In his first public visit to Fountain Hills since the November election, Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone received an enthusiastic welcome on the home turf of the man he defeated for the job, Joe Arpaio.

People arriving for the event last Wednesday quickly filled the single ballroom at the Community Center, requiring staff to open one of the dividing doors and scramble to put out more chairs for the crowd of about 250.

Mayor Linda Kavanagh welcomed Penzone and introduced him reading from his official bio. He is a native of Trenton, N.J. and his family moved to the Valley in the 1970s where, as a student at Cortez High School, he volunteered with the justice courts as a bailiff.

He attended Glendale Community College and Northern Arizona University before joining the Phoenix Police Department.

Penzone indicated there would be few, if any, changes in the relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and Fountain Hills as a contract community.

He said it will be important that the people from his office who do the work in the community have good communication with town leadership and officials.

“The (MCSO) captain will know the dynamics of the community where they work,” Penzone said. “Each (community) will have its own needs and we need to work to learn how we can be your best partner.”

He also had praise for the men and women wearing the deputy’s uniform who do the job on the street and in neighborhoods every day.

Penzone noted that there are 260 lawsuits against the office as well as two federal court orders. He said he is working to stabilize the organization that has had many distractions.

“It can be difficult to do the job well,” he said. “We want to be totally focused on law enforcement, safety and detention.”

Penzone said the department is currently short about 200 detention officers.

“That is an unsafe environment for both the officers and the inmates,” he said.

There are also 30,000 current fugitive warrants within Maricopa County that the office is trying to address.

“I am a firm believer that if you have committed a crime we will be hunting for you,” Penzone said.

There are about three dozen people within the Sheriff’s Office whose job it is to monitor the department for compliance with the court orders. This includes reviewing video from all contacts deputies have with the public.

Penzone said once the compliance orders are lifted resources can be prioritized to where they are most important.

Questions

Penzone addressed a variety of issues posed through questions asked by citizens. The questions were written as people entered and read by Town Manager Grady Miller.

Marijuana: “I am a firm believer that anything that impairs judgement is a concern, particularly where it comes to our youth.

“I don’t believe marijuana should be legalized; we should be working with prevention and recovery programs and not shirk our responsibility.

“We need to make better decisions by having a better understanding of the impact of what we do.”

Body cameras: MCSO deputies are fully equipped with body cameras to record their interactions with the public.

“There is a great benefit to this for all involved; we can see what actually happens. Deputies are exceptional at what they do, and they put up with a lot.”

Animal cruelty unit: “When I was with Silent Witness we were the first organization to offer a reward for information about crimes against animals.

“(The MASH) unit is a great program in concept, but the animals don’t get much time outside and exercise. We are looking for partners to expand the program without a burden to taxpayers.”

Immigration: “The court orders we must comply with prohibit us from engaging in any immigration enforcement activities.”

Border wall: “I’m not sure what that means. A physical barrier, I’m not sure that is feasible. There are things with staffing and technology that can improve security.”

Concealed firearms in public buildings: “A gun owner should be responsible and know the laws that apply to them. What does responsible gun ownership look like?

“Understand that once the bullet leaves the gun you are responsible for it until it stops.”

Tents: “Over the last five to seven years the jails have been 65 to 75 percent of capacity. There is plenty of room. Tent City has incurred unnecessary expenses. Half the inmates have already been moved without incident. There are logistics required with handling work-release inmates that will require four to six months to address.”

Sanctuary cities: “I’m not sure I know the definition. Decisions related to immigration enforcement are policy issues, and local law enforcement has its own responsibilities without crossing over to federal jurisdiction.”

Closing

In closing his remarks Penzone said he wants MCSO to have better communication with the public it serves.

“Let us know the crimes and issues you are concerned about,” he said. “We can communicate what resources are available to you and become more engaged in educating how you can protect yourself.

“The more knowledge you have to protect yourself the better for the community.”

He said he wants deputies more involved in talking with young people on how to protect themselves and inspire them to make good decisions.

“We are not here to scare you away from crime.”

Penzone said he feels it is his responsibility to do the job without the fanfare.

“We want to be proud of who MCSO is and what we do; I want to travel across the country where not a single person knows my name.”