*** From Brandon Quester @ AZ Center for Investigative Reporting :: Warnings to Governor, AG Urge Action to Stop Extremist Training ***

 

LAW ENFORCEMENT Despite warnings, safeguard to prevent extremist training for law enforcement removed In our latest coverage of so-called “constitutional sheriff” groups, AZCIR’s Isaac Stone Simonelli details a series of stark warnings from local and national civil rights groups sent to our state’s top government officials—and how those warnings ultimately failed to stop a rule change that opens a path for extremists to train Arizona law enforcement. The new rule, as first reported by Isaac in 2022, shifts the responsibility of continuing education training oversight from the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to law enforcement agency heads, including police chiefs and publicly elected sheriffs. The change removes a longstanding safeguard for AZPOST to vet any continuing education training provided to Arizona law enforcement: In 2021, for example, AZPOST denied a training proposed by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, which has been labeled an extremist, anti-government organization by national experts. In four separate letters to recipients ranging from Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs to the U.S. Department of Justice, the civil rights and advocacy groups urged officials to prevent the rule change from taking effect on April 5. That deadline has since passed, and the rule is now active. Find out what this means for Arizona, and what—if anything—our state is doing to address the change moving forward. READ THE FULL STORY If you’re new to our newsletter, or have yet to catch up on Isaac’s previous reporting on the topic, you can find his stories below. And if you find value in AZCIR’s distinctive brand of investigative reporting—help us continue doing it by becoming a monthly sustaining donor. BECOME A SUSTAINING AZCIR DONOR TODAY! READ MORE: ‘Constitutional Sheriffs’ — An AZCIR series about an anti-government movement with roots in Arizona Arizona ‘ground zero’ for extremist, anti-government sheriff movement More than half of Arizona’s county sheriffs are at least partially aligned with a growing movement of so-called “constitutional sheriffs,” with an ideology that threatens to radicalize law enforcement by indoctrinating them with false legal theories about a sheriff’s authority over state and federal government, and a duty to nullify laws they interpret as unconstitutional. Experts warn of extremist push to expand sheriffs’ role in elections Election and domestic extremism experts warn that so-called “constitutional sheriff” groups are compounding problems created by disinformation campaigns and undermining public confidence in elections and law enforcement, setting the stage for situations that can lead to voter intimidation and ultimately subvert free and fair elections. Rule change opens new path for ‘constitutional sheriff’ group to train Arizona law enforcement A rule change by Arizona’s top law enforcement-certifying agency removes a safeguard against ‘extremist’ training for peace officers by allowing sheriffs and police chiefs more autonomy in determining what qualifies as mandatory continuing education credit. How AZCIR identified Arizona’s ‘constitutional sheriffs’ Whether or not sheriffs adopt the core ideologies of the movement is more telling when it comes to how they approach their jobs—including how they interact with constituents and other government agencies—than whether they use the “constitutional sheriff” moniker. Arizona-based sheriff group promotes members with ties to white nationalism The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association has formally embraced some of its more radical members by promoting them into leadership positions. The public-facing change comes at a time of growth for the organization as it seeks to further expand its influence and ideology across the nation.

Thanks, as always, for following our newsroom. The journalism we produce matters, and we can’t do it without the generous support of readers like you. With gratitude, Brandon Quester Executive Director and Editor Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting DONATE