Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan has taken his oath and is geared up to begin his term after 40 years of moving up in the ranks. In an interview with FOX 10’s Brian Webb, Sheridan set out his agenda for leading the law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the fourth most-populist county in the nation.
“I wore that uniform for 40 years, said deputy sheriff on it, and now my patch says sheriff,” Sheridan told Webb. “I don’t think the reality has kicked in.”
On Jan. 2nd, just under 48 hours into his new role, Sheridan sat for the interview and set out his top priorities. The first crisis he intends to tackle is homelessness. “I’ve reached out to some of the [Non-Governmental Organizations] that help with some of the missions, and I’ve already had discussions with them about what we can do to help you get people off the street,” he told Fox10.
Sheridan will also be placing a huge emphasis on collaborating with the second Trump administration on immigration enforcement in a return to the path blazed by former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. “I will focus on arresting criminals now,” he told Webb. “Whether they’re illegal aliens or not, doesn’t matter to me.”
In a post to X he wrote, “Spent my first 9 hours as Sheriff with the people that keep us all safe; our detention officers, deputies & 911 operators. I am so proud of the work they do & to be their Sheriff.”
Spent my first 9 hours as Sheriff with the people that keep us all safe; our detention officers, deputies & 911 operators. I am so proud of the work they do & to be their Sheriff. pic.twitter.com/mAKEQuWw0z
At the outset though, there are some internal matters that Sheridan will need to address, such as resurrecting the county’s volunteer posse system, which was placed under review by Sheriff Penzone in 2017 and criticized by several media outlets for its long-time association with Sheriff Arpaio. Sheridan also told the outlet he will be directing a lot of his attention to ramping up staffing in the agency which employs about 3,500 personnel out of an allotted 4,000, according to the agency’s website. Per ABC15 reporting from September, the department is currently shorthanded by about 800 detention officers.
Sheridan also took time to push back on media criticisms for his membership in the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA). To which he responded, “Don’t forget, I took an oath to support the Constitution of United States and the constitution in laws of the State of Arizona, and I will be faithful to that oath.”
Sheridan shared video of his sign on in a brief broadcast to the department in the opening minutes of 2025. “It’s an honor to be your new sheriff,” Sheridan said. “It’s an honor and pleasure to work with everybody because I know you act with integrity.”
At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, the employees & citizens of Maricopa County got a new Sheriff. Sheriff Jerry Sheridan made an announcement to the deputies & then went 10-8 (in service) pic.twitter.com/kWIsweuoyh
Democrat candidate for Maricopa County Sheriff Tyler Kamp has been investigated by various news outlets since July. That’s when reports indicated the former Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Lieutenant was embroiled in a major sexual harassment scandal and faced charges in Payson.
The initial reporting of the harassment scandal by legacy outlets left a wide range of unanswered questions. These questions led to Maricopa County voter Brian Anderson, a researcher and founder of the Saguaro Group, to file a records request with the Phoenix PD seeking answers on Kamp’s past misconduct. However, as previously reported by AZ Free News, the PPD failed to disclose the records even after a demand letter. This prompted a lawsuit which succeeded in forcing the department to respond with records of its Internal Affairs/Equal Opportunity Employment investigation— a full ten months later.
Anderson’s attorney noted in one filing: “Defendant’s failure to disclose Mr. Kemp’s [sic] personnel records before the Primary Election has already resulted in the public not knowing possibly important matters of concern that the public should have knowledge of before voting at the General Election.”
NEW @azcentral – Democrat Tyler Kamp "repeatedly sexually harassed" a young female officer
In July, ABC15 reported on the scandal, citing a Phoenix Equal Opportunity Department probe which, at a paltry six pages, was severely lacking in detail and context. The PPD EEO report released under the Anderson lawsuit is a full eleven pages, and the findings are damning.
The victim summarized the harassment allegations, saying (Formatted for Clarity):
“From my time at the Mountain View Precinct of being an officer in training in 2020 under the training of ::REDACTED:: to July 24,2021 of being on 71B I was sexually harassed and affected in and out the work place emotionally and mentally by Lieutenant Tyler Kamp due to many inappropriate sexual comments.
The majority of this took place over text messages and phone calls as well as feeling pressured to meet in person on duty for non-work related topics.
Tyler Kamp was given multiple warnings of the inappropriate behavior over text messages, which did not stop after the first warning. Tyler would:
Ask me to go out with him to buy me drinks outside of work while being an officer in training and as a probationary officer
Comment about my body and weight
Send text messages that would include him stating about how I looked in yoga pants and about me bending over and having flirty eyes
Tell me to bring an etra(sic) pair of pants for after shift regarding meeting with him on New Years Eve
Become upset that I “ghosted” him on New Years Eve
Ask me if the best time to talk to me was after I have had a few drinks
Ask if I was proud of him for not telling me anything inappropriate when he was drinking
Make his presence known to me while in common areas
Tell me he would look at me in his training class and was disappointed that I did not solicit his attention more
Restrict me from working and taking calls for service on duty to meet him for non work related topics,
Restrict me from training and career advancements due to jealous behavior over my relationship and disregarding that I was in a relationship, causing me to avoid going into the precinct intentionally to avoid contact with him which resulted in me staying in my patrol vehicle until end of shift.
