Sheriff Paul Penzone has a combined 30 years of law enforcement and public safety experience. His resume includes a distinguished 21-year career with the Phoenix Police Department, with seven years dedicated to the department’s nationally-recognized Silent Witness program, which focuses on solving cold cases and apprehending dangerous fugitives.
After retiring from Phoenix PD, Sheriff Penzone spent time as Vice President with Childhelp, a 60-year-old nonprofit dedicated to the treatment and prevention of child abuse. He also owned and operated a successful private security firm that focused on issues such as school and workplace safety, threat mitigation, internal investigations and comprehensive security.
Under Sheriff Penzone’s leadership, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is committed to a mission of ethical, effective, and impactful law enforcement and public safety. The Sheriff and his staff are also focused on programs and initiatives to help promote partnerships and trust between our Office and our communities.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office operates in an area nearly the size of Vermont and is the primary or supporting law enforcement agency for a population of more than four million residents. MCSO’s jails process and house all felony and most misdemeanor inmates for the County, in excess of 100,000 intakes annually.
The Sheriff is a member of the Arizona Sheriff’s Association, the Major Counties Sheriff’s Association, IACP, and the Department of Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council. He also serves on the board of the New Life Domestic Violence Center, Childhelp, and Phoenix Symphony.
Sheriff Penzone attended Cortez High School in Phoenix, where his interest in the law began while serving as a volunteer bailiff with a county Justice Court. He went on to study criminal justice at Glendale Community College and Northern Arizona University.
