FLORENCE - The Pinal County Attorney’s Office would like to welcome the public back to Florence for the Country Thunder music festival this week.
We know there is a lot of anticipation for Country Thunder Arizona 2021. Due to the pandemic, this is the first time the event has taken place in Pinal County in more than two years. While we hope everyone has an exciting week, we also want to ensure those attending the festival make good choices.
“We want people to have fun, but everyone must remember that stupid decisions have real world consequences,” said County Attorney Kent Volkmer.
During the past two Country Thunder festivals, in 2018 and 2019, more than 100 people were cited for various incidents related to the event. Those include minor in possession, assault, disorderly conduct and DUI.
“Enjoy the party, but be sure to get home safe,” Volkmer said.
Country Thunder Arizona 2021 begins Thursday, October 14th.
https://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/01-CountyAttorney-Kent-Volkmer.jpg13821381Michael Peltonhttps://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/pca-logo-v05-300x100.pngMichael Pelton2021-10-11 15:50:552021-10-11 15:50:55Country Thunder returns this week
FLORENCE – The Pinal County Attorney’s Office would like to thank the dozens of law enforcement personnel, elected officials and other county staff who attended a kickoff event for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
County Attorney Kent Volkmer addressed the crowd that gathered Tuesday morning in Florence to mark the month of October, in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“Despite us doing a lot with these type of events, providing tons of services, law enforcement getting additional training, domestic violence is not slowing down,” Volkmer said. “In fact our numbers show a dramatic increase. During the Covid pandemic…we’re talking about almost a 20% increase in the raw number of [domestic violence] calls that are occurring.”
Volkmer touted efforts across Pinal County to address domestic violence and noted the rate of related incidents is lower than surrounding counties.
“This is one of our issues and it’s insidious,” Volkmer said. “It knows no socioeconomic boundaries, it knows no racial boundaries, it knows no boundaries…it does not matter. It affects everybody across the board.”
Volkmer also touched on efforts to address underlying issues that lead to domestic violence.
“We’re not going to arrest our way out of this problem,” he said. “We’re not going to be able to incarcerate people and make them behave. We’re going to have to give them additional skills and additional ways to handle interpersonal conflict.”
In 2020, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office Victim Services Division provided services to 2,265 victims of domestic violence. In 2019, there were 96 domestic violence-related deaths in Arizona, according to the latest numbers available from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The kickoff event also featured the courageous personal story from Jacqueline Lopez, who is a Senior Victim Advocate at PCAO, as well as a domestic violence survivor herself.
“This is actually the first time I’ve told my entire story,” she said.
Lopez detailed the shooting death of her mother at the hands of her father. She also described intimate details of repeated sexual and verbal abuse she suffered while in a toxic relationship that was difficult to escape.
“I was so ‘love crazed’ that I couldn’t see what was going on,” Lopez said. “My best friend stopped talking to me because she said she just couldn’t stand by and watch [him] destroy my personality anymore.”
Lopez said she finally got to a point where she sought help from family and came to stay with them in Arizona.
“It took a very long time for me to stop looking over my shoulder, thinking that he would show up at any time,” Lopez said.
Lopez hopes her story resonates with others.
“To this day, I still bear scars on the outside and on the inside,” Lopez said. “I am here today, telling my story, so people can know that you can rise above the pain and suffering.”
Lopez also noted her professional role at the Pinal County Attorney’s Office.
“I believe that I have found my calling in life, working as a victim advocate, trying to help others who have suffered at the hands of another,” she said.
Lopez received an ovation from the crowd, and many words of encouragement for having the bravery to share what she endured.
“I want to thank you for sharing that story with us,” Volkmer said, before turning to the law enforcement personnel in attendance. "She’s the success story. She’s the reason that you all do what you do…so we can help those people and they can turn into these success stories, that they can have a family, they can raise a child and they can give back to our community.”
Volkmer noted the message it sends with having the various agencies in the room together.
“To me, this is us saying as a community, we stand united against this.”
FLORENCE - The Pinal County Attorney's Office is announcing a new rewards program that will serve as one component in a multifaceted approach to curbing illegal dumping.
The Rewards Program will allow residents who submit tips that lead to charges in an illegal dumping case the chance to earn a monetary reward. The offender could then end up being placed in the Diversion Program, which will bring fines and/or participation in community cleanups.
The goal of the program is to reduce and deter illegal dumping. County staff are also diligently working to create a new, one-stop-shop web page to better help residents find dumping resources and alternative options. The new web page will also allow for the submission of tips on those illegally dumping trash and debris.
