Megan Cassidy

The Republic | azcentral.com

It was just after 9 p.m. Tuesday, hours before Donald J. Trump would lay claim to the U.S. presidency.

But to many subordinates of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the most vital race of the season had been called.

Arpaio had lost.

His second-time Democratic challenger Paul Penzone would be the new sheriff, ending a quarter-century legacy for the 84-year-old incumbent, a Trump surrogate whose anti-immigration policies catapulted him to national fame.

“I’m blowing up right now,” detention officer Amir Ashrafzadeh said of the eruption on his phone shortly after the upset. “Everybody’s congratulating me, as though it was a big thing for me, too.”

For Ashrafzadeh and many Sheriff’s Office employees, Penzone’s victory felt like their own.

READ MORE: Joe Arpaio no longer 'America's Toughest Sheriff'

In Tuesday-night interviews with TheArizona Republic, several sworn and civilian staff members of various ranks described a surreal, joyous moment after the defeat of the six-term sheriff.

Many of those who have supported the sheriff in the past declined to be interviewed or did not return calls for comment.

The Republic spoke to employees in the hours before and after the election. Although some feared retribution even after the results were announced, others aired personal feelings about their employer for the first time on the record.

Many criticized the understaffed jails, saying they believed that the sheriff prioritized his political career over the well-being of this employees. Some cited the surging legal bills of a racial-profiling suit and their toll on the department's funding. Others described a feeling of shame within community amid the various controversies.

“I want MCSO employees to be proud of this agency again,” said Amy Rex, a commander in the custody support division. “I want to see morale improve and have them hold their heads up high. I want to be able to tell people where I work, instead of apologizing and asking others to please not judge me.”

Penzone, who will take office in January, is a former Phoenix police sergeant who narrowly lost to Arpaio in 2012. Penzone ran on a promise to renew the agency's commitment to law enforcement, hoping to draw a contrast with his more politically minded opponent.

Penzone issued a brief statement Tuesday night.

“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the men and women at MCSO, in partnership with our community, to restore trust, confidence and transparency to the Sheriff’s Office,” he said.

It’s unclear how much the new sheriff will shake up the office's management structure or operations.

Penzone will have some freedom to select his aides. While the majority of the sheriff's office’s jobs are merit-protected, 17 positions, including that of chief deputy, serve at the sheriff’s pleasure, according to a county spokesman.

In an interview Wednesday, Penzone said he hadn't ruled out the possibility of bringing in his own hires.

"This is where I’ve worked, and a lot of the professionals in law enforcement throughout the Valley are invested in this change and are willing to help if needed," he said. "So hopefully internally ... all the tools are there that we need. If not, then I’ll bring some folks in that I think are going to be the best fit to mesh with."

Sheriff's employees interviewed by The Republic said some of Arpaio’s confidants already were eyeing retirement before the election. Another 10 deputy chiefs or higher could return to the merit-protected rank of captain if they were reassigned from the command staff.

Cascading legal battles tied to racial profiling

The sheriff's office's controversies have been well documented. And for much of the past decade, Arpaio has seemed to revel in them.

In his early years in office, his law-and-order approach, easy nature and camera-friendly gimmicks struck a chord with voters. The Sheriff’s Office became synonymous with pink underwear for jail inmates, chain gangs, and Tent City, an outdoor jail facility famed for roasting inmates in Phoenix’s triple-digit temperatures.

Arpaio became a Republican darling during the mid-2000s, his trademark immigration operations granting him a political platform rarely seen in law enforcement.

The policies also made him a target of civil-rights groups and lawsuits. In recent years, the sheriff’s costly legal battles became as sprawling as the operations that spawned them. By mid-2017, the county is expected have paid out more than $72 million as a result of a federal lawsuit in which sheriff’s deputies were found to have targeted Latinos during patrol operations.

Last month, the federal government charged Arpaio with criminal contempt for defying a court’s order that barred deputies from detaining individuals solely on the suspicion that they may be in the country illegally. Arpaio's trial is currently set for December.

Despite all of his clashes, in past elections Arpaio at times seemed unbeatable. Campaign funds poured in from local and out-of-state donors who applauded his stance on immigration.

'I want the county to look at us respectfully'

Interviews with several sheriff's employees painted a picture of an office divided prior to the election.

The pro-Arpaio camp was split. While some still supported the sheriff, others who backed him simply feared the “devil” unknown, one employee said.

Some Arpaio opponents were warned that the sheriff would retaliate against those who donated to Penzone’s campaign.

In the weeks leading up to the November election, some of those in the anti-Arpaio camp at the office mapped out exit strategies.

“Tonight (Tuesday) was going to be a tipping point for me,” Rex said. “I no longer believed we were moving forward.”

Rex had a complex relationship with the office from the start. She had previously worked for the county and said she was a soft target for the Sheriff’s Office when Arpaio subordinates began investigating the sheriff’s political enemies.

“I had my records requested, detectives knocking on my door,” she said. “It really put a fear of law enforcement in me.”

Rex said she accepted her current position in the sheriff's office in an effort to put the past behind her. She said she saw “incredible people” within the office and wanted to be a part of the positive change.

“But I was very dismayed by what I had seen in the last couple of years, by what I saw as continued misguided decisions and ignorance of laws that we were expected to hold others to,” she said.

Ashrafzadeh echoed Rex's comments about restoring pride in the sheriff's office.

“If you were in uniform and you walked into a restaurant, you would just get looked upon like ‘Ugh, they’re here,’” he said. “I just want something better. I want the county to look at us respectfully.”

A new sense of optimism

Those interviewed said they have high hopes for the office under the new administration.

“I truly think this can be the best sheriff’s office in the nation with the right leadership,” said Lee Ann Bohn, the agency’s chief of administration. “I look forward to working with Mr. Penzone.”

Bohn said she hopes Penzone uses resources more intelligently, and cited the low inmate levels at Tent City Jail. The jail, a pet project for Arpaio, was on the chopping block a few months ago when the agency needed to trim costs to pay legal bills. Instead, the office cut detention-staff raises and a special-response team in the jails.

Rex said she believes many of the current staff members will work with Penzone during the transition. Tuesday’s election, she said, renewed confidence in her career and agency at large.

“I’m pretty excited, pretty hopeful,” she said. “I’m very happy for the employees of the MCSO, and taxpayers, and myself.”