 The Kern County Sheriff's Department provided police services to the citizens of Maricopa from 1998 until 2006 when the city reopened its police department in the old building.As reported in the "Los Angeles Times" on July 4, 2011, the Maricopa Police Department has become embroiled in a local controversy playing out through large signs posted on the city's main thoroughfare.The police have been accused of racial profiling and "over-enforcement" regarding traffic violations and frequent towing of vehicles driven by drivers without proof of insurance or with license or license plate infractions.