Pinal County lawman named ‘Sheriff of the Year’

The National Sheriffs’ Association has selected Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu as the 2011 Ferris E. Lucas Sheriff of the Year.

“I’m very humbled by this recognition for the exemplary work of our staff, volunteers and the strong community support by the public. We will not let up, but strive for further agency improvements in an effort to best protect our families,” Babeu said.

NSA is a professional organization representing more than 3,000 elected sheriffs across the U.S. The group established the Ferris E. Lucas award in 1995 to recognize an outstanding sheriff for contributions made to improve the office of sheriff on the local, state and national levels, and for involvement in the community above and beyond the responsibilities required.

The award is given in memory of Ferris E. Lucas, NSA Past President (1944-46) and executive director (1964-82), who completed 50 years of distinguished service and leadership in law enforcement.

The organization described Babeu one of the most progressive sheriffs in the country and praised his strong stance against illegal immigration.

In addition to his policies on immigration, the group stated under Babeu’s leadership the department has cut response times in half and upgraded equipment and technology through $7 million in grant funding.

The organization will present Babeu with his award on Sunday, June 19 at NSA’s annual conference in St. Louis, Missouri.