#JusticeinPimaCounty: Week 79
We’ll be back next week with the nuts and bolts of justice in Pima County, but today we’d like to share with you a special sendoff:
It’s time to send off Dan South. You know Dan: “San Man Dan,” the man from San Manuel. The proud son of a miner. Salt of the Earth.
I had never met Dan before I took Office. I had left the County system before his arrival, and so his reputation was just that and nothing more.
And what a reputation it was.
During my 400 plus interviews that occurred during the transition, Dan’s name came up time and again. The story of his courage in the early days of COVID, when young leaders like Dan were left in the building to fare for themselves, had become legend.
As Chief of the Community Protection Bureau, Dan formed a triage unit to deal with moving low-level, non-violent cases out of the system (and out of jail) as fast as humanly possible before COVID took firm hold.
Not unlike me, he was steeped in Crisis Management 101.
And thus, he was the perfect choice for Chief Criminal Deputy. He was battle worn, eager, ready, earnest.
And Dan did a bang-up job.
I don’t think anyone but Dan could have poured more spirit, more energy, more determination into the impossible task of a CCD in a new administration, during a pandemic, amid a homicide spike. What an epic, monumental ask of a new, young supervisor.
And I could not be more grateful.
Dan, you are due, and you are owed, a chance to help a whole new subset of people in the family law arena. We all have no doubt you will rise to the occasion, just as you did here.
We are happy for you, and we support you, even though we will all miss you.
You helped brand us The People’s Office.
To the extent we manage to live up to that noble aspiration, you will have helped make it possible.
God speed Dan South, God speed.
To be continued…
Laura
