You don’t have to live in Maricopa County or even the state of Arizona to recognize the name Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He’s the one who keeps inmates in pink underwear in a tent city and who is a vocal critic of (what he says are illegal) Latin American immigrants. In their report, the Department of Justice accused Arpaio of a pattern of racial profiling and discrimination. And, they say their investigation isn’t over. [read more...]

Jack Harris, Phoenix’s former Chief of Police granted an interview to The Arizona Republic this past week in which he spoke candidly about the politics involved in leading a modern, urban police force and those politics that contributed to his ultimate retirement. [read more...]

Complaints and concerns about police relations drove a task force to convene and develop some recommendations for the City of Phoenix. Made up of civic leaders and community members, the task force would like to see cops have more positive interaction with the neighborhoods, particularly in South Phoenix. Their recommendations will be heard and voted on by the City Council at a December 14 meeting. [read more...]

Reactive policing is known in the field as a mediocre way of handling crime. It does nothing to prevent potential acts of crime and certainly doesn’t build rapport between officers and the people. But reactive policing is exactly what the Tucson Police Department has been reduced to because of officer shortages and budget issues. [read more...]

It’s Labor Day and for police across the state it means heightened DUI efforts. Far from unusual, holiday weekends are a popular time for drinking and driving and for police to get some arrests made. Whether you’re in Tucson or Phoenix, expect both local and state agencies to be out in full force. [read more...]