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“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke, 1795
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Welcome to the Internet home of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Enforcement Support Posse. We appreciate the opportunity to tell you a little about our organization, what we do and how you can become a member or supporter.
But first things first...
What is the Posse? - A Brief History
The modern day Sheriff’s Posse has its roots in Saxon England over 11 centuries ago. In those days, the Reeve was the king’s officer and representative in each shire or county. The Shire Reeve, from which the word Sheriff has evolved, had the authority to enlist the assistance of males of the county, above the age of fifteen, to assist him in keeping the peace or in the apprehension of criminals. To do this, he would raise a “hue and cry” to summon residents, who were obligated to respond to the Sheriff’s call. This group was know as the Posse Comitatus, which is Latin for “power or force of the county”. This system was brought to the new world with the colonists who elected sheriffs as the first law enforcement officials in their new land, over 100 years before the start of the Revolutionary War. To this day, Sheriffs, who are the chief law enforcement officials for most counties, have the authority to raise a posse.
About Us
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Enforcement Support Posse (MCSO/ESP) is an all volunteer organization of specially trained men and women who serve the residents of Maricopa County by providing law enforcement support services to the Sheriff.
The Posse’s primary law enforcement support activities are PATROL ASSISTANCE and SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENTS:
PATROL ASSISTANCE - Helping to Keep Deputies on the Beat
Encompassing over 9,200 square miles, Maricopa County is larger than seven states and the District of Columbia. With a population of over 3.2 million, it is the 4th most populous county in the country. Residents of the over 7,700 square miles (84.4%) of Maricopa County which is unincorporated, along with those in contract cities rely on MCSO for law enforcement services.
That’s a lot of ground for deputies to cover, especially in the rural and outlying areas. Just the process of transporting one arrestee and booking him/her into jail can take a deputy out or his or her beat for hours. Securing a crime scene or providing traffic control at an accident scene can keep a deputy out of service for even longer. Posse members routinely perform these duties allowing deputies to stay in their beats, thus reducing the response time when a resident of Maricopa County calls for help.
In addition, most deputies patrol their beats in solo cars. Help is often many miles away, forcing deputies to sometimes face dangerous situations alone and without backup. Specially trained Qualified Armed Possemen (QAP) also serve as partners for deputies and while on patrol in “King Cars” (prisoner transport cars) can provide backup, helping to improve officer safety.
SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENTS
Posse member may also be assigned to special details which may be planned and/or recurring community events or which may be required as a response to unanticipated emergencies. A few examples of Special Duty Assignments are:
- Crowd/Traffic control and security for planned community events such as parades, fairs or sporting events.
- Assisting in law enforcement operations required in the event of natural disasters.
- Assisting in searches for lost persons.
- Working at child fingerprinting/identification events requested by schools or other community service organizations.
- Assisting deputies in serving warrants and/or making arrests.
- Assisting detention officers in searches for contraband at detention facilities.
- Assisting in law enforcement operations required for events related to Homeland Security at the community level.
In 2003, posse members provided over 20,000 hours of vital support services to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, including assisting in crime suppression operations which would not otherwise be possible due to tight county budgets.
The Enforcement Support Posse is a registered 501(c)(3) non profit organization. We have no paid staff or directors and receive no tax dollars. Our efforts are supported by member dues and donations from corporations and individuals in the communities we serve.
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