I purposely avoided contact with Tyler Kamp and he would send text messages regarding me avoiding him. He would:
Tell me over the phone that other employees such as ::REDACTED:: are jealous of me due to my looks and that I get special treatment that will offend other officers in as well as he had knowledge that I was being treated poorly by my FTO sergeant
Make me feel I could not defend or speak up for myself due to him being my direct lieutenant
Constantly track where I was at work, when I would arrive in, what I was driving in addition to making comments of what I was wearing such as yoga pants and thanking me for wearing the yoga pants.
Track where I was on shift and make contact with me asking why I would not respond to his text messages
Randomly text me not to marry young and about his his sex life in addition to informing me that he was a virgin when he married
Send morning and good night messages
Send me pictures of a female ATF employee that he stated was flirty and one of the pictures included her in a setting where she was unaware of him taking the picture and one of her in uniform while he was in uniform
Asking me to call him while off duty and to meet him on duty
Talk about inappropriate stories of him and his coworkers regarding drinking and stripper poles.
This behavior continued for a long period and made me feel I was put in a position of having to stay respectful, kind and allow this to continue for a long period over fear of losing my job. I was extremely uncomfortable with the behavior and this damaged my training and ability to work functionally at work and have to constantly be mentally prepared for the behavior and potentially come in contact with Tyler Kamp. I have struggled over this issue for a long time and continuously tried to cope with how I am seen and viewed at my work place, afraid of trusting any employee at a higher rank and feeling at a loss.”
Here are a few additional excerpts from her more detailed accounts:
Kamp “texted me in response to my previous message and asked me how a petite woman can hold down whiskey and that ‘I’m sure we will find out soon haha’”
“Taking notice of what time I got to work and stated ‘Yoga pants??? Shoot I missed it…’”
Kamp asked, “So was it bad that I admitted they look REALLY good on you??”
Two days later, Kamp “noted that I had the perfect body for gymnastics” and “added that he was sure I could show him some yoga stuff (big eyes emoji)”
Kamp then asked for a photograph of the victim’s family and “told me that my younger sister looks like me” even though the sister was younger than 18 years old; “This part upset me due to being aware of his attraction towards me and then commenting about how my minor sister looked like me.”
In November 2022, Kamp was reportedly interviewed and denied the sexual harassment allegations. He claimed the text messages were “friendly banter,” saying, “To me, I mean, it was just like friendly banter back-and-forth, but at the same time it was — it was a friendship. So, I mean, I might have friendly banter with another guy or another girl. It doesn’t mean that I’m necessarily attracted to ‘em or it doesn’t mean that, like, I’m trying to get in their pants or anything like that and vice-versa, like, I just don’t look at it that way. I think it’s more just in good fun. It’s more like in good fun.”
He claimed that if the text allegations were true, “I’m still not following why that would even be sexual harassment, but I don’t know if you can explain that or not.”
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) issued a jolly video telling the story of how “Santa” received their help with delivering toys after his sleigh broke down.
“Unfortunately, Triple Elf was not available for roadside service,” quipped the narrator.
The video follows MCSO Santa’s adventure as he borrows an MCSO bicycle, then horse, a “reindeer with wheels” (quad), a patrol car, a boat, and finally a tactical vehicle.
At one point, Santa had trouble mounting the horse, which the narrator attributed to consuming too much milk and cookies last year.
“Santa soon realized that indulging in all the milk and cookies from last year may have been a mistake,” observed the narrator.
There's nothing Santa loves more than delivering gifts to the good children of Maricopa County. We were glad to help him on his way! 🎁🧸 Happy Holidays from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. 🎄✨ https://t.co/9q1Mu1Djgohttps://t.co/R3oq2hmDSV
Then, Santa landed on the “naughty list” for speeding. The narrator explained that Santa made an honest mistake, as he usually “moves at the speed of light.” However, the officer came to Santa’s rescue by offering his patrol car in exchange for the quad.
To avoid rush hour in the car, Santa then borrowed an MCSO boat. Yet, the dilemma of wet and lost presents on the lake posed another issue — that’s when the SWAT team came to the rescue with their tactical vehicle.
That final mode of transportation proved to be the right fit for Santa, ensuring a successful delivery of presents.
“Santa was drawn to the red lights on the vehicle that reminded him so much of his beloved Rudolph,” stated the narrator. “Santa hopped in and went on to deliver every one of those presents on time, ensuring a happy and Merry Christmas for the children of Maricopa County.”
