GOVERNMENT
Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Sloup doesn’t shy away from a face-to-face chat with reporters (right). Former TV journalist Sam Salzwedel knows a little something about getting the perfect shot (below).
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“Sheriff Lamb is not afraid to put stuff out on the internet,” Sloup said. “He’s not afraid of the pushback, not afraid of the trolls.” Sloup’s first cameo on the YouTube channel was meant to be a one-time deal to bring awareness to Arizona’s new texting and driving law, which came under enforcement in 2021. “The traffic sergeant voluntold Frank to ride with the camera guy and shoot a video about texting and driving,” Salzwedel recalled. “We didn’t have any intention to keep on putting Frank on the internet after that.” But the video went viral, and the chemistry in the car between Sloup and Salzwedel was instant and undeniable. Enter “Fridays with Frank”— a sort of “Cops” meets “Reno 911” for the YouTube era, as the New York Post put it when the show’s virality made national headlines late last year. Lamb announced he’ll retire his six-pointed star after seven years as the county’s top cop as he shifts his focus to a bid for U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s jilted seat. But thanks to “Fridays with Frank,” his media legacy will doubtlessly endure. FIND FRANK Deputy Sloup is dressed as a “tactical pickle,” in his own words, during an interview with InMaricopa at Copper Sky Recreation Complex Feb. 28. “Hello, citizens!” he bellows at passersby, whose eyes widen as they snap photos of the celebrity cop to share to the “Find Frank” Facebook group’s 30,000 members. The group was created last year
THIN GREEN LINE
YouTube and TikTok fame aren’t the only things that make Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputy Sloup “the world’s coolest cop,” as one of his fans put it last month. Sloup recently appeared on cop- turned-stoner A.J. Jacobs’ podcast, “Blue to Green,” to bridge the gap between pot-bashing thin blue liners and cop-hating cannabis enthusiasts. The show is based in San Tan Valley. “My sister is a pothead — always has been,” Sloup told InMaricopa . “She is the most pro-police pothead you’ll ever meet. It’s not often, but those two things can exist in the same space. It’s ignorant to think that you have to be one or the other.” There’s no difference between weed and whiskey, Sloup said. Unlike some of his colleagues, he backed Arizona’s proposition legalizing recreational marijuana in 2020. And while he can’t — and doesn’t want to — smoke any of the devil’s lettuce these days, “When I retire,” he said, “I might eat the head off a gummy bear and see what happens.”
“In person, he’s a super cool, down-to-earth guy,” Owen told InMaricopa . “He’s a positive dude and what he’s doing is wonderful for PCSO and the community.” “Fridays with Frank” inspired
Owen, who’s a police aide at Arizona State University Police Department, to pass the academy and become a sworn law enforcement officer in the future. “He brings positive attention to policing,” he said. “And it gives a lot of people a really good laugh.”
by a San Tan Valley woman who prefers to remain nameless. She bills it as “Pinal County’s favorite online social media game,” an interactive take on “Where’s Waldo?” for people like 20-year-old Senita resident Zachary Owen. Frank was at his favorite spot for a
Zachary Owen
21300 N. John Wayne Parkway, Suite 110 Maricopa, AZ 85139 (520) 568-3303 www.CSCPAGroup.com
HATERS GONNA HATE Fame brings fans, but it also brings haters. While many people ask for a selfie with the guy who just gave them a traffic ticket, others who have never met Sloup bombard him with death threats.
refreshing snack in Maricopa, Bahama Buck’s on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway (he orders the Royal Princess shaved ice with a Bahama Rama Mama, by the way), when Owen found him and snapped a photo to share in Facebook group. It garnered 1,000 likes.
InMaricopa.com | April 2024
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