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Public callers pressed board over Sheriff Nanos; supervisors request formal report under ARS 11-253
Summary
Multiple public commenters accused Sheriff Chris Nanos of misconduct and called for his removal; the board voted to request a written or verbal ARS 11-253 report from the sheriff within ten business days addressing employment-history questions, disciplinary decisions, federal immigration coordination, and repeated budget overruns.
Several members of the public used the April 7 call-to-the-public slot to make allegations about Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and to urge the board to hold him accountable. Speakers described individual grievances, alleged misuse of department resources for political purposes, and urged the board to act.
Telephonic caller Trista Deanova began the session by demanding return of her service dog and criticized the board’s inaction, declaring her candidacy for local office in response to her case. Several subsequent speakers, including Lori Moore and Corey Stevens, cited Arizona Revised Statute 11-1051 and raised concerns that local ordinances cannot supersede state law on immigration and described disciplinary and harassment claims involving department employees.
Resident Joel Straba and others directly tied the board’s unfinished business on an anti-masking ordinance to broader concerns about enforcement and immigration operations; Straba cited state and federal statutes and warned of legal exposure if the ordinance proceeds.
In response to the public outcry and recent reporting, the board voted to request a report from Sheriff Chris Nanos pursuant to ARS 11-253. The requested report, due within 10 business days, asks the sheriff to address four areas: (1) prior representations about his El Paso Police Department employment history (dates, departure circumstances, and any disciplinary records); (2) disciplinary actions involving specific department personnel (process and safeguards against retaliation); (3) the nature and extent of communications or coordination between the sheriff's department and federal immigration officials since 2021, including policies guiding such contact; and (4) repeated budget-overrun notifications reported by county finance and what steps the department will take to address budget management.
The board indicated the report may be written or provided verbally at the next supervisors meeting and asked that the sheriff include corrective actions and timelines where applicable.
No formal disciplinary action was taken at the meeting; the ARS 11-253 request is a fact‑finding step that gives the board a documented response from the sheriff’s office before any further action.
Representative quotes from the public: "I am haunting this board every meeting until you do your job and help me rescue my baby my pursuit of happiness and my livelihood, my therapy animals" (Trista Deanova). "This board must hold Nanos accountable" (Corey Stevens).
