Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller told a Maricopa audience Saturday his office has increased criminal prosecutions by 30% since he took office in January 2025, crediting what he described as a shift in enforcement priorities rather than a rise in crime.

Miller shared the update during a City of Maricopa Republican Club meeting at Calvary Church on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway, his first public appearance in the city since campaigning in 2024.

Speaking to about 40 attendees, Miller said the increase reflects a change in how cases are pursued.

“We didn’t need to change the law. We needed to change the person who was enforcing the law,” Miller said. “The reason why it’s up 30% is not because there’s 30% more crime, but because we’re actually starting to enforce it and we’re actually seeing the evidence of that.”

He said he expects filings to continue rising as his office is “actually holding people accountable,” adding that the Pinal County Attorney’s Office handles “about 3,500 to 4,000 cases a year.”

According to PCAO data, the office has filed 3,141 cases since Jan. 1, 2025, or 3,164 cases when counting from the day Miller was sworn in Dec. 27, 2024.

During that same calendar year, the office filed 2,507 cases, nearly identical to the 2,505 cases filed in 2024 under former County Attorney Kent Volkmer.

Miller also described a policy shift toward seeking harsher penalties, including for some juvenile offenders.

“Just because you’re 16 or 17 and you’re committing a violent crime, why should you be treated differently than an adult? You commit an adult crime, you should do adult time, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing here and under my new policies,” he said.

Since taking office, the county attorney’s office has prosecuted 11 minors for crimes involving assault, robbery and sexual offenses. Sentencing outcomes for those cases were not immediately available.

Miller highlighted the creation of a Special Victims Unit and defended his office’s collaboration with federal immigration authorities.

“Last August, we spoke to the Department of Homeland Security and said, ‘We have an illegal immigrant problem in our county. They’re committing a lot of crimes.’ So, we decided to partner with ICE,” he said.

He added his office filed a motion Friday in response to an ongoing lawsuit involving the Pinal County Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff’s Office.

“In fact, I have the authority to partner with our federal partners, to get resources from our federal partners to keep our community safe. Because it’s my opinion that we should use every means possible to keep each one of you safe,” he said.