Tag: Jerry Sheridan

Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff Race: High Stakes Amidst New Possible MCSO Sanctions

Christy Kelly
Tyler Kamp, Jerry Sheridan

The 2024 race for Maricopa County Sheriff is shaping up to be a significant battleground, with Republican candidate Jerry Sheridan and Democrat Tyler Kamp emerging as the main contenders. 

Recently, the Melendres Compliance federal oversight of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has recommended new sanctions due to the ongoing failure to resolve a substantial backlog of misconduct complaints. These complaints primarily concern racial profiling and other civil rights violations. Despite years of oversight, the MCSO has not made adequate progress in addressing over 1,400 unresolved complaints. The oversight has cost Arizona taxpayers over $240 million dollars. 

In a statement to The Arizona Sun Times, Sheridan addressed the complexities of federal court oversight on law enforcement agencies, particularly regarding internal investigations. “Federal court oversight is a complicated issue for any organization, especially a law enforcement agency. Internal investigations are necessary to ensure people are doing their jobs right, following policies, and not abusing people’s rights,” Sheridan remarked.

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Veteran Lawmen Face Off in Competitive Republican Maricopa County Sheriff Primary

Christy Kelly
Maricopa County Sheriff Candidates

The 2024 Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff is set to be a very close contest, featuring three prominent candidates with extensive law enforcement backgrounds. Mike Crawford is a veteran with a multifaceted career as a sheriff deputy, police officer, and former DEA agent. Colonel Frank Milstead, is the former Mesa Chief of Police and the past director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Jerry Sheridan, with a 40-year tenure in the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), has served in roles ranging from detention officer to chief deputy.

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Former Maricopa Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan Makes Bid for Sheriff, Vows to Restore Trust and Leadership to the Office

Rachel Alexander
Jerry Sheridan

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s race has started heating up, due to former Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead entering the race, where he faces former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan. Sheridan, who ran unsuccessfully in 2020 for the office, took a break from shooting in the desert with his grandson to be interviewed.

Sheridan grew up in a law enforcement family in Queens, where both his dad and two uncles served as officers with the New York Police Department. He intended to enter college immediately after finishing high school, but his family moved to Arizona, and he admired his father and uncle so much that it wasn’t difficult deciding to go directly into law enforcement instead. 

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Former Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead Enters Race for Maricopa County Sheriff

Rachel Alexander
Frank Milstead

The Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff just became a lot more interesting, with a second heavy-hitter entering the race, former Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Frank Milstead. Jerry Sheridan, who served as chief deputy under former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, is already in the race, along with several lesser known candidates. Current Democratic Sheriff Paul Penzone is not running for reelection. 

Milstead told The Arizona Sun Times that the reason he is running is because as a police officer, he saw how bad the crime is in Maricopa County and felt he needed to do something about it. “I live by the rule that if I’m going to complain about something, I’d better step up and do something about it,” he said.

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