May continues an upward trend over the last three months in which sheriff's deputies have made traffic stops in Arizona's most populous county.

According to a news release, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies made 1,922 traffic stops in May, a 70% increase since January 2019, and a 44% increase over the 1,357 stops made in the same month last year.

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At the end of 2018, Sheriff Paul Penzone initiated a review of patrol-related traffic enforcement and performance activity. This resulted in a restructuring of existing staff and resources to provide a dedicated traffic enforcement unit for patrol districts; and implementation of a grant from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for equipment, training, and overtime funding.

“As we work to improve all our services, we are focused on effective traffic enforcement in areas most adversely impacted by aggressive driving,” Mr. Penzone stated. “We will continue our efforts to promote safe driving habits and safe roadways.

There is now at least one dedicated traffic deputy in each of the MCSO's patrol districts. This allows other deputies to continue prioritizing calls for service while providing a consistent road safety presence that can respond to high-crash areas and citizen complaints.

Editor's Note: Information from MCSO.