Maricopa County sheriff election: Kamp, Sheridan weigh in on jails, court monitor

ARIZONA ELECTION 2024

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For the first time in at least 20 years, there will be no incumbent in the general election for Maricopa County sheriff.

The 2024 race for sheriff is down to Democrat Tyler Kamp, a former shift commander, gang enforcement sergeant and homicide detective for the Phoenix Police Department, and Republican Jerry Sheridan, who was the chief deputy of the Sheriff’s Office under former Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Kamp defeated current Sheriff Russ Skinner in the primary election for the Democratic spot on the general election ballot. Skinner, who has served for 43 years at the Sheriff’s Office and was appointed in February to replace former Sheriff Paul Penzone, was running for a full term.

Sheridan, who made it to the general election in the 2020 sheriff's race but ultimately lost to Penzone, defeated Frank Milstead, the former head of Arizona's Department of Public Safety and the Mesa Police Department, and Mike Crawford, a former Glendale police officer, in the primary.

The Arizona Republic asked Kamp and Sheridan to answer five questions on the county jails and their priorities should they assume the role of Maricopa County sheriff. Here's what they had to say, in alphabetical order.

Why do you want this job?

Tyler Kamp: As a fifth-generation resident of Maricopa County, I want to ensure we have a safe community where all can thrive. I have always strived to be a difference-maker and serve my community in both my personal and professional life.

As sheriff, I want to build on the successes of Sheriff Penzone and continue to move the MCSO forward with integrity, accountability, and effective policing that ensures a safe Maricopa County for all. With over two decades in law enforcement leadership investigating homicides and organized crime, to my executive experience living overseas fighting human trafficking, to my work with local non-profits, my experience represents the ideal blend of innovative crime-fighting techniques, community engagement, and compassionate justice necessary to lead the Sheriff’s Office.

The MCSO has an unfortunate history of immoral and unconstitutional practices targeting people of color, resulting in over $300 million in costs to the taxpayers, fractured community trust, and a culture of intimidation. We are only one generation removed from that abuse, and Maricopa County needs a sheriff capable of leading the Sheriff’s Office forward so it does not slide backward.

Since the Maricopa County Democratic Party asked me to run, I have attended nearly 200 events across the County, learning and listening to folks from all walks of life, from the Farmer’s Bureau to legislative districts. This is representative of how I would serve as sheriff, ensuring justice for all, protecting everyone equally, and a willingness to learn and listen to the needs of the community.

Jerry Sheridan: I am seeking the position of sheriff of Maricopa County because I am not happy with the way the current sheriff’s administration has run the place where I spent 40 years wearing the uniform of a deputy sheriff, ultimately retiring as the chief deputy.

The mass exodus of employees over the past seven and a half years has led to a severe shortage of detention officers, deputies and civilian employees. This has greatly impacted public safety and the safety of officers and deputies.

Currently, there is an estimated shortage of 1,500 employees. The shortage of detention officers has also led to a crisis of in-custody inmate deaths that has averaged 49 per year for the past seven years. This is unconscionable.

Calls for service by the public have gone unanswered or with lengthy response times. It is my belief that employees have quit or retired early because of a lack of confidence in the current administration.

I have been asked by many rank-and-file employees to run for sheriff and enjoy the support of the vast majority of them. They know I am a strong leader who knows the job because I have been in an executive leadership position for 20 years and a leader for 33 years of the 40 that I was employed. I believe I can make a difference and bring back people to the Sheriff’s Office so we can better serve the citizens of Maricopa County.

What is the biggest challenge facing the Maricopa County jail system, and how would you address it?

Kamp: Staffing shortages across all areas of the jail system are dangerously low, creating an unsafe working environment for employees and the inmates they are responsible for protecting. It also limits the ability for the MCSO to provide effective educational opportunities and drug treatment programs designed to prevent recidivism.

As sheriff, I will work to revamp recruiting, specifically targeting women and veterans’ populations while also focusing on retention. I would create robust employee wellness programs that include an early recognition and support system for our employees.

Workers in our jail are tasked with a very challenging and demanding job, working long hours, nights and weekends in a difficult environment. An intentional wellness program would provide access to a clinical practitioner, peer support, mental health checkups and walk-in support for all employees and their families.

I would also seek partnerships with nonprofit groups that could help fill staffing shortages related to educational programs that prevent recidivism. Equipping inmates with vocational tools and creating a workforce pipeline are essential to providing the skills necessary to lead a successful life once time is served.

Sheridan: The biggest problem facing the sheriff’s jails is the fentanyl epidemic within the system. I attribute this to a lack of staffing. Approximately 300 inmates have died while in sheriff’s custody since 2017. These deaths have occurred primarily because of homicides resulting from a “drug war” in the jail system and from drug overdoses.

Many inmates are taken to the emergency room on a daily basis to be treated if they are lucky enough to not die of an overdose. An officer who works in the jails recently told me that they “cannot keep enough Narcan on the shelves.” There is a shortage of over 1,100 detention officers. This severe understaffing leads to improper search techniques/frequency of inmates smuggling the drugs in and through the system.

I will address this with an aggressive hiring process and managing the staff to slow down the attrition of officers. I have had many former detention officers tell me in the past year that if I get elected sheriff they will come back and work for me; and many of those that are still there say that if I don’t get elected they are leaving. It all comes down to leadership. People need to know their leaders care about them and will work in their best interest.

In your view, what should be the most significant law enforcement priority for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office? Why and how would you address it?

