By admin 
A new poll finds Maricopa County voters’ support for ending federal court oversight of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office largely depends on cost.
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The Arizona Public Opinion Pulse Survey asked nearly 600 Maricopa County voters about MCSO oversight. In 2013, a federal judge found sheriff’s deputies violated the constitutional rights of Hispanic people by racially profiling them in traffic stops and immigration enforcement. He appointed a monitor to make sure MCSO complied with court orders — oversight that has lasted more than a decade.
When told the oversight stemmed from a judge’s ruling related to law enforcement practices at the time, 43% of voters polled supported it, 27% opposed it, and 30% were not sure.
But cost played a big role in voter sentiment. When poll respondents were told the oversight has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the past decade, 73% said oversight had gone on too long and cost taxpayers too much.
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However, that cost estimate has been disputed. MCSO says the cost of compliance has exceeded $300 million, but an audit ordered by the federal court concluded the cost was about $62 million.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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