The Making of the American Lawman

Born in Miami, Arizona, on July 25, 1956, Dan Saban is a native Arizonan and is the youngest of three children, with an older stepbrother and stepsister. His father was a Copper Miner and his mother a homemaker.

During Dan’s fifth grade, the Saban family moved from the small mining town of Miami to Mesa, Arizona, where Dan attended Longfellow Elementary School until going to Mesa Jr. High where he was active on the football team and band. Dan graduated from Mesa High School in 1974 and during his high school years was active in DECA and Junior Achievement.

After High School, Dan took a job in construction, operating a backhoe. He was laid off due to a lack of business and in 1976 Dan answered an ad in the newspaper for detention officers at the Maricopa Sheriffs Office. Although he didn’t know it at the time, answering that ad would change the course of his life and catapult him into what would grow to be an extremely successful law enforcement career.

During the 1980’s, Dan wanted to pursue his education, but instead of leaving law enforcement, he worked on his college degree while continuing to work. He chose Justice Studies as a major, and in 1991 he graduated, Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelors degree in Justice Studies. In 1999 he graduated, Summa Cum Laude, from Northern Arizona University with a Masters degree in Human Relations.

Dan and his wife Donna live in Gilbert and have a blended family of five daughters, three granddaughters and a grandson. After 32 years of public service, Dan continues to have a passion for serving his community. Eleven years ago along with his wife, Donna, and his daughters, he founded “Kops & Kowboys for Kids,” which is a non-profit organization that bolsters the services of various children's charities, such as the Child Crisis Center.

Also, each January, Dan dedicates the entire year to a charity (in addition to his Kops & Kowboys for Kids) in which to donate his time. This year, 2008, he is committed to helping the homeless and each Friday for the rest of the year, Dan will serve breakfast at the Phoenix Rescue Mission to help feed the homeless. Also, Dan and Donna for the past four years have participated in short-term missions for their church and travelled to the Dominican Republic to participate in the program, Food for the Hungry.

Dan Saban is devoted to his family, his career and his community. This devotion has earned him a reputation among his professional peers as a man of integrity who is committed to excellent policing. Through his community outreach and volunteer activities, Dan has gained a reputation for kindness and generosity among citizens.