Sheriff's deputies fan out across Mesa
560 commentsby Senta Scarborough and Dennis Wagner - Jun. 26, 2008 12:45 PM
The Arizona Republic
MESA - Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies fanned out across Mesa Thursday afternoon in a highly anticipated saturation patrol that has police administrators and some residents on edge.

In east Mesa, a pair of undercover detectives with the sheriff's human smuggling unit set out in an unmarked car shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday and had detained a driver within 10 minutes for running a stop sign. The driver, who appeared to be non-Hispanic, was returning home from a dialysis treatment. He got a verbal warning.

A few moments later, the detectives pulled over an older-model, faded blue Ford pickup and cited-and-released a driver for expired registration. "What am I supposed to do, stay home?" asked the frustrated motorist, who only gave his name as Bobby. "I've got nothing to hide."

Even before Sheriff Joe Arpaio's sweep began, it had drawn attention from Washington, D.C., to the state Capitol. Arpaio's critics have accused his officers of targeting Latino drivers, which he denies.

Mesa Police Chief George Gascón said the U.S. Department of Justice will have personnel on hand to observe the dragnet, the latest in a series of campaigns by the sheriff to round up undocumented immigrants. And the state Attorney General's Office announced it will send sworn peace officers to help Mesa police during the law enforcement effort.

In April, Arpaio announced he would bring the detail to Mesa after several East Valley lawmakers requested him to do so. Earlier sheriff's sweeps in Guadalupe and Phoenix prompted allegations of racial profiling and attracted large pro-immigration or anti-Arpaio crowds. During the Guadalupe effort, Arpaio moved his command post after demonstrators made him uncomfortable.

Along with some other public officials, Gascón has criticized immigration sweeps. He recently complained that the sheriff failed to give him advance notice of today's campaign.

In an interview on KTAR talk radio, Arpaio described that complaint as "garbage." Asked whether he is concerned about demonstrators, the sheriff said, "I've got the police that doesn't want me there. It's not just protesters. But, you know, we're going full force . . . They don't want me to pick up illegals."

Mesa police have developed an operations plan to assist deputies within the city limits to "mitigate the likelihood of civil disturbance." They plan to videotape the event while community members and clergy serve as neutral observers. They also intend to create a free-speech zone for protesters, and met with demonstration leadership groups to lay down ground rules.

Gascón, who has worked with the Justice Department in the past concerning racial tensions, said he was contacted by the agency in April after Arpaio announced his plan to come to Mesa. Mesa police met today with Ronald Wakabayashi, regional director for the U.S. Western Region of DOJ Community Relations Service. The service is the agency's "peacemaker" for community conflicts and tensions over race, national origin or color."I think they (DOJ officials) are to have an overall look at the condition of the event (and) monitor how we handle the crowds, depending on how things play out today," Gascón said.

The state attorney general's office also is sending some of its sworn officers. The decision came after a conversation between Gascón and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard earlier this week, attorney general's spokeswoman Andrea Esquer said.

"We want to make sure Mesa police has the resources it needs. Our primary concern is to ensure peace is maintained," Esquer said. "We do not have a monitoring role. This is not in an investigatory capacity."

By 3 p.m. Thursday, police and sheriff's patrol units were conspicuous in the heart of Mesa's barrio. At Mi Linda Mexico, a shop across the street from a fence mural of the Virgin of Guadalupe, shop clerk Erica Estrada said business has been down for weeks because immigrants are afraid to leave their homes.

Nearby, 17-year-old Marcos Mendez Mora calmly pushed a paleta cart full of ice cream along the sidewalk. Mora, who acknowledged being undocumented, said in Spanish he had no idea that one of the sheriff's "redadas," or nets, was occurring. He briskly pushed the cart a ways, but stopped when two children flagged him down for treats.

An hour later, about 50 protesters milled near a police command post just off Mesa Drive, where officers established areas for Arpaio supporters and opponents. Immigrant defenders waved signs saying, "One World Unbordered" and "Arpaio Go Home."

Salvador Reza, a leader with the Somos America immigrant-rights coalition, said his group has about 40 people with video cameras keeping tabs on deputies as they patrolled Mesa streets. "I'm here against Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the misuse of public funding for electoral purposes," Reza said. "I'm against the intimidation of the community and the racial profiling."

Only a handful showed up on the opposite side of the street. Richard Ingebretsen, 65, a member of the American Freedom Riders immigration control group, said he supports the roundup.

"They aren't citizens of this country," he added. "The color of their skin and where they are from doesn't bother me. Just don't break the law."


Reporters JJ Hensley, Daniel Gonzalez, Carol Sowers, Robert Anglen, Michael Kiefer and Astrid Galvan contributed to this story.


Reach the reporter at dennis.wagner@arizonarepublic.com.




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