The new web page, rewards program and revamped focus on illegal dumping will rollout in the next several weeks.
Please see below for a message from County Attorney Kent Volkmer on the status of the county's efforts.
https://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/tRASH-2-scaled.jpg17072560Michael Peltonhttps://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/pca-logo-v05-300x100.pngMichael Pelton2021-09-27 09:33:322021-09-27 09:33:32Progress on new effort to curb illegal dumping
County Attorney Kent Volkmer released the following statement on the death of Arizona state Representative Frank Pratt this week:
"Frank Pratt was a tireless advocate for his constituents. His passing is an enormous loss for Pinal County, as he was a great legislator and an even better human being. May he find eternal peace."
https://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/01-CountyAttorney-Kent-Volkmer.jpg13821381Michael Peltonhttps://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/pca-logo-v05-300x100.pngMichael Pelton2021-09-22 11:38:252021-09-22 11:38:25Statement on death of Rep. Frank Pratt
FLORENCE - 20 years ago, thousands of Americans lost their lives in the horrific terror attacks on September 11th, 2001.
County Attorney Kent Volkmer has the following message as the country remembers the events and lives lost on 9/11.
https://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/FLAG-e1632335482340.jpg564894Michael Peltonhttps://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/pca-logo-v05-300x100.pngMichael Pelton2021-09-11 07:27:492021-09-22 11:31:319/11 message on 20-year mark
FLORENCE – More than 1,400 people have successfully completed the Diversion Program since it returned to the Pinal County Attorney’s Office in 2017.
The Diversion Program provides a path for some defendants to earn the ability to avoid a potential conviction, while learning tools to prevent similar problems from reappearing later in life.
The mission of the diversion program is to “…reduce recidivism, advance justice, and promote community safety through the use of evidence-based programs and effective community supervision tailored to the risks and needs of each individual.”
One recent participant who successfully completed the program is Jarrett, a man who lives in Florence.
“I think I’ve only had one traffic ticket,” he said. “I’ve never been in trouble before.”
That changed one day last year, after an incident left Jarrett facing an assault charge.
“[I was] terrified,” he said. “Terrified.”
Jarrett feared going to jail.
“The true gravity of the situation I put myself into became real,” he said.
Jarrett became eligible for the Diversion Program, which consists of a variety of requirements, such as treatment and/or community service, tailored to each individual participant.
“I just felt like I probably deserved jail but I don’t think jail would have done me a lot of good,” Jarrett said.
The Diversion Program encourages positive behavior change in order to deter any possible future incidents.
“Not everybody is eligible for Diversion,” said Diversion Officer Nicole Buccellato. “Normally, it’s first time offenders that have a chance of, once their record is clean, living a productive adult life.”
Buccellato worked with Jarrett to come up with a plan for his individual case.
In general, Buccellato said the goal is to try and find the root cause of what sparked a particular incident.
“A lot of factors go into that, what happened on that night, what do they admit to,” she said. “They could have a substance abuse problem where they only possibly…hit their partner or break things when they’re drunk. So, rather than send them straight to [domestic violence] classes, we may have them do a substance abuse class first.”
Jarrett was given a plan to follow.
“She came to the conclusion that my drinking was the catalyst for the problem that I put myself into,” Jarrett said. “Which, at that time, I thought was a bunch of crap.”
Jarrett said while hesitant at first, he warmed up to the Diversion Program and was enrolled in a recovery program and attended private counseling.
“To my surprise, when I put my nose down and called the alcohol program, it surprised me how intense it was,” Jarrett said. “It made me immediately realize, by talking to the people, that I did have an issue going on.”
Buccellato noted Jarrett’s success while going through the Diversion Program.
“I don’t think he missed one treatment,” she said. “Never was late on one payment.”
The Diversion Program can also include community service. A back-to-school drive several weeks ago netted dozens of backpacks and other supplies provided by participants. The supplies then went to the Casa Grande Alliance, which distributes those items to the community.
Buccellato looks forward to helping each participant she meets become successful in the program.
“I’ve lived in Pinal County my whole entire life,” she said. “This is my neighborhood, this is my area and these people are in this county, which affects all of us.”
Jarrett successfully completed the Diversion Program and has advice for others who might be as hesitant as he was at first.
“Get honest with yourself, please,” he said. “You didn’t get into that predicament, or whatever predicament you’re in, for no reason at all.”
It is rare for defendants to be unsuccessful in completing the Diversion Program. Since 2017, prosecution has only resumed on 292 cases.
Jarrett is looking forward to his future.
