Yavapai County’s top two law enforcement officials, County Attorney Sheila Polk and Sheriff Scott Mascher, officially announced their plans to run again for office in 2016 and drew paperwork today to begin the process of organization. The current terms for both officials will expire at the end of 2016.
Polk, the first female to hold the office of Yavapai County Attorney, is nearing the end of her fourth four-year term in this position. “I am as passionate today about the quality of life for Yavapai County residents as the day I first took office in 2001,” she stated. “Public safety and a low crime rate are key to that high quality of life that we all enjoy.”
Sheriff Scott Mascher, who is running for his second term, began his career at the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve in 1983 and was promoted through the ranks. Sheriff Mascher has proven leadership experience in Patrol Operations, Criminal Investigations and the Jail. “Yavapai County is a great place to live. I am responsible to ensure our public safety and to maintain a standard of life that we all can enjoy.”
Recognizing that drug use and crimes are intertwined, both Polk and Mascher are actively involved in substance abuse awareness and reduction efforts. They, along with other law enforcement leaders, manage the county’s multiple agency drug task force known as P.A.N.T., an elite group of narcotics detectives who operate countywide to investigate drug crimes. Polk co-chairs MATFORCE, the Yavapai County Substance Abuse Coalition that has received national recognition, and Mascher runs the Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force.
In addition, Mascher is one of the few sheriffs in the country who maintains authority with immigration enforcement (287g) from the federal government. He manages an active K9 drug interdiction program, has recently opened a mental health unit in the county jail, and is working with a focus group to deploy body cameras for his deputies and the public.
Over the past year, Polk oversaw the successful prosecution of nearly 2000 felony cases and numerous juvenile matters, and provided prosecution services to five justice courts. Polk notes that her leadership in forming the county substance abuse coalition in response to the methamphetamine scourge in the mid-2000s has resulted in felony numbers that are as low today as her first year in office. “Prevention and education are key to addressing substance abuse and maintaining a low crime rate,” she said.
Mascher is a member of the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board. He served as President of the Arizona Sheriff’s Association in 2012 and is on the board for the Western Sheriffs Association. Polk serves as the Chair of the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council, and is the driving stimulus behind “What You Do Matters,” an ethics course for law enforcement and prosecutors.
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