PHOENIX – A controversial sheriff who has officially endorsed Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes in her re-election campaign is being called out by his fellow sheriffs for his failure to preserve public safety.
Arizona sheriffs are raising serious concerns about Santa Cruz County Sheriff David Hathaway following reports that his office failed to respond to repeated requests for assistance involving alleged violence, threats, and property damage during protests against border-wall construction.
The ASA has issued an open letter addressing reported violence and unanswered calls for law enforcement assistance in Santa Cruz County.
Read our statement: https://t.co/7JX3nO44QE
— Arizona Sheriffs (@AZSheriffs) October 9, 2026
In an open letter released today, the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association said federal and state law enforcement agencies reported multiple incidents in which requests for assistance went unanswered. The association called for the allegations to be thoroughly documented and investigated.
“The duty to preserve the peace and protect the public cannot be set aside simply because an incident involves federal operations or politically contentious circumstances,” the letter states.
While reaffirming the constitutional right to peaceful protest, the association emphasized that exercising that right does not provide immunity from criminal conduct or excuse law enforcement from its responsibility to protect public safety.
The association’s member sheriffs also pledged to make available personnel and resources to assist in maintaining public safety should the Arizona Department of Public Safety request additional support.
In 2022, Governor Katie Hobbs attempted to portray herself as tough on the border in a TV ad with her fellow Democrats Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and Hathaway.
Under Hobbs leadership, Arizona has bucked the national trend on drug overdose deaths. Deaths in Arizona have climbed while nationally they have decreased. According to a report by the New York Times, Arizona’s drug death rate is now twice the national average, with overdose deaths hitting an all-time high in 2025.
Nanos and Hathaway, as border sheriffs, are on the frontlines of drug trafficking. Both sheriffs have failed to fight drug dealers according to critics.
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