“Back to my old life, minus the drinking,” Jarrett said. “Got my wife back, got my life back, my son is happy, I’m good.”
https://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Scales-of-Justice-scaled.jpg17072560Michael Peltonhttps://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/pca-logo-v05-300x100.pngMichael Pelton2021-08-26 13:29:372021-08-26 13:40:19Diversion Program surpasses 1,400 successful cases
CASA GRANDE - The Pinal County Attorney's Office would like to extend a special thank you to community members who are going above and beyond to pitch in and pick up trash in their neighborhoods.
One such group is located in Casa Grande.
"This is our town," said resident Megan Sanders. "We should take pride in it."
Sanders helped start a grassroots group that organizes a community cleanup every few weeks around Casa Grande. The group, titled Rooster Club Desert Clean-Up, decides what locations to target and consists of more than 200 members, and counting, who have joined their Facebook page.
"It was, 'it needs to get done and if no one else is going to do it, we're going to step up and do it," Sanders said of the initiative to begin the cleanups.
The group's latest cleanup occurred this past Saturday, at the intersection of McCartney Road and Pinal Avenue in Casa Grande.
"A lot of us that have founded the group are the ones who have bought trash bags," Sanders said. "We've paid for dump fees."
Sanders' son Brody, 12, also takes part in the cleanup effort.
"It's been really fun," Brody Sanders said. "It's a good way to bring the community together."
As you might imagine, the group comes across all sorts of trash and improperly disposed of items during their cleanups.
"Mattresses, shelving...couches," Sanders said. "Pillows, trash, stacks of bills that should be shredded."
That's not all.
"We found a whole entire boat," Brody Sanders said.
That brought about a little laugh.
"Yeah, there was a boat," Megan Sanders said.
The group is planning another community cleanup in September, although the exact location is yet to be determined. They are looking for others to join, and have seen increased interest as their effort grows and after they were recently featured in a local news story. They hope to continue making a difference while also encouraging those who are dumping the trash and debris to stop.
"We as adults can do better," Sanders said. "Ultimately, that's what I hope, is that if we each do a little bit better, there will be less and less trash."
Pinal County is actively working to ensure residents have adequate information on how - and where - to properly dispose of items. Pinal County is also working to enhance measures to target offenders. Additional information and resources will be rolling out in the coming weeks to further address the issue.
https://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/191782962_10222291101680778_5734265620331371634_n.jpeg720960Michael Peltonhttps://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/pca-logo-v05-300x100.pngMichael Pelton2021-08-13 09:18:072021-08-26 13:42:11Community group helping pick up trash
Drive around Pinal County and you have likely come across tires, mattresses or other bulky items dumped in the desert.
Illegal dumping is not only an eye sore in our beautiful county, but it often occurs close to residential homes or properties.
County Attorney Kent Volkmer is working to address this issue. Going forward, there will be a focus on community cleanups, finding additional alternative options for residents who need to dispose of old and bulky items, as well as targeting offenders.
The public is invited to attend a community Shred-A-Thon that is scheduled for October 16 in Superior, Arizona.
"The best assistance that I can provide to you as a victim of identity theft is to do everything we can to prevent you from ever being a victim," said County Attorney Kent Volkmer. "Once your identity is stolen, there is very little we can do to make you whole or give you your life back. "
WHEN: October 16, 2021
TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
LOCATION: Superior Town Hall, 199 N. Lobb Superior, AZ
Top 5 documents to SHRED:
-Old Tax and IRS Documents
-Old Bills with account information
-Old Records with name, social security, addresses
-Old Medical Records
-Old Bank Records
We also take back old or unused prescription medication, as well. Homes are no longer broken into to steal jewelry or big screen tv's. Thieves are now looking primarily for guns and prescription meds that they can quickly sell.
You are also encouraged to bring items for donation in support of Domestic Violence Awareness month (October). Donated items will go to help Pinal County abuse shelters. Items include toothpaste, tooth brushes, deodorant, shampoo, soap and feminine products.
The Pinal County Attorney's Office would like to thank the Arizona City Fire District and Chief Jeff Heaton for putting on 'Water Days' for kids in the community throughout the Summer. The event is held three days each week during the Summer and provides families a great option for food and fun.
The Pinal County Attorney's Office is proud to sponsor lunch for the kids on Fridays throughout the month of July.
County Attorney Kent Volkmer and other agency staff stopped by the event last week. Pictures and video from the visit are below. The kids had a great time!
https://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pic1-scaled.jpg17072560Michael Peltonhttps://pinalcountyattorney.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/pca-logo-v05-300x100.pngMichael Pelton2021-07-20 08:49:042021-08-26 13:34:53‘Water Days’ in Arizona City
