Maricopa County to add new security measures at meetings, citing 'disorderly' behavior

Maricopa County supervisors will implement new security measures at public meetings amid a wave of unfounded voting conspiracies, threats and confrontations between county staff and public speakers.

The new procedures come after a group of people approached the dais and refused to leave the Board of Supervisors' chamber following a public meeting last month.

The incident came once the meeting was adjourned and the county's meeting livestream had ended, but a portion of the episode was recorded by cameras in the chamber. That video shows about 15 individuals repeatedly ignored requests from security staff to get out of the building. Several people accused county staff of "tyranny" and "treason." The group ultimately left the room after nearly 10 minutes.

County officials said a staff member was shoved and fell before the video recording began. They now believe enhanced security is needed to stem "disruptive and disorderly behavior" during board meetings.

"Board members and county leadership take the safety of all staff and guests extremely seriously,” said Chairman Jack Sellers, calling the incident "unacceptable."

Maricopa County is the largest in the state and fourth-largest in the nation. Allies of former President Donald Trump tried to pressure county supervisors to question their ballot tallies after he lost the 2020 presidential race there. Since then, its leaders have repeatedly faced false allegations of election fraud and slews of threats.

The harassment has caused some election officials to leave their posts abruptly or decline to run for reelection. Two Maricopa County supervisors — Republicans Bill Gates and Clint Hickman — have said they won't seek another term in office this year following election-related threats.

In recent months, county meetings have been filled with conspiracy allegations and outbursts from the crowd. The speakers have often expressed dismay at how they're treated by elected leaders, accusing them of ignoring their concerns and being disrespectful toward onlookers.

"You can't sit here and tell me what I can and can't do," public speaker Leslie Shepherd said to supervisors during a December meeting. "You're a public servant, act like one."

Regular public speakers, including Shepherd, have also appeared at Phoenix City Council meetings to share similar unfounded theories. Phoenix officials said they have not implemented additional security measures in response to speakers at their regular meetings and are not currently considering such procedures.

Sellers said he is committed to "individual rights of expression" and "believes strongly" in public comment. But he said he won't allow county meetings to devolve into "a free-for-all hijacked by bad actors who think rules don’t apply to them."

The Board of Supervisors next meets on March 13.

New measures among law enforcement recommendations, county says

In coming meetings, county officials will have security staff escort public speakers to and from the podium at the front of the room during public comment.

They'll rope off part of the chamber to keep the public from getting too close to the dais where supervisors sit and reserve the first few rows of seating for county staff and supervisors' guests.

Officials said they are also asking most county staffers to participate in meetings remotely.

Several law enforcement agencies recently completed a threat assessment for county supervisors, and county officials said the new procedures are among the full list of recommendations. Agencies involved with the assessment included the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Phoenix Police Department, Phoenix Fire Department and Maricopa County Security Services Division.

Supervisors are considering several other recommendations from the assessment and may add additional security measures as the general election approaches, according to county officials.

Meanwhile, Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said election safety and security remains a focal point for his office during 2024.

He said during a press conference last month that he intends to aggressively investigate threats against county election officials and ensure voting happens safely.

Republic reporter Taylor Seely contributed reporting to this article.

Sasha Hupka covers county government and elections for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip on voting and democracy? Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County to add new security measures at meetings as 2024 heats up