Thread: Keep an eye on Joe

Keep an eye on Joe
1 commentSept. 19, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Federal officials are calling their audit of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration sweeps a "routine inspection."

We'd like stronger language.

Calling it "routine" is dismissive of some big concerns about what Arpaio is doing.

We'd rather hear words like "tough scrutiny," "detailed" and "probing" applied to the investigation of how Arpaio is using an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that lets a county sheriff enforce federal immigration laws.

The agreement itself may be relatively routine. ICE has 62 such arrangements with local law-enforcement agencies across the country.

But there is nothing routine or commonplace about Arpaio. He's a showman who seeks publicity with outrageous antics. (If you are new to town, Google his name with "green baloney" and "pink underwear.")

Arpaio's zeal to pursue illegal immigrants brought him attention because the public is justifiably disgusted with federal inaction.

But immigration is a subject where anger can get the better of common sense and common decency - not to mention the civil rights of Latino citizens and legal residents of this community.

There have been serious charges that Arpaio's gusto to enforce immigration laws has led to racial profiling.

In July, four U.S. citizens joined a lawsuit that was filed in December by a legal immigrant who says he was improperly detained by the sheriff. The four citizens say Arpaio is targeting Latinos.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and other elected officials have called for better federal oversight of what the sheriff is doing.

They argue that the agreement between Arpaio and the feds was supposed to enhance enforcement against violent fugitives, gang members, drug traffickers and other dangerous criminals.

Even by the sheriff's own reckoning, that's not what's happening.

According to a press release from the Sheriff's Office, a sweep in Cave Creek was launched in response to complaints regarding day-laborer problems. In a July press release about that "crime suppression" sweep, the sheriff took credit for 193 arrests as a result of such operations specifically mentioning that 107 of those were illegal immigrants. He is clearly keeping score in terms of illegal immigrants.

An Aug. 19 press release began by saying the sheriff "continued his illegal immigration fight today." It went on to talk about another sweep that included traffic stops.

The sheriff has used his agreement with the feds to send deputies and trained volunteers into neighborhoods with large Latino populations, where they pull people over for minor traffic violations and demand to see proof of immigration status.

Arpaio says his deputies do not use racial profiling. That's a claim the feds need to investigate.

Is Arpaio a partner in the federal efforts to rid the streets of violent and dangerous people who are in the country illegally?

Or is he a lone wolf seeking to raise his political profile this election year by conducting "crime suppression" sweeps that are more about stopping people with broken taillights than going after dangerous criminals?

Do Arpaio's sweeps reflect the reality that Arizona has deep Hispanic roots and a large population of Latinos who have as much right to drive down the street unmolested as the sheriff does?

Those are not routine questions.

They are the questions the feds need to answer.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... i1-19.html

We'd rather hear words like "tough scrutiny," "detailed" and "probing" applied to the investigation of how Arpaio is using an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that lets a county sheriff enforce federal immigration laws. -------------------------------------------------


And the American people would like to see the FBI investigate, scrutinize and probe the rampant criminality of every mayor, cop and sheriffs office in this country in this country because of their illegal orders to not enforce our laws.

Sheriff's Office operates by the letter
4 commentsSept. 22, 2008 12:00 AM

Regarding your editorial on Friday "Keep an eye on Joe": Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon misled the public by saying an investigation of the Sheriff's Office is under way by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Wrong. Untrue. Factually incorrect. As usual.

A routine audit was completed on Friday, and we know the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is complying, to the letter, with the federal agreement that provides authority to the sheriff to make immigration arrests. So the questions you beg to be answered were answered - not to your satisfaction, given your dislike for Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
To insinuate that the Sheriff's Office is not partnering with other law enforcement to go after serious felons, including illegal immigrants, is also incorrect.

This year the Sheriff's Office cleared more than 11,000 warrants; investigated more than 17,000 jailed illegals, placing holds on them and preventing their release onto the streets; and has arrested 1,050 human smugglers, all Class 4 felons.

We also have arrested numerous illegals for identity theft.

We do not racially profile. So confident of this fact, Arpaio has publicly encouraged anyone to report any complaint to the FBI.

You criticize Arpaio for being a "showman." You are finally right.

This "showman" is showing the nation how pervasive the illegal-immigration problem really is. - Jerry Sheridan, Fountain Hills


The writer is executive chief of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.


www.azcentral.com