Maricopa County Sheriff candidates Kamp, Sheridan debate for second time

PHOENIX — Maricopa County sheriff candidates Tyler Kamp and Jerry Sheridan debated on Wednesday night, focusing on the county’s jails and each other’s pasts.

Early in the debate, the candidates responded to an Arizona Republic investigation that found the Maricopa County jails had one of the highest death rates in the country. Drug overdoses, drug withdrawals and suicides were the leading factors that caused inmate deaths.

Kamp, who served 20 years with the Phoenix Police Department, said the death rates are unacceptable. The Democratic candidate promised to create a task force of medical professionals, drug detection experts and community members.

“Some of the things that I would institute immediately are expanding the body scanners in the jails. This will detect drugs from entering the jail. Also expanding the drug K-9 unit that patrols the jail properties to detect drugs,” Kamp said.

An additional solution Kamp offered was putting medical bracelets that track vitals on high-risk inmates in order for responders to provide medical help promptly.

For 12 years Sheridan managed the county’s jail system before becoming former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s chief deputy in 2010. To address the problem he pointed to the tactics he used while running the jails.

“I had a jail intelligence team I instigated that had officers going into jails, talking to people and finding the drugs before they actually got in the jail,” Sheridan said. “I implemented a SRT, it was basically the jail SWAT team that would come in and do shakedowns every day in different housings to get the drugs, the contraband and all the things the inmates aren’t supposed to have out of their place.”

Sheridan added that he would want to bring back a type of inmate housing similar to Tent City because it could keep the drugs out of the jail due to inmates being mixed in one area.

Both agreed that low staffing in the jails played a major part in the problem. Kamp voiced that his solutions would be to address recruiting and retention by offering competitive salaries and creating better benefits such as a walk-in wellness clinic that would treat the jail staff’s physical and mental needs.

During the debate, both candidates spotlighted the other’s checkered pasts. Sheridan highlighted a Phoenix police internal investigation that found Kamp had sexually harassed a female officer in his final year with the department. Kamp was found to have texted the other officer about sex and commented on her body, according to a report from ABC15.

Kamp retired before the investigation and was never disciplined.

In the debate he denied harassing anyone but called the text messages inappropriate.

“I did exchange mutual text messages with somebody that some were not appropriate, were disrespectful to my wife and that’s something we have dealt with years ago,” Kamp said.

Sheridan was targeted by Kamp for being on the Arizona Brady List, which tracks known issues of police misconduct. Sheridan was placed on the list after a federal judge found him in contempt of court and lying under oath, according to 12News.

“I am on the Brady List, I don’t deny that but I shouldn’t be on the Brady List, Tyler should be on the Brady List,” Sheridan said.

Sheridan also focused on his experience in the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office compared to Kamp.

“The voters do have a clear choice. They can elect someone like me who can take over from the second I get there or they can elect someone with no sheriff of experience and he is a documented sexual harasser,” Sheridan said.

Along with denying the harassment, Kamp said he would surround himself with people with qualified employees with diverse backgrounds and skill sets to take charge of specific parts of office. He said he viewed the sheriff like being a CEO and creating a vison and policy.

Voters will get to choose for the next sheriff on Nov. 5. The winner will replace Paul Penzone, who stepped down in January.