A veteran of over 50 years in law enforcement, Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik began his career as a patrol officer with the Tucson Police Department in February 1958 and served with the TPD until his retirement in January 1977, achieving the rank of Major in charge of Field Operations. He was appointed Chief Deputy Sheriff with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in January 1977 and was subsequently elected as Sheriff of Pima County on February 19, 1980. He has served in this position for the past 28 years, having been elected to seven consecutive terms.
Sheriff Dupnik is the chairman of the Southwest Border Executive Committee, while also serving on 14 other law enforcement commissions, committees, and boards throughout Arizona. He has also previously served as chairman of the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Board. He introduced the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and School Resource Officer programs in Pima County schools and founded the drug prevention group known as “Arizonans for a Drug Free Workplace.” He attended the Keeler Polygraph Institute in Chicago, the Southern Police Institute in Louisville, and the Urban Affairs Executive Institute at M.I.T.
Sheriff Dupnik served as a founding member of the Command Group of the Arizona Alliance Planning Committee, a program designed to reduce the influx of narcotics across the Southern Arizona Border. He integrated special weapons and tactics with emergency medical assistance, in consultation with S.W.A.T. Doctor Richard Carmona, M.D., former Untied States Surgeon General.
During his tenure, Sheriff Dupnik has been a strong ally and ardent supporter of the FBI. He has committed resources to FBI task forces, including the Tucson Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Southern Arizona Border Initiative HIDTA Task Force. He continually promotes the FBI National Academy (FBINA) among his command staff. Most recently, Sheriff Dupnik partnered with the FBI in a community outreach program entitled, “Terrorism Intervention Prevention Solutions” (TIPS) to educate business and community groups regarding potential threats and suspicious behaviors that may be indicative of terrorist activity. |
