Both Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and his political challenger Heather Lappin, who works under Nanos as a lieutenant at the jail, acknowledge they are imperfect people.
But both say they are the perfect person for the role of the countyâs top cop.
âEvery day we make decisions in here, and weâre never going to get it all right,â Nanos said. âMaybe we could have done this or that differently. Maybe it was how we handled a personnel manner or a citizen complaint. They may be benign, but they are still mistakes. What we will never do is make a mistake being vindictive. Thatâs petty stuff and this is an important job. Weâre all grown up. Weâre all adults.â
Nanos comments come just days away from the Nov. 5 general election in a race that has been filled with personal attacks and Nanosâ recent suspension of Lappin and a sergeant who heads a union in the department.
Lappin, the Republican candidate for sheriff, as well as Sgt. Aaron Cross were suspended last week. Lappin on accusations of colluding with a reporter for stories critical of the jail and Cross for campaigning for Lappin while dressed in a way that he looked like he was on duty, the department has said.
Cross, leader of Pima County Deputies Organization, filed a federal lawsuit saying the suspension violated his free speech.
Nanos said the timing of the suspensions has nothing to do with politics.
âWas it the ideal time for her to do what she did? I canât sit back and make decisions on what they will look like politically? How will that work? We followed best practices, policy and procedures.â
Still, Lappin says it is hard not to be suspicious of the timing for the discipline.
Lappin said sheâs focused on pushing forward with her campaign in the final stretch to Election Day.
âIâm all about a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset,â Lappin said. âLook at me on paper. I shouldnât be where I am today. I donât come from a great background . . . but you have to believe you can learn and be humble.â
Being open-minded and humble are important leadership traits, Lappin says.
âYou donât have to be the smartest and the best, but you must be willing to learn from other people . . . currently we have a group of people (in office) that think they know everything,â Lappin said.
Taking the politics out of policy, Nanos said the high rate of crashes and traffic enforcement are hot topics with the public and a priority for enforcement in the sheriffâs department. He noted street racing, red light violations, distracted driving and speeding as areas of focus.
âMost accidents are preventable,â Nanos said. âThey really are.â
He noted that additional education and patrol units could lessen this seemingly endless string of often fatal wrecks here.
Lappin says her focus would not fully focus on street crime but on issues affecting the jail as well.
Having spent years working inside the jail, Lappin said sheâs been made aware of issues sheâs hoping to fix.
âPima County residents want to feel safe, and public safety is our number one mission,â Lappin said. âWe need to have a safe jail. If your loved ones come in, we owe them a safe and secure facility.â
The department has been criticized for years about the high number of deaths at the jail. Nanos, however, said that more than a year has passed without an in-custody death.
This was the first time ever that the jail has gone a year without losing an inmate, he said.
On October 2, however, an inmate who had been in custody since June was taken to St. Maryâs Hospital for a scheduled heart/lung surgery, Nanos said. He passed away during the procedure.
The physical condition of the jail also has been a big topic for the department. An effort to seek taxpayer money to make major renovations or build a new facility stalled in March of this year.
But above all, Lappin said itâs in invaluable to let and encourage community members to have a voice.
âWe need to listen to what people want,â she said. âThe legitimacy of law enforcement comes from the people.â
