Sheriff candidates Tyler Kamp and Jerry Sheridan attacked each other’s records and service while discussing policy views Sept. 25 during the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Debate.

Both candidates — Kamp, a Democrat, and Sheridan, a Republican — have extensive law enforcement backgrounds and controversial pasts which quickly became a target for their opponent. The debate was part of a series held by the Clean Elections Commission.

Sheridan was with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for 40 years with 33 years in a leadership position under four sheriffs.

“I watched them very closely and saw what worked and what didn’t work,” he said.

Sheridan was former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s top chief for the last seven years of his career. He defeated Arpaio in the 2020 primary election, but lost to Paul Penzone in the general election.

While Arpaio was sheriff, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office was found guilty in 2013 of racial profiling for targeting Hispanics in traffic stops in the Melendres civil rights case. A federal judge found Sheridan in civil contempt of court and accused him of lying under oath. A litany of findings during the case resulted in court-ordered reforms that have cost the county more than $350 million with the potential for more.

Sheridan said at the time of the Melendres incident, he was chief of custody in charge of jails and was not involved in other actions of the sheriff’s office. Later, when he became chief deputy, he said he was kept away from the case.

However, Sheridan said he would be in a position to guide MCSO through court orders that remain unresolved to this day if elected. He said he believes he will be prepared to address those lingering issues “on day one” because he is familiar and has experience with the case while Kamp would be looking in from outside.

“His experience drove the sheriff’s office into the ground and I don’t think that is the experience we want,” Kamp said.

While Kamp targeted Sheridan’s role in the Melendres case, Sheridan attacked Kamp on allegations of sexual harassment while he was a Phoenix Police Department lieutenant. Kamp switched parties in December to run as a Democrat and defeated Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner, who was appointed after Paul Penzone stepped down, in July’s primary election.

Kamp served more than 20 years in the Phoenix Police Department before retiring in 2021. Last year, a female officer filed a complaint against Kamp, saying he sexually harassed her during his final year on the force. An investigation by the city of Phoenix found Kamp guilty of sending inappropriate text messages while the officer was in training and under his chain of command.

“This was the situation. I did exchange mutual text messages with somebody. Some were not appropriate or disrespectful to my wife, and that’s something we have dealt with years ago,” Kamp said. “It’s also important to note the other person in this investigation didn’t want anything to do with it and did not pursue it and there was never any discipline associated with it.”

The city found the complaint was substantiated, but there were no repercussions because Kamp had left the department.

On Proposition 134, the Secure the Border Act, neither candidate expressed a side.

“I’m not going to play partisan politics,” Kamp said.

He said the sheriff’s job was to enforce state laws, and the border was federally enforced.

“We have to be very careful to stay in our lanes,” he said.
Sheridan said the proposition was not a Maricopa County issue.

“Maricopa County is not a border county,” he said. “This law only effects someone crossing the border, so it has no impact on Maricopa County.”

Later in the debate, Sheridan said immigration does have an impact on the county’s drug trade. He said six people a day die to drug overdose, four from fentanyl, which comes across the southern U.S. border.

The winner will replace Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner, who was appointed after Paul Penzone stepped down.