Community Outreach
The United States Attorney’s Office is involved in community outreach efforts across the state of Arizona. These efforts are intended to develop links with local community groups and community organizations and to educate those groups about the federal laws that affect them and the people they serve. Areas of particular outreach focus include:
- Public Integrity Outreach – The office engages in a variety of outreach efforts designed to educate community members about Public Integrity issues, including laws governing hate crimes, official misconduct, federal civil rights laws, and election law violations.
- Indian Country Outreach – Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, each of which has a unique government-to-government relationship with the United States. An Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) serves as a Tribal Liaison to tribes in Arizona. The Tribal Liaison is responsible for consulting and communicating about general matters of importance with tribal officials on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office. The office prosecutes certain crimes that occur in Indian Country and works regularly with our tribal partners around the state to serve tribal communities. Each year, the United States Attorney and his staff meet with tribal leaders from around the state at an annual Listening Conference. Additionally, throughout the year, AUSAs from the Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff offices meet with tribal partners, including at Multidisciplinary Team Meetings where AUSAs coordinate with tribal law enforcement, federal law enforcement, tribal prosecutors, social services, and others. The office’s outreach in this area also includes regular trainings offered to our tribal, local, state and federal partners.
- High School Opioid Outreach Program – Representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office attend roundtables with local high school administrators, staff, and community leaders to educate them about the problem, and present information to high school students regarding opioids, opioid addiction, and the recent proliferation of counterfeit drugs containing powerful opioids responsible for overdoses and deaths. The presentations include information about the physiological effects of different opioids and include real life examples of opioid addiction and overdoses, to include those involving athletes and entertainers, as well as cases investigated in the Phoenix area.
In addition to these outreach efforts, our AUSAs work proactively with the DEA and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute persons who distribute opioids that result in an overdose.
- Elder Fraud Outreach – Under the Elder Justice Initiative, the prosecution of fraud cases perpetrated against the elderly is a high priority. The United States Attorney’s Office conducts outreach events informing the public regarding the latest trends and schemes to defraud the elderly. The office has designated Elder Justice Coordinators to further this mission.
The Department of Justice also recently created a National Elder Fraud hotline staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers. Case managers will assist callers both with reporting fraud to appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. The numbers is 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
The office’s Community Outreach staff attend community meetings throughout Arizona and are available to speak at local events and other meetings. To request a guest speaker, send an e-mail with details to usaaz.community@usa.doj.gov.