Sheriffs Visit the State Legislature

On April 25, 2017, the Arizona Sheriffs Association (ASA), representing 12 of Arizona’s counties, converged on the Arizona Capitol with a common goal: to share the budget constraints in which counties find themselves and the damage years of systemic targeted cuts to counties have had on public safety and law enforcement. County sheriffs attended floor sessions of both the Arizona House and the Arizona Senate to send a clear, strong message to the Arizona Legislature. The ASA shared with legislators that they are extremely concerned about the trend of exorbitant spending on state programs while ignoring the ways in which Arizona’s state budget fiscally punishes counties. Arizona’s sheriffs have noticed a concerning trend of arbitrarily shifting state costs onto counties and at the same time reducing county revenue to support growing state programs at the expense of the needs of everyday Arizonans in their communities. Counties are left with growing responsibilities and few resources to meet their budgetary obligations and efficiently provide basic services to county residents including public safety and law enforcement. The Arizona Sheriffs Association stands ready to work with the Legislature to come up with common sense solutions to Arizona’s public policy challenges and work together to provide public safety in our communities. Arizona’s sheriffs will return to their communities, urging their constituents to speak out and contact their state representatives and senators to demand that the State of Arizona and its counties work cohesively and proactively to achieve solutions that work for all levels of government without sacrificing public safety.

Download the press release (PDF)