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Possible law-enforcement changes afoot in Queen Creek

Posted 1/27/20

If Queen Creek Town Council decides to change from using the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to contracting with another law enforcement entity or starting a municipal police force, other …

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Possible law-enforcement changes afoot in Queen Creek

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If Queen Creek Town Council decides to change from using the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to contracting with another law enforcement entity or starting a municipal police force, other intergovernmental agreements could be impacted including what courts handle violations.

The town has contracted with MCSO for law enforcement services since 1990, growing from a quarter of one patrol beat to six beats. From the start of the contract, the town has grown from just a few thousand residents to more than 52,000, according to a study presented to the council in December, with no decisions made.

The town has begun a two-month period to solicit comments from Queen Creek residents on its law-enforcement options. Links to the study and a feedback survey are at queencreek.org/LawEnforcementStudy.

Information about the study and the request for feedback will be presented at board, commission and chamber meetings; focus groups; and at a community meeting, Constance Halonen-Wilson, the town’s public information officer, said.

The community meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center, 22149 E. Ocotillo Road, is to provide an overview of the study and gather feedback.

“Input will be gathered for approximately 60 days and compiled for Town Council to consider during their Strategic Planning Session at the end of February,” Ms Halonen-Wilson said.

The Strategic Planning Session is to be held Feb. 28-29 in the Community Chambers, 20727 E. Civic Parkway in Queen Creek, according to queencreek.org/what-s-new/calendar.

Queen Creek resident Dana Haws prefers that MCSO remain as the contracted law-enforcement provider.

“Keep it the way it is,” she said.

“I am concerned that with a municipal police force we will be stuck with paying out pensions forever. Pension obligations just keep growing and growing. Businesses have largely done away with pensions for this reason. However, because of the police union, you would likely never be able to institute a police force without pensions,” Ms. Haws said.

“Yes, I understand that the MCSO most likely has pensions for their officers, but that is not Queen Creek‘s obligation. Queen Creek is contracted with MCSO and can go to a lower bid or if they chose later.”

Court services

Court services for Town Code violations are handled by a contract with the Town of Gilbert. MCSO sends other violations to the San Tan Justice Court under Maricopa County, with violations in Pinal County handled by the Pinal County Court, according to the police services study presented to the council in December.

Gilbert provides prosecutor and public defender services and keeps all fines collected as payment for services provided to the town, according to the study.

If the Town of Queen Creek starts a municipal police department, the town may choose to renegotiate the court services agreement with Gilbert or explore one with Maricopa County for the same services, the study states.

Ms. Haws prefers that the town stay with Gilbert providing court services because of pension concerns.

“My feeling concerning the court system is continue to contract with Gilbert and other entities as it’s currently done,” she said,

Violations at the courts

Justice of the Peace Courts hear all types of criminal traffic and civil traffic cases; certain misdemeanor cases and some courts conduct preliminary hearings for felony cases, according to the 2018 annual Court Services Division data report, the latest available.

Civil jurisdiction is limited to cases involving claims less than $10,000 and small claims cases. Justice courts issue orders of protection and injunctions prohibiting harassment as well as search warrants, the report states.

The San Tan Justice Court, 201 E. Chicago St. No. 102 in Chandler, which includes MCSO cases from Queen Creek as well as Chandler, Gilbert and southeast Mesa, had 13,736 filings in 2018, according to the data report.

Cases included 1,357 forcible detainer or eviction action, 45 injunctions against harassment, 326 criminal failure to appear, 281 DUIs and 6,364 civil traffic filings.

Data for Pioneer Justice Court Precinct No. 1, 3675 E. Hunt Highway in San Tan Valley, which includes cases from Queen Creek in Pinal County, is not broken out in the report. In 2018 the Pinal County Board of Supervisors redistricted eight justice courts and split the Apache Junction court into two jurisdictions.

Municipal courts have criminal jurisdiction over misdemeanor crimes and petty offenses committed in their city or municipality. They share jurisdiction with justice courts over violations of state law committed within their city or municipality limits, according to a separate 2018 annual Court Services Division data report.

For the Gilbert Municipal Court, in 2018 there were filings that included 217 injunctions against harassment, none for criminal failure to appear, 2,563 DUIs and 18,503 civil traffic violations, the report states.