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Ariz. sheriff’s volunteer armed group to aid officers on calls

Sheriff Joe Arpaio mobilized a volunteer armed posse to assist deputies on their patrols

By Police1 Staff

MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — Sheriff Joe Arpaio wants to help prevent line of duty deaths by creating an armed posse to assist deputies.

The armed posse will ride with officers as they patrol the community, Your West Valley reported.

“The war on cops must end,” Arpaio said. “It is imperative that the first line of defense in this country against crime — the cop in America — be protected while protecting us.”

Arpaio organized an annual volunteer mall patrol, which is going into its 23rd year. The group was created in 1993, shortly after he became sheriff, after a streak of vehicles were broken into at local malls during the holidays, according to the publication.

Because of the recent violence at malls and the targeting of police officers, like in Dallas and Baton Rouge, “the need for more diligence is imperative,” Arpaio said.

Arpaio raised $250,000 in March for the armed posse through the sale of guns seized in prior investigations, the publication reported. The money was used to purchase radios and body armor for members.

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