HEATHER LAPPIN
MEET
Heather Lappin boasts an impressive 19-year career with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Tucson, Arizona. Currently serving as the East Section Commander at the Pima County Adult Detention Center, she dedicates herself to improving morale and culture within the facility.
Prior to her current position, she served as the Training Section Commander, overseeing training programs for commissioned and corrections personnel, including firearms, academy, and advanced officer training. Heather has held diverse assignments, including Advanced Training Specialist at AZPOST, District Commander, and work in Internal Affairs. Early in her career, she specialized in training, earning recognition as an AZPOST Subject Matter Expert in the Field Training Program and instructor-level certifications in defensive tactics, firearms, physical fitness, and high-risk stops.
Heather's commitment to professional growth extends to her attendance at renowned leadership schools nationwide, including the Senior Management Institute for Police, Department of Homeland Security’s Leadership Academy, Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, and Transform Law Enforcement. Her formal education includes an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Arizona State University. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership at NAU, Heather also serves as an adjunct professor at Pima Community College.
Recognized for her community involvement, Heather was appointed to the Tucson Women’s Commission in 2021. Beyond her career, Heather treasures her 21-year marriage and three children. She has held leadership positions in various booster clubs, parent-teacher organizations, and youth sports. In her free time, she enjoys CrossFit and passionately supports her children's competitive sports endeavors.
Letter To The Voters
Hello, and thanks for visiting my website to learn more about my campaign to be your next Pima County Sheriff. My name is Heather Lappin, and I have nearly 20 years of law enforcement experience. I know what it takes to restore integrity to the Sheriff’s Department, prioritize our jail, and lower crime. I’ve held many leadership roles within the department and hold the certifications required to be the head of our department, but the number one qualification I have to be your next sheriff is that I’m one of your neighbors - and I share the same concerns you do for the issues facing Pima County like rising crime, deaths at our county jail, our budget and ultimately the character and integrity of the Sheriff’s Department itself.
I’m running because we deserve better in Pima County and I’m willing to stand up and fight for you. Working in the department my whole career, I know the issues we face internally and how we can fix them. But we can’t do it without your support, whether that’s volunteering, donating or most importantly casting your vote for me to be your next sheriff!
Help us spread the message to your neighbors by filling out our contact form. Together, we can restore integrity to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, protect Pima County families, and save our taxpayer dollars.
HEATHER'S PRIORITIES
Keep Families Safe
Prioritize Our Jail
Budget Transparency and Protecting Taxpayers
Improved Deputy Training and Retention
Restore Integrity to the Sheriff’s Office
The Pima County Sheriff's Department needs a 180!
Here is my plan on what my administration will achieve in the first 180 days in office:
Increased Patrol
Sheriff Lappin will quickly reallocate current deputies assigned to other positions back into Patrol. Community policing does not come from a “token" unit. It requires a mindset and culture of serving all members of our community. By adding staffing to patrol and focusing on a servant mindset, we can increase community engagement and forge critical relationships with our community. This is an area that has been critically understaffed by Chris Nanos and has led to "burnout" amongst Patrol deputies and contributed to the record number of deputies shot under his leadership. Boosting the number of deputies assigned to Patrol would increase safety on our streets and in our neighborhoods.
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Cut the Bloated Number of Commanders
Heather Lappin believes staffing resources should be a priority to patrols, not cushy, expensive desk jobs. Sheriff Lappin will immediately reduce the number of highly paid senior commanders we currently have. This will save taxpayer dollars and allow the department to function more efficiently.
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Return Directed Patrol to the Districts
Directed Patrol Units deal exclusively with quality-of-life issues (homelessness, drugs, street racing, etc.) in our community. Currently, there is just one centralized unit for the whole county. One unit can not address an entire county adequately. Our citizens must feel heard and seen. Focused patrols with missions directed toward both residents and businesses can accomplish this. Sheriff Lappin will return them to the districts, as Sheriff Dupnik did previously, to more readily respond to issues and be much more effective than they currently are.
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Jail Safety
In order to improve retention at the jail, It is imperative to establish a culture of opportunity for correction staff. Putting a stop to the revolving door that currently exists at the jail for staff will be a priority. Sheriff Lappin will focus on opening opportunities for correction staff with employee development at the forefront by returning to a 9-week Corrections Academy (currently only 6 weeks) and focus heavily on medical response and improved defensive tactics. Corrections Officers would return to yearly-required training. She will also work closely with the board of supervisors to acquire more corrections officer positions to make the jail safer for both officers and inmates.
ENDORSEMENTS
Pima County Deputy's Organization
Former Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier
Arizona Conference of Police and Sheriffs
