Federal oversight of the Melendres orders, which is expected to cost Maricopa County taxpayers $353 million by 2026, is no longer necessary, Supervisor Thomas Galvin told The Center Square.
Another member of the Board of Supervisors for Arizona's most populous county is also calling for an end to the orders. Supervisor Debbie Lesko called the cost "unacceptable."
"Lining the pockets of a court-appointed monitor instead of investing in the Sheriff's department doesn't make our neighborhoods safer," Lesko said in a news release.
The Melendres orders came after the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office was found to have violated Hispanic people’s constitutional rights after the office used racial profiling and illegal traffic stops against Latinos.
Galvin, who has been the supervisor for almost four years, said the meetings about the federal oversight are sparsely attended, but at last week’s meeting, many people showed up to express concerns about how much of their taxes are being spent on compliance.
Galvin noted over $2 million a year goes toward Warshaw and his office.
