Maricopa County Sheriff's Office

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Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
Abbreviation	MCSO
Agency overview
Formed	1871[1]
Employees	2,850<est>
Volunteers	204<est>
Annual budget	$526m (2024)[2]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Maricopa County, Arizona, U.S.
Size	9,224 square miles (23,890 km2)
Population	4,496,588 (est 2021)
General nature	Civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Phoenix, Arizona
Agency executives	Russ Skinner, Sheriff Stephanie Molina, Chief Deputy
Facilities
Aviation Units	Two Bell 407 Helicopters, one Bell 429, two Cessna 206 Airplanes
Website
Official Website

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is the law enforcement agency that serves Maricopa County, Arizona, and is the largest sheriff's office in Arizona. The MCSO provides patrol services and criminal investigation to unincorporated areas of the county and operates the county jail system.^[3] It also serves as the primary law enforcement agency for any incorporated cities within the county that have contracted with the agency for law-enforcement services (known as "contract cities"). The county sheriff is elected by the citizens and serves as the highest law enforcement official in Maricopa County. The current Sheriff of Maricopa County is Russ Skinner, appointed in 2024. As a result of policies and practices under former sheriff Joe Arpaio the MCSO has received significant critical media coverage, federal investigation, and judicial oversight.^[4]