Sheriff Joe, please tell us…

Your proposal to arm all Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies with the powerful

AK-15 assault rifles -- so that they can protect themselves -- raises many questions and concerns for residents of Fountain Hills and Maricopa County.

Please:

1. Identify deputies who were killed in Fountain Hills and/or in Maricopa County over the past 10 years and describe how their having an AK-15 would have saved their lives.

2. Describe how a deputy would be able to perform normal tasks -- such as traffic stops, domestic calls, barking dogs -- while carrying a bulky AK-15.

3. Detail circumstances that make Fountain Hills so dangerous that the AK-15s are required and describe a typical situation in which a deputy will use his AK-15.

4. Explain why RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) money is being used for the purchase of the AK-15s and why this couldn’t be better used for other crime prevention activities.

5. Discuss how much training will be required to make each deputy “competent” to use the powerful AK-15 assault rifle in our suburban setting, who will do the training and who will pay for it.

6. Document how you can prevent collateral damage or injuries since an AK-15 bullet can travel up to 2.5 miles.

7. Guarantee that if a bystander -- who might be a mile or more from the scene of an AK-15 shooting -- is hit and injured or killed, the Sheriff’s Office or Maricopa County will take full responsibility and cover all financial costs involved with lawsuits and settlements, and that Fountain Hills will not be burdened with these costs.

These questions should be addressed before deputies are armed with potentially deadly AK-15 assault rifles.