County supervisors are citing cost to end MCSO oversight. Those talking points aren't new

Before quitting, former Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone complained about the expense of a long-running racial profiling lawsuit.

Now a majority of Maricopa County supervisors are using the same gripe to seek an end to oversight.

Penzone’s cost complaint was cited and expanded by Phoenix officials as they lobbied to keep that city's Police Department from going under federal oversight.

Despite blistering findings, the threat disappeared when the Justice Department retreated under the Trump administration.

But the bill for the case that led to monitoring and reforms to the Sheriff’s Office is projected to hit $350 million next year.

Board Chair Thomas Galvin spoke at a widely attended compliance progress meeting on Wednesday night.

“We’re going to come out in force every single time. The madness must end. The taxpayer dollars must be saved,” Galvin said to cheers from the crowd.

Joining Galvin at the meeting were supervisors Debbie Lesko and Kate Brophy McGee.

Maricopa County’s top prosecutor is also on the list of elected officials calling for an end to the monitoring of court-ordered reforms at the sheriff’s office over its price tag.

At a news conference Thursday, Rachel Mitchell dodged a reporter’s question on if the Sheriff’s Office should be held accountable for new infractions.

“This monitor has a financial incentive to continue to find violations and noncompliance. And that needs to be taken into account,” Mitchell said.

The Sheriff’s Office and a research firm it hired found evidence of race bias after analyzing traffic stops made by the agency last year.