The three Republican candidates vying to be Pima County’s next sheriff all seem to agree on one thing: Democratic Sheriff Chris Nanos’ leadership has led to negative scrutiny on justice in law enforcement and created a toxic work culture in the department.
Republican candidates Heather Lappin, Bill Phillips and Terry Frederick all say the department needs major changes to restore its public reputation and raise the quality of its leadership.
“The last three plus years have been atrocious,” said Lappin, a commander at the jail. “They’ve eliminated any sense of internal procedural justice in our department. Five-to-15-year veterans that have the institutional knowledge, trainings and certifications are leaving because the culture is very toxic.”
Lappin, who has worked with the sheriff’s department for the last 19 years in several different positions, said that while she wasn’t treated badly for all those years, she has recently had to watch some of the most intelligent people be treated with a bias.
“When we lose our humility (and) are entitled, when we think we don’t have to answer to people, that’s where we get ourselves in trouble. And that’s what’s happening,” said Lappin about the current state of the department, which led her to a priority of “restoring integrity to the sheriff’s office.”
“They make decisions based on ego, power, self-promotion. It’s not about the people.”
Lappin started her career in October 2004 when she got hired as a deputy sheriff after working in the jail’s records section. She became a sergeant in April 2015 and a lieutenant in May 2019.
Lappin has held numerous positions in leadership throughout her career, including overseeing training programs and serving as commander of the south and southwest sides as well as Green Valley.
In the campaign, among the criticism launched at Lappin is her handling of finances. She filed for bankruptcy in 2011 after her husband’s unemployment. Lappin said the criticism is coming in from both Democrats and Republicans, which she said she’s been told to take pride in.
Phillips served with the sheriff’s department for 31 years until his retirement in 2022. He said the negativity in the department, as well as the decline in public support towards law enforcement, is what inspired him to run for sheriff.
“There’s a black cloud over the department,” Phillips said. “We need to get the respect back for the deputies. Everybody focuses on the negativity, so what happens is no one pays attention to the positive things going on.”
With prior experience in the Marines and IBM, Phillips was hired to work for the jail in 1990. He became a deputy in 1992. Within his first year, he was on the S.W.A.T. team.
“The sheriff’s department took a lead role in Southern Arizona,” said Phillips. “We run the regional S.W.A.T. team, negotiations team, bombs. So, we’ve always taken a strong lead in Pima County. It was a great experience (and) a great department.”
Phillips, a Tucson native, had a father who was a retired Marine and Air Force veteran while his mother was an elementary school teacher.
“We need to get back to supporting our law enforcement folks so they can go out and proactively do the job. That’s what I want to be able to do,” said Phillips. “Instead of just responding after something has occurred, we need to get out there and look for crime.”
Frederick, a former deputy in the department, often speaks about “five major incidents and counting” during Nanos’ leadership.
“I’ve seen the department deteriorate, and I had several deputies — former, retired and current — contact me and ask me to run,” said Frederick. “I decided to take that step because of the issues that were going on.”
Among the issues he cites: Nanos appointing a deputy chief who isn’t a commissioned officer and was involved in a controversy of impersonating an officer when he pulled over an individual for reckless driving in 2022.
Also, the termination of correction officers for not being vaccinated, which Frederick said happened at a time when “the vaccine was not mandated.” He also cites the controversies of an alleged sexual assault of a deputy by her supervisor and that of a corrections officer charged with shoplifting.
“I plan on holding all the commanders accountable,” said Frederick. “To me, taking that oath means you hold everybody accountable equally. I believe that the law, when implemented, is equal across the board.”
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Frederick, who ran for sheriff and lost in 2012, has had over 35 years of experience in law enforcement. In addition to being the former deputy, he operated a private investigation agency.
Candidate priorities
For Lappin, a top priority is making improvements at the jail.
Addressing substance abuse and mental health among the jail population is critical, said Lappin, saying that two-thirds of the inmates are on psychotropic meds. She also talks about funding at the jail, touching the issue of medical rejections and the need for better health-care resources.
Lappin also talks about her son’s struggles with addiction.
“My son’s addiction literally almost killed me. It was probably the worst thing that ever happened in my life,” said Lappin, tearing up on her son’s five-year struggle with substance abuse. “Drug addiction affects so many people and when we share a vulnerability, it helps people open up and heal themselves.”
Keeping families safe, budget transparency and protecting taxpayers, and improved deputy training and retention are also among Lappin’s priorities.
Among issues that are a priority for Phillips is “common sense immigration enforcement,” as he says Nanos and the sheriff in Santa Cruz County are “hands off” when it comes to border-related issues.
Phillips says cartel-related crime at the border and human trafficking impact Pima County.
“If you’re transporting a young girl for prostitution or work, then we’re gonna arrest you (and) charge you with state crimes, serious crimes against children, and put you in prison,” said Phillips. “We’re not gonna hand you back to Border Patrol, where you get your hands slapped and sit back across so you can come back again.”
Phillips also said he would focus on animal cruelty, revitalizing a task force dedicated to the issue. Having been involved with a strong animal cruelty task force as a deputy and a sergeant, Phillips said he is passionate about taking care of animals.
Phillips also said he intends to focus on the more rural areas of the county to give more attention to crimes like drug smuggling, human trafficking and animal fighting. Additionally, he wants to focus on fraud targeting seniors, developing a strong reserve deputy program and operating in a more transparent way.
“It is my duty to open up the agency and let taxpayers know how the department was spending their money,” he said.
Candidates discuss leadership qualities
When it comes to leadership, Lappin said she believes it’s important to create a work environment and culture where people aren’t afraid to make mistakes. The point is to acknowledge them, learn from them and better yourself, she said.
In order to have the most constructive working and learning environment, Lappin said she’s also really good at placing people around her who disagree with her and will provide her with some equally necessary push-back.
“My talent in leadership is people. I can rally people, I’m very good at making people wanna be better,” said Lappin, who could be the first female sheriff not just in Pima County but overall in Arizona if she wins.
Similarly, Phillips said it is important to support deputies. In the event of his officers making mistakes, Phillips said he believes in standing with them, being transparent with the public and owning up to their shortcomings.
“As far as leadership goes, I think the most important thing is to support your people, have their backs and expect professional conduct from them,” said Phillips. “With people, you have to understand what their strengths are and place them in positions so they can utilize those strengths.”
For Frederick, integrity and respect are crucial to being a good leader. He said having the knowledge of the law and how to implement it, listening to and absorbing information as well as community engagement are key characteristics to being a good leader.
He said people in positions of power, including the highest elected official, are responsible for establishing the culture in the department.
“I don’t dismiss anything, I’m very approachable and I’m not judgmental,” said Frederick on his own strengths as a leader. “If there’s an issue, let’s come up with a solution to resolve it.”
