On August 1, 2015, Sheriff Nanos took the oath of office and was sworn in as the 33rd Sheriff of Pima County.
 
Sheriff Nanos is a native of El Paso, Texas where he grew up just miles from the U.S. / Mexico border. Values that have served as guideposts throughout his life include: hard work, integrity and treating all people with respect.
 
Sheriff Nanos began his law enforcement career in 1976 with the El Paso Police Department.
 
 
In 1984 Sheriff Nanos relocated to Tucson to take a job with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. In his 32 years with the department, he worked his way through the ranks, starting out as a corrections officer. He has worked in all four bureaus of the department and has held command positions in Patrol, Internal Affairs, Homeland Security, and Criminal Investigations. His expertise is in investigations; particularly violent crimes, sex crimes and narcotic enforcement.
 
Sheriff Nanos has implemented numerous improvements to provide a safer community, increase morale, and enhanced community relations.
 
Sheriff Nanos brings a servant mindset to the department. At his direction,  staff have received training to differentiate between the warrior and guardian roles of law enforcers to help employees support a less militarist image for the department and to create an atmosphere conducive to effective police and community relations.
 
Sheriff Nanos believes strongly in treating all members of our community with respect and dignity. He is committed to making a contribution to a livable community so that individuals and businesses may thrive. He is a believer in prevention-oriented strategies and is dedicated to proactively addressing the root causes of crime -- including mental illness and challenges facing youth of today. One of Sheriff Nanos’ first actions was to return deputies back to the schools by reinstituting the School Resource Officer Unit. He is fully committed to continuing support for our Mental Health Support Team while working with our mental health community partners, the courts, and legislature to help those with mental illness.
 
Sheriff Nanos strives for organizational transparency and is insistent on ethical decisions and accountability to the individuals that the department serves.
 
Sheriff Nanos is engaged in a partnership with other County leaders to greatly expand Pima County’s justice reform efforts. The county jail is frequently near capacity. Sheriff Nanos believes it is imperative that we identify best practices, address gaps in service and design plans to improve our approach to incarceration, ultimately saves the taxpayers money. Sheriff Nanos is committed to finding new ways to divert low-risk offenders from jail, and to provide evidence-based services to inmates that will improve their transition from jail to the community to reduce recidivism.
 
Sponsors