Maricopa County Sheriff's Office begins new inmate transport pilot program

PHOENIX - Starting Monday, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will be trying out a new pilot program to book inmates into jail, cutting down on the time officers spend away from their primary duties.

According to a news release, deputies book an average of 1,000 inmates per month, spending at least four hours away from their responsibilities waiting for the booking process.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio hopes that a new program will help keep deputies on the streets, giving them more time to protect the public and patrol the streets.

Two new secured transport vans will begin routes to crime scenes or other locations Monday, taking custody of inmates and spending time to complete the booking process.

The new program is said to cut down on the need for 150 West Valley deputies to drive inmates downtown and wait to have them placed in jail.

The news release also states that the volunteer posse will continue to supplement inmate transport needs whenever needed.

"If the program proves beneficial to public safety overall," Arpaio said in the news release. "We will certainly expand it to the other areas in our jurisdiction. Now that we are hiring detention officers, we are looking to start new programs like this to enhance public safety. Deputies will benefit too."

According to the news release, areas patrolled by Maricopa County are now among the safest in the Valley, contributing to the statistics showing that crime is down throughout the county.

The new program also aims to cut down on response times and benefit the community as a whole.