Police go “live”

If you are driving around this coming week in the daytime and see the Maricopa Police Department in action, it is not a test drill. The force goes “live” next week as it takes over daytime operations from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department.

Sgt. Aki Stant, the department’s recruiting and public information specialist, said residents can expect a greater police presence and a high level of professionalism. “Residents should expect a lot of traffic enforcement and related contacts,” Stant said.

While the department will handle daytime operations, the City’s contract with Pinal County will remain; the sheriff’s office will continue to provide coverage from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m.

According to Stant, the greatest challenge in assembling the force has been managing the unknown quantities involved in bringing on personnel from various jurisdictions. “Each comes with a varied set of skills, knowledge and abilities, and with those come similarly varied personalities,” Stant said. “As with all groups of people brought together under a common vision and set of goals, it is always difficult to figure out how best to utilize personnel to build the best product.”

While assembling the various parts may be challenging, Stant said there is no shortage of morale within the new department.

“There is no secret about the energy and enthusiasm that runs through the halls of the new Maricopa Police Department,” Stant said. “We are excited about the privilege of building law enforcement excellence from the ground up and the rewards that come with creating history.”

Interest in joining the department was pretty high, according to Stant. “Stant noted interest came from California to New York. Stant said the department received more than 500 inquiries and requests for information. The department had nearly 40 applicants show up for their first testing process recently, after less than two months of recruiting efforts.

According to information on the department Web site (www.maricopacops.com), the annual salary range for a police officer will be $41,000 to $61,000. Police officer recruits will earn $41,000 annually, upon appointment. Upon successful completion of the academy, the salary for a police officer recruit will grow to $48,000 annually. The annual salary range for lateral transfer police officers ranges from $48,000 to $61,000.

The new Maricopa Police Department is located at 45147 W. Madison Ave.

Photo by Aaron Thacker