Former Phoenix police officer Paul Penzone is running for sheriff of Maricopa County because he takes pride in policing, he said.
Penzone made an appearance at the monthly Democrats and Doughnuts meeting at Biscuits on Wednesday. There he explained his background to the group and talked about why he’s running for office.
Penzone worked for the Phoenix Police Department for more than 20 years doing mostly undercover work, like tracking drug traffickers and then he was assigned to a task force in the Drug Enforcement Administration. Next, Penzone spent seven years managing Silent Witness. He retired from law enforcement and went to work for Childhelp, a national nonprofit that helps abused and neglected children.
“I didn’t aspire to be a sheriff,” Penzone said. “When I left law enforcement I left content. I wanted to go work in an industry where I was giving back. I was fortunate to do that. I was giving back on a serious problem and working with a lot of good people, but I complained for a long time about our sheriff. For me, I take pride in law enforcement and what he has done is he has disrespected what the badge stands for, he has misrepresented what this community stands for and he has taken upon himself to project an image of Arizona that is unfair. We can’t stand for it anymore. When I told my wife, she said stop complaining and do something about it.”
Penzone said a sheriff is supposed to run detention centers, patrol unincorporated areas, and facilitate success for other agencies. He’s in favor of getting rid of tent city as soon as there is money to build a permanent facility, but in the meantime he said it needs to be changed.
“Not everyone in jail has been convicted, and even if they have it doesn’t mean we should treat them poorly,” Penzone said. “If it were up to me I’d rather have a permanent structure that’s safe for the inmates, the deputies, and the detention officers. Right now, I don’t know if we can fund that so we’ve got to clean it up and change the culture.”
Penzone said he believes his competitor, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, does not have more support but that his supporters are passionate about voting.
“If you polled every person that could vote I guarantee it would be 65-35 or 70-30, because people have seen enough and have had enough,” he said. “We have to recognize that he can be beaten. You just have to inspire your friends to get out and vote, and then we have to educate.”
For more information on Penzone, visit www.penzone2012.com. Penzone is running against incumbent Joe Arpaio. More information on Arpaio’s campaign can be found at www.sheriffjoe.org.
Contact writer: (480) 898-7914 or ahurtado@ahwatukee.com
fae4now posted at 9:38 am on Sat, May 19, 2012.
Sign me up! Can anyone tell me where I can get a PENZONE 2012 bumper sticker and matching T shirt combo? Better make that a gross of them. All my friends and family will want them too.
spyderdog posted at 6:10 am on Fri, May 18, 2012.
hopefully hell have a cell mate that beats him pretty soon
Biffo posted at 1:10 am on Fri, May 18, 2012.
Nobody is going to beat Joe. He has rural and the retirement communities in loopsided numbers backing him and they vote.
spyderdog posted at 12:32 am on Fri, May 18, 2012.
since when are you people silent about anything?? hahahahaha!!!!
agill posted at 10:31 pm on Thu, May 17, 2012.
Funny thing about this. We Arpaio fans are a silent lot and only speak when we vote. This will be an easy victory for Joe as we have the numbers of true American citizens that vote and we will not support anyone that is for criminals like illegals. Illegals are criminals and therefore are breaking the law and therefore will be punished. We know Joe and we love him. We can't wait until we prove it this November!
lkn posted at 8:03 pm on Thu, May 17, 2012.
Well it's simple. My vote is for ANYBODY other than Arpaio. Period. [wink]