The Sheriff's Posse
One of the most visible parts of the Sheriff's Office, the Posse volunteers bring their own personal talents to the service of all of us here in Maricopa County. They provide valuable support to the various divisions of the Office and have become an integral part of the day-to-day operations of the Sheriff's Office.

Citizens who choose to become volunteer posse members come from all walks of life. All posse applicants undergo a background check and a drug test. Applicants then receive training such as law and legal and first aid. Posse members may also take additional optional training for specialized assignments if they choose.

The Posse Administration Section is responsible for the administrative management of the posses. For further information on how to join the Sheriff's team, please attend our monthly posse orientation located at our Sheriff's Training Division, 2627 S. 35th Ave. in Phoenix. The monthly orientation is held on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. For further information, please contact the Office of Administration at (602) 876-1210.

Posse members who wish to carry a firearm must undergo seventy-three (73) hours of firearms training, undergo psychological testing and consent to a urinalysis in order to qualify to be a Qualified Armed Posseman (QAP).

Posse members provide valuable assistance to virtually every division within the Sheriff's Office. Posse members assist the patrol deputies by providing back-up on dangerous calls, transport prisoners to jail, and provide traffic control at accident scenes. Posse members are also used to process paperwork for the Civil/Criminal Process Sections, Records and Identification Section, Enforcement Support Division, and the Special Investigations Division.

Persons interested in joining the Sheriff's Posse must be at least eighteen (1 years old, a United States Citizen, possess a valid Arizona drivers license, be a resident of Maricopa County, and pass a background investigation and drug test. We hold an orientation every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Training & Development building at 2627 S. 35th Ave. Phoenix, AZ, except for the month of December, with an oral background interview the following Saturday.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio has developed several innovative crime suppression operations using posse and reserve volunteers that combat a variety of problems in the community. Due to lack of personnel and budget, programs such as these would not be possible if it weren't for the use of volunteers saving many thousands of tax dollar each year.

One such successful program is the Holiday Mall Operation. Each year, hundreds of posse and reserve deputy volunteers patrol major shopping malls county wide. The presence of uniformed members of the Sheriff's Office not only deter crime, such as thefts and car jacking, but also result in a sense of security for shoppers day and night. These volunteers also provide motorist assists and help look for lost children at the malls.

The Sheriff's Van Buren Anti-Prostitution Detail has been used many times to eradicate prostitution in areas of Phoenix that prostitutes typically frequent. This program was successful by not only reducing the number of prostitutes working the Van Buren area, but overall calls for service to the Phoenix Police Department also dropped dramatically. This enabled police to provide quicker response time to citizens' calls for service, thereby enhancing police services to the citizens of Maricopa County. The types of calls for service that were significantly reduced were assaults, thefts, robberies, and prostitution.

Operation TAG (Take Away Graffiti) utilized posse volunteers and reserve deputies to conduct surveillance of high graffiti areas within Maricopa County. Suspects caught in the act of painting walls and buildings were then arrested and charged with criminal damage. As a result of the TAG program, next-day calls for re-painting to valley agencies significantly dropped.

The Deadbeat Parent program used reserve deputies and posse members to locate and arrest men and women with outstanding warrants for failing to pay child support. This operation has been conducted several times and has been very popular with the public concerned with the welfare of valley children.


Posse Numbers are ordered by the Posse Name
Name of Posse Phone Number

Air Posse
Anthem
Cold Case
Communications Posse
Community Services Posse 602-469-1996
Crime Prevention
Cyber Posse
Dares Posse
Desert Foothills Posse
Desert Search Posse
Divers Posse
Dreamland Villa Posse
Enforcement Support Posse
Executive Posse
Fountain Hills Mounted Posse
Fountain Hills Posse
Gilbert Posse
Helicopter Posse
Instructor Posse
Jeep Posse
Litchfield Park Posse
Maricopa K-9 Posse
Maricopa Mounted Posse
Medical Rescue Posse
Mesa Mounted Posse
Mesa Southside Posse
Metro Assistance Posse
Motors Posse
Mountain Rescue Posse
MPCA Posse
New River Search and Rescue Posse
Operations Posse
Pioneer Search and Rescue Posse
Queen Creek Crime Prevention Posse
Queen Creek Mounted Posse
Ranger Posse
Rio Salado Mounted Posse
Scottsdale Mounted Posse
Scottsdale Search and Rescue Posse
Search and Rescue KHOR Posse
Special Assignment Unit Posse
Special Forces Posse
Special Operations Air Posse
Special Projects Posse
Street Crime Intervention Posse
Sun City Posse 623-972-2555
Sun City West Posse 623-584-5808
Sun Lakes Posse 480-895-8751
Surprise Posse
Tactical Support Posse
Tactical Vehicle Posse
West Valley Posse
Westbrook Village Posse
Westside Mounted Posse 623-566-3133
White Tank Mounted Posse
Wickenburg Search and Rescue Posse
Youth Education Posse

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