Kamp: The most significant priority of the Sheriff’s Office is to provide protection for all in Maricopa County. Every decision or policy I make as sheriff must be viewed through the lens — will this make us safer, and will we feel safer? The most effective way to accomplish this is to ensure justice for all, specifically three types of justice: doing justice, restorative justice and preventative justice.

Doing justice is upholding the law, holding people accountable for their actions. This includes holding ourselves accountable, and that means complying with the federal court orders. We can also be more effective by utilizing cutting-edge technology and statistical analysis to identify repeat offenders and the most violent perpetrators. Sophisticated interagency investigations led by the Sheriff’s Office will also result in significant crime reduction across the county.

Restorative justice is an essential component to providing protection because it prevents recidivism. Educational opportunities, career development and life skill mentorship programs give inmates hope, a critical motivator to pivot from previous criminal choices. Preventative justice is holistic-based policing, treating the root of the problem and not just the symptoms.

We must provide community education on crime and scam prevention, and we also must identify how we can connect professional resources and nonprofit groups with the needs of the community. We are all collectively responsible for public safety, so we need a collective response to provide the best protection possible.

Sheridan: The most significant problem facing the citizens of Maricopa County is the fentanyl drug crisis. Six people on average die of drug overdoses in Maricopa County each day, four of which are attributed to fentanyl. It has been said that 80% of fentanyl coming into the U.S. comes through Arizona. Most crime is related to drug use.

The Vekol Valley in the southern part of Maricopa County near Gila Bend is a major drug smuggling corridor. In January 2017 shortly after I retired from MCSO, the Sheriff’s Office disbanded the Drug Interdiction Teams I had working the Vekol Valley area since 2010.

This was a serious mistake as the sheriff’s deputies who were assigned to this unit made a huge impact on enforcing the law and curtailing the smuggling activities of the drug cartels. Upon taking office I will place those deputies back out into the desert to track the drug/human/child sex traffickers and apprehend them like they did for six years.

How would you approach the court-ordered monitoring of the Sheriff’s Office?

Kamp: In 2013, the federal court found the MCSO engaged in a pattern of unlawful discriminatory police conduct directed at Latinos in our community and jails. Furthermore, the judge determined the MCSO pursued a pattern of illegal retaliation against their perceived critics. As a result, the federal court issued injunctions against the Sheriff’s Office that must be fully complied with for three years. Since the county is financially responsible for the injunctions, it has cost the taxpayers over a quarter billion dollars to date and counting.

Unfortunately, the court orders were needed to force a culture shift at the Sheriff’s Office. Years of discrimination and intimidation fractured trust with the community, therefore damaging the overall public safety in the county.

Fully complying with all three court orders and graduating from them must be a priority in order to free up vital community resources and boost employee morale within the MCSO; however, it takes time, trust and forgiveness to fully reconcile with the community. Effective compliance comes down to people and processes. We must have enough people, the right people, and the most efficient process after a thorough evaluation is done.

Upon graduating from the orders, I would retain many of the changes they brought, including the traffic stop studies, body cameras and the community advisory board. These changes promote transparency and accountability as well as a sense (of) professionalism held across the country as best practices within law enforcement organizations.

Sheridan: While I was the chief deputy for MCSO, I had the responsibility of working with the court ordered monitor. I and my staff worked hard to comply with the court order and made significant progress building a foundation for future compliance. Because of this experience, I will be able to continue with the progress that has been made since I left in 2016.

The key to this problem, like many problems, is communication between the parties to address the issues as they arise. I was very involved communicating with the court-appointed monitors and will be again as sheriff — I will not leave this just to my staff.

I have a proven track record of being able to settle civil lawsuits. Hart v. Hill was filed in federal court in the early 80s. This particular lawsuit involved unsentenced inmate rights. I and my staff were able to satisfy this civil rights lawsuit, which had been ongoing for over 30 years, by communicating with the plaintiffs' lawyers & the federal court. This past experience ensures that I will be able to make immediate progress.

What principles would guide the actions of the Sheriff's Office under your leadership?

Kamp: The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is a unique and diverse organization operating the third-largest jail system in the country while protecting the unincorporated areas of the fourth-largest county in the country. With an approximate half-billion-dollar budget, leading up to 4,000 employees, building trust with the community and navigating the three court orders, it is imperative to elect someone who can lead the MCSO forward.

With a proven track record of getting things done, I can effectively move the Sheriff’s Office forward through my leadership style as a situational leader, all predicated on empathy. Situational leadership is adapting my style to the development level of each team member based on their skills, confidence and motivation.

There are times I will need to be direct to create movement or change quickly, and other times I will need to be more of a coach, intended to promote development. In order to build successful teams, I will need to collaborate with others, and to enhance autonomy or efficiency I will need to focus on empowerment.

The driving principle behind situational leadership is empathy. Empathy is a noun, but it is also an action. It is the ability to identify with another person’s situation or feeling. It provides insight into the public safety needs of our community and identifies the most effective way to develop our employees and take the Sheriff’s Office to the next level.

Sheridan: The overall guiding principle of my 40-year career with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has been one of service. Service to the public by providing a safe constitutional jail system, and deputies who do everything they can to keep the public safe.

My leadership philosophy is: I work for the people of MCSO, who in turn work for the people of Maricopa County. This philosophy is one that leads to public safety and protection of the civil rights of all citizens.

Have a news tip? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 812-243-5582. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JimmyJenkins.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County sheriff election 2024: Meet Tyler Kamp, Jerry Sheridan