave Creek, ArizonaCave Creek is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona in the United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 4,951.-Geography:...
- Town of Fountain Hills
- Town of Gila BendGila Bend, ArizonaGila Bend , founded in 1872, is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The town is named for an approximately 90-degree bend in the Gila River, which is close to but not precisely at the community's current location...
- Town of GuadalupeGuadalupe, ArizonaGuadalupe is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 5,258. The town is nestled between Phoenix and Tempe. Since its founding, it has been known as a center of Yaqui culture and it is home to many religious festivals...
- City of Litchfield ParkLitchfield Park, ArizonaLitchfield Park is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. In 2010 it had a population of 5,476.-History:The town of Litchfield Park is named for its founder, Paul Weeks Litchfield...
- Town of Queen Creek
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, 16 officers have died in the line of duty.| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy Almon W. Dana | |
Vehicle pursuit |
| Deputy Sheriff Lee Wright | |
Gunfire |
| Special Deputy Edward J. Roberts | |
Gunfire |
| Deputy Sheriff Burtice W. Wickstrum | |
Automobile accident |
| Deputy Gerald Barnes | |
Aircraft accident |
| Lieutenant Robert L. Dorn | |
Gunfire |
| Deputy Warren LaRue | |
Gunfire |
| Deputy Rex Stone | |
Gunfire |
| Deputy Ralph K. Butler | |
Automobile accident |
| Reserve Deputy James L. Epp | |
Drowned |
| Corporal Darrell Dean McCloud | |
Automobile accident |
| Deputy Vernon P. Marconnet | |
Gunfire |
| Sergeant Patrick Joseph Riley | |
Struck by vehicle |
| Deputy Edwardo M. Gonzales | |
Vehicle pursuit |
| Deputy II Kenneth Ray Blair | |
Gunfire |
| Deputy Sheriff Gary Frederick Labenz | |
Heart attack |
Controversies and criticism
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has been involved in many controversial acts, lawsuits, and other operations that have been called into question, from alleged racial profilingRacial profiling
Racial profiling refers to the use of an individual’s race or ethnicity by law enforcement personnel as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement...
to jail conditions. The Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio
Joe Arpaio
Joseph M. "Joe" Arpaio is the elected Sheriff of Maricopa County in the U.S. state of Arizona. First voted into office in 1992, Arpaio is responsible for law enforcement in Maricopa County. This includes management of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, county jail, courtroom security,...
, has also been criticized over a number of incidents and policies.
The United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is the institution within the federal government responsible for enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. The Division was established on December 9, 1957, by...
is investigating the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in relation to alleged racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and abuse of power
Abuse of Power
Abuse of Power is a novel written by radio talk show host Michael Savage.- Plot :Jack Hatfield is a hardened former war correspondent who rose to national prominence for his insightful, provocative commentary...
, as well as refusing to cooperate with a federal Justice Department investigation.
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is also featured on TLC's television program Police Women of Maricopa County
Police Women of Maricopa County
Police Women of Maricopa County is the second of TLC's Police Women documentary television series, which follows four female members of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Maricopa County, Arizona....
(2010).