In a recent interview, outgoing Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb sat down with Sheriff-Elect Ross Teeple, a 30-year public service veteran and current lieutenant with the Sheriff’s Office, to discuss the transition of leadership and future plans for the department. Teeple will retire from his lieutenant position before assuming his new role as sheriff.
Teeple, who has served with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office for 16 years following 12 years with the Arizona Department of Corrections, outlined several priorities for his upcoming term. At the top of his agenda is securing pay raises for detention officers and civilian staff to improve retention. He also emphasized the importance of reducing response times in rural areas through increased staffing and recruitment efforts.
Several key initiatives emerged from Teeple’s conversations with county residents during his campaign. One initiative focused on expanding “Run, Hide, Fight” active shooter training in schools, addressing concerns from teachers and administrators about increased bullying following COVID-19 lockdowns. Another initiative involves maintaining the county’s strong stance against felony animal cruelty cases as the region faces projected population growth.
Both sheriffs expressed their commitment to rehabilitation programs. The Sheriff’s Juvenile Redirection Program, which began in 2019 and has graduated about 150 juveniles, will continue under Teeple’s leadership. The program combines classroom sessions focusing on goal setting and career development with community service at a local therapeutic riding and equine program.
Teeple shared a personal experience about helping a released inmate who was walking home on a remote dirt road. “I arrested an individual in Dudleyville Arizona… couple days later this individual gets released from jail and he’s trying to walk home on a dirt road called Florence Kelvin Highway, which is not a highway, it’s a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, and I gave him a ride home. I truly believe if I wouldn’t have given that individual a ride home he would not have made it home that night,” Teeple said, highlighting the importance of the jail’s re-entry program. Sheriff Lamb echoed this sentiment, stating, “I have a responsibility as a sheriff to return a better product than what I got.”
On Second Amendment issues, Teeple addressed the recent federal court ruling regarding forced reset triggers. He emphasized that the department had refused to assist in collecting these firearm accessories from residents, stating, “We will not go door to door collecting your firearms because that’s your Second Amendment liberties.”
The interview also covered ongoing community programs, with Teeple confirming that the popular “Fridays with Frank” program will continue under his administration.
Both leaders addressed recent scam attempts targeting county residents, warning about fraudulent calls claiming to be from law enforcement about warrants and, more recently, from Animal Control threatening to euthanize pets unless payment is made. They emphasized that the department never requests payment over the phone for warrants, and that Pinal County Animal Care and Control operates as a no-kill shelter.
Teeple, a U.S. Navy veteran who served as a submariner during Desert Storm, will become the 25th Sheriff of Pinal County. As he transitions from his role as lieutenant to sheriff, he emphasized his commitment to continuing successful programs while addressing new challenges in what is projected to be the fastest-growing large county in Arizona. His priorities reflect both the continuation of established initiatives and new responses to emerging community needs.
