Voter: Need Voyles to back up Babeu

With Pinal County elections quickly approaching, I wanted to offer my input regarding the race for the office of county attorney.

When I moved to Pinal County five years ago, my family and I were excited about our new home. We loved the idea of living away from the noise and bustle of the city in a place that would offer a quiet and safe place to raise our young family.

Shortly before we moved in, our new home was burglarized and the kitchen appliances were stolen. We figured it was an isolated incident until we learned several of our new neighbors had also been victims of break-ins.

A couple of years ago we were again victimized by a criminal who stole a credit card from inside our home and used it to run up several thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges. We discovered this crime on Christmas Eve, but Sheriff Babeu’s office responded immediately, even on a holiday.

They took a report within hours of our call, they quickly identified the perpetrator and had the person in custody the following afternoon. We were pleased at the response and concern from the sheriff's office, but that soon turned to disappointment when the perpetrator was sentenced to probation with no jail time.

As I discussed my experience with others in my neighborhood and the local community, I realized my experience was not uncommon, even when violent criminal acts were involved. I was shocked to learn that under the current county attorney over 60 percent of violent offenders in Pinal County receive no jail time.