The Pinal County Sheriff's publicly funded trip caused controversy

The Pinal County Sheriff's publicly funded trip sparked controversy (Alberta News) The Pinal County Sheriff's Office in the south-central part of the state spent more than $53,000 this summer...

The Pinal County Sheriff's publicly funded trip sparked controversy (Alberta News) The Pinal County Sheriff's Office in the south-central part of the state spent more than $53,000 this summer to send 25 people to St. Louis for a week-long conference to cheer for the winning sheriff. Records show that half of the cost was paid by the Sheriff's Office in exchange for raising county jail court fees, and the other half came from a fund made up of seized illicit cash and property. Police department officials said they were using the funds legally. However, critics believe that it is a bit contradictory that Sheriff Bimbu raised funds in the name of fighting drug gangs and at the same time used public funds to pay for the meeting of 25 people. More than 7% of county sheriffs across the country attended this year’s annual meeting in June. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office sent the Sheriff's Personal Assistant to attend, which cost nearly $1,700. Pima County was not represented. Sheriff Bimbu received the 2011 Sheriff's Award at this meeting in recognition of his contribution to combating illegal immigration and combating the Mexican drug epidemic in the region. However, the public discovered that Sheriff Bimbu used public funds to pay for a taxi to visit a brewery, and the data administrator also used public funds to pay for extra luggage for his wife and son. "This trip to St. Louis did not cost taxpayers a cent," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "I am proud to use crime seizure money and jail enhancement funds to pay for all expenses, including training, travel and room and board." The Sheriff explained that the fund, known as RICO for short, is used to combat gang activity and drug abuse, secure witnesses, and include training, overtime pay and equipment used in drug cases, as permitted by any federal law. "No matter where the money comes from, it's public money," said Pinal County Supervisor Pete Rios. "For spending that kind of money to bring a group of people to watch him win the award, I think Sheriff Bimbu should give a reasonable explanation to the voters of Pinal County."