In addition to filming Christmas stories for the county’s children, MCSO has been busy with other initiatives to spread holiday cheer. This week, MCSO’s Hard Knocks High School (HKHS) for juvenile inmates crafted blankets for homeless Tucson students.
“HKHS students are learning ways they can participate in community service events, such as making blankets for children,” explained MCSO in a Facebook post. “The education department believes that students need to experience real-world community service opportunities in order to exercise civic responsibility.”
Earlier this month, MCSO also participated in their annual Shop With a Cop program. That event ensures children in families experiencing financial or other hardships have presents for Christmas, while working to improve relationships between youth and police.
Police serve as a chaperone and shopping buddy for the children. Sometimes, they will incorporate a meal, activity like a movie, or a visit from Santa into this special day.
Today, Sheriff Penzone and members of the MCSO team participated in a Shop with a Cop event in Mesa. This is an event that makes our day every time by seeing the children smiling, having fun, and enjoying their time with our staff! pic.twitter.com/JJV6AvSqRM
MSCO also highlighted one of its deputies for giving away over 180 skateboards to children in the community.
Tis the season for giving! And Deputy Rand has taken on that task like a pro. This year alone, he has given away more than 180 skateboards to children in the community. Pictured is Deputy Rand when he partnered with Rural Metro Fire to give out skateboards for Christmas! #FGFpic.twitter.com/wdrL4UwkGI
To ensure no Arizonans lose their Christmas cheer over stolen packages, MCSO published a video advising the community on how to prevent it.
In 2021, 210 million packages were stolen after delivery. We at MCSO want to help you avoid being a victim of porch piracy this holiday season with some quick,simple tips. pic.twitter.com/vrhp79YiMn
Finally, to kick off the month, MCSO participated in a Christmas parade.
Tonight members of the MCSO team and the MCSO Cadets participated in the APS Light Parade. Our float this year highlighted the MCSO MASH Unit!🐕 pic.twitter.com/JmEzD885VD
Arizona law enforcement wanted to make sure this year’s Christmas was special for all the children in their communities; as always, they did so through “Shop With a Cop” programs. These annual events allow children from underprivileged or struggling families to shop alongside cops for Christmas presents. Local businesses and community members donate or volunteer time to make these events possible.
During a Shop With a Cop event, an officer will serve as a chaperone and shopping buddy for a child as they shop; sometimes, the events also incorporate a meal, activity like a movie, or even a visit from Santa. The intent of these events is to boost children’s morale while facilitating trust and confidence in police officers. Shop With a Cop also helps children practice good decision-making with their budget as they shop for themselves and their loved ones.
#FBIPhoenix joined our law enforcement partners the last few weekends for the AZ Law Enforcement Outreach and Support "2021 Shop with a Cop" event. Children were taken shopping and got to meet law enforcement personnel. We are thrilled to have been part of this amazing event! pic.twitter.com/E09Ig2H1Jp
Big smiles all around! ⛄️ On December 11th, detectives with the AZDPS Gang & Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM) helped spread holiday cheer during the AZLEOS Shop With A Cop event at the Mesa Riverview Walmart. ? #AZTrooperspic.twitter.com/oFBOEcNslR
We are grateful to have been apart of this wonderful day which was was full of smiles and laughter!! AZLEOS Shop with a Cop! #azleospic.twitter.com/kXFbQrDE4a
This past weekend, MCSO participated in our final "Shop With a Cop" of the year. Within the month of December, we have provided toys for 115 children. That is 115 children who will now have #Christmas gifts under their tree.
Law enforcement agencies that participated in a Shop With a Cop event this year included the Arizona Rangers, FBI Arizona, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Gila County Sheriff’s Office, Prescott Police Department, Prescott Valley Police Department, Chino Valley Police Department, Phoenix Police Department, Mesa Police Department, Goodyear Police Department, Surprise Police Department, Lake Havasu Police Department, Cottonwood Police Department, Tempe Police Department, Chandler Police Department, and Benson Police Department.
The Arizona Law Enforcement Outreach and Support (AZLEOS) helped coordinate the participation of various police departments in Shop With a Cop events.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Governor Doug Ducey ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset Friday, November 12, 2021, to honor Maricopa County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Chad Brackman who died on Wednesday when he was struck by a vehicle.
Lieutenant Brackman, a 22-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was struck by a vehicle while conducting traffic control in Scottsdale. He was taken to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. He is survived by his wife and children.
“Arizona is saddened by this terrible tragedy,” said Ducey. “Lieutenant Chad Brackman served his communities and our state honorably, and he had a deep devotion to public safety throughout his 22 years of service. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, along with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and the entire law enforcement community. In honor of Lieutenant Brackman’s life and service, I have ordered all flags to be lowered to half-staff.”
