Pima County Sheriff hopeful Sandy Rosenthal said he will accept the results of November’s primary against current Sheriff Chris Nanos, but it doesn’t mean he has to like it.
The two sparred Saturday afternoon during a primary debate hosted by the Green Valley Democrats. The two former colleagues spoke to a small auditorium of residents eager to hear what Rosenthal and Nanos have planned to keep Pima County safe.
From questions on border enforcement and staffing concerns, to drug seizure and federal grant spending, the pointed questions allowed for just a brief rundown of each candidate’s expectations for a successful term.
And though the two men agreed on several things, and are of the same party, Rosenthal said he will not be voting for Nanos if he, himself, should lose the primary race.
He said he’s running against Nanos because Nanos is not doing what needs to be done.
“It’s about doing the job right,” Rosenthal said. “You can talk about it, but you have to do the job.”
The two have varying ideas for what they want the jail to look like, and what kind of budget they’ll need to make that happen. With the number of mentally ill and drug-addicted inmates in Pima County, it was important for both candidates that “wrap around” treatment services be provided once people are released from custody.
These outside services, followed up on by the Sheriff’s Department, will hopefully help curb recidivism and provide them with services that are more comprehensive than the PCSD can handle.
“I want to make sure we literally get our hands on people brought to jail on drugs and get them the help they need…The only way to do this is wrap around services. We have to take advantage of this and make it work,” Rosenthal said. “The judge will be the person to give a little push.”
Even more important, Rosenthal said, was making sure inmates remain safe in the jail while awaiting their days in court. He pointed to the number of deaths that have occurred there since Nanos became sheriff. The total was 28, or an average of 7.5 people who die there each year, be it of cancer, COVID-19, suicide or a drug overdose, he said.
There are problems, Rosenthal said, big problems. But, they are problems with solutions that Rosenthal said he’s eager to take head-on.
