When Mayor Ginny Dickey introduced Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone to citizens at the Community Center on Nov. 18, she made note of the fact that Fountain Hills is recognized for sharing the lowest crime rate in the Valley and has the lowest cost per capita for police protection in the county.

Penzone did not accept any credit for the low crime rate. He said that is a reflection on the citizens who are willing to participate as an extension of eyes and ears for law enforcement. He said community involvement is the most powerful tool MCSO has in protecting the community.

Law enforcement faces big challenges, according to Penzone, who noted there is a broad divide between officers and the people they protect being felt nationwide. One of the biggest challenges faced by the Sheriff’s Office is recruiting the next generation of deputies. He also noted officer suicide rates are climbing at an alarming rate and will be the highest ever this year.

Penzone brought with him members of his command staff responsible for the operations of the office.

The chief financial officer for the department is Jim Prindiville and he noted that Fountain Hills is the second largest contract that MCSO oversees. It is second to Queen Creek, which is more than $10 million, compared to the Fountain Hills Contract at just over $4 million in the current year. Prindiville said that is a cost of approximately $1.2 million per beat, which he notes is just below the average cost department-wide.

Fountain Hills and MCSO have been working together for nearly 30 years and the current contract is very similar to what has been used since the beginning. The agreement in force was signed in 2012 as a five-year plan with options for five additional one-year extensions. This year is the third year of the five extensions.

Prindiville said he is open and transparent with the numbers and will discuss them with anyone, at any time.

John Bailey is the patrol chief for MCSO and he discussed challenges of working under the current court-ordered monitoring. Bailey said the court order is demanding, but it allows the office to collect extensive amounts of data. The Sheriff’s Office is able to break down information to determine the greatest needs based on the month, day, hour and location.

“This puts us in a good place to cut costs in deciding where to put our resources,” Bailey said.

When deputies make a traffic stop they collect a couple hundred points of data, Bailey said.

“This is where we get the answers on what we need to serve you better,” he said.

Bailey also discussed the use of Deputy Service Aides, of which there is one assigned in Fountain Hills. The DSA can respond to approximately a third of the calls for services, allowing sworn deputies to better use their time for more pressing calls.

Bailey noted that the DSAs are not the same as or used as replacement for posse volunteers.

Penzone also talked about the posse, which he said is getting back to full strength.

“I’m a fan of volunteers who want to be a force multiplier,” Penzone said. “However, we need to have the same level of standards for everyone.”

An audit uncovered issues with the posse and Penzone suspended the operations until all personnel could be evaluated under the same criteria.

“We want to expand and enhance our [posse] recruitment and match desires with individual skill sets,” Penzone said. “There are those capable of helping, but don’t want a uniform and a gun.”

Corey Morrison is the chief who oversees the operations for the eastern half of the county that includes Fountain Hills. His job is communicating and working directly with the district commanders to facilitate the law enforcement needs of the community.

It is also Morrison’s job to coordinate personnel shifts necessary in the event of a major incident, whether a shooting or major collision. He said they need to make sure they have the personnel in place to continue coverage of the community as well as manage the incident.

Morrison cited the options of bringing personnel in from Lake Patrol or another district for temporary coverage.

Talking about traffic enforcement Morrison said there has been an improvement in that area and noted there has been a 10 percent decrease in injury accidents in Fountain Hills over 2018.

Chief Deputy Russ Skinner told the audience that MCSO is committed to using technology to improve law enforcement results.

“Law enforcement is changing nationwide with programs, resources and technology,” Skinner said. “We are committed to being a progressive law enforcement office.”

Penzone responded to questions related to a couple of significant topics in law enforcement including “red flag laws” designed to remove weapons from the hands of those who might be unstable and a danger to themselves or others.

Penzone said he supports the Constitution and the Second Amendment. He said the decision for removal of firearms should not be the responsibility of law enforcement. Any effort should be respectful of the Constitution and require a thoughtful process.

Another person asked if officers are trained to “shoot to kill.” Penzone said law enforcement officers are trained to stop the threat in an appropriate and justified manner.

“Deadly force is a last resort, and it must be the person in front of the officer forcing the decision,” Penzone said.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s office is creating a wellness division, according to Penzone. The goal is to take care of the physical and mental needs that go with the stress of the job.

“We need to make sure our deputies are well and safe and feel the support and appreciation of the agency and the community,” Penzone said.