The cost faced by taxpayers in Arizona’s most populous county to reform the sheriff’s department will have reached at least $202 million by the end of next year, according to an analysis published Monday by The Associated Press.
The AP reported that Maricopa County officials approved a budget this week that would allocate $31 million this year to cover costs incurred by court orders affecting traffic enforcement and other areas of the sheriff’s department. The costs are the result of a lawsuit that concluded with a court finding former Sheriff Joe Arpaio responsible for implementing changes that specifically targeted Latino residents.
The total cost of the lawsuit is expected to reach more than $200 million by the summer of 2022, according to the AP’s analysis, and is reportedly showing no signs of slowing down.