Thread: "All Aboard" Arpaio plans to move inmates by rail

Arpaio plans to move inmates by light rail
January 27, 2009 - 11:37 AM
Staff report
Daily News-Sun
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio today will announce he plans to begin transporting inmates on the Valley's new light rail system.

Arpaio will have deputies transport inmates from 44th Street and Washington to the Fourth Avenue Jail, eliminating the need for costly parking fees associated with inmate transport. Projected cost savings from this phase of "Con Rail" is estimated to be about $72,000.

Last month's grand opening of the Valley's new light rail system finally provided the Sheriff's Office with a new way of doing business and there is another benefit to the "Con Rail" program. Deputies will be an added security measure for the valley rail system, something Arpaio is sure riders will appreciate.

"Not only is this program financially creative in these tough economic times, but we will be providing a service to the city's light rail program by occasionally providing free security," Arpaio said. "There is nothing to be concerned or worried about as my deputies will be armed."

http://www.yourwestvalley.com/news/aboa ... tml/_.html

Sheriff's 'Con Rail' idea stirs controversy
January 28th, 2009 @ 6:57am
by Sandra Haros/KTAR.and Colton Shone/KTAR

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's plan to transport prisoners on the Valley's new light rail system has raised some eyebrows.

Valley Metro, which operates the system, said it's taking a close look at Arpaio's plans, and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport disputed the sheriff's claims that the airport charges $25 for parking to deputies escorting prisoners to and from the airport.

"I get some letters in writing, giving us back free parking, then I'll reconsider," said Arpaio, hours after announcing his plans to transport prisoners on trains between the airport rail station, at 44th Street and Washington, and the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix.

Using the trains, which the sheriff dubbed "Con Rail," will eliminate the need for costly parking fees associated with inmate transport from the airport," the sheriff said.

He said the airport took away the sheriff's private parking many news ago.

"They have not allowed us parking. We have to pay about $25 every time we park there," Arpaio said.

Sky Harbor issued a statement Tuesday evening, saying, "The City of Phoenix Airport Police Bureau accommodates fellow law enforcement agencies from around the state that need to park at the airport for the purpose of transporting prisoners. There is no charge for this service."

The statement continued, "Law enforcement officers park in a secure location at the airport and the officers and their prisoners are transported by Phoenix Police to or from their airline gate. This ensures a safe experience at the airport for law enforcement officers and the public."

The airport said the Sheriff's Office currently uses the service.

Metro Light Rail was surprised to learn of Arpaio's plans.

"Anything that has the potential to make people second-guess their trip on light rail, obviously, greatly concerns us, and so we are looking into this more deeply," said Metro's Hillary Foose.

She added it's too early to say whether the general public will be riding with inmates or not.

Riders of light rail voiced some concerns about riding with prisoners.

"This is really weird," said Carol Smith.

Would it make her feel unsafe? "Probably not too safe, I don't know."

She said she probably would continue to ride if the sheriff sticks with his plans, on grounds that security is tight.

Covey Groff said he rides the train to work every day and sitting next to an inmate would not change his habit.

"I wouldn't say it's a bad idea. I wouldn't be opposed to it. I guess you'd kind of have to see how it works," said Groff.

Kathy Young was not bothered by the idea.

"I don't have a problem," she said. "You know why? Because I have family members who are convicted felons, and I'd put them on the light rail."

Jesse Ferrel, getting off a train, said, "It wouldn't make me feel unsettled, for me personally, but it would certainly make me feel very guarded. I think for the common person, they probably would feel unsettled."

The sheriff said last month's grand opening of the light rail system finally provided the Sheriff's Office with a new way of doing business. There is another benefit, he said -- deputies will be an added security measure for the rail system.

"Not only is this program financially creative in these tough economic times, but we will be providing a service to the city's light rail program by occasionally providing free security. There is nothing to be concerned or worried about as my deputies will be armed."
http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1033187

Now this guy should have been appointed the head of Homeland Security. No one should flip out if there is an extra wagon added to the train reserved for only the transportation of detainees. Either that, or give back the free parking privileges that were eliminated "news" ago.

Wait for the lawsuits by the ACLU, etc..

There's some folks in the neighborhood who have been guests of Joe's in the past, or have family who are currently "visiting" with him and they are already bitching about........are you ready?........

similarities to Hitler transporting his prisoners to the camps and forced labor sites via rail

7:05 am | 49° January 29, 2009 |
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Arpaio's proposal on the wrong track
by E.J. Montini - Jan. 29, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Almost from the beginning of his long tenure, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has steered his agency in a way that summons forth locomotive metaphors.

"Runaway train" comes to mind.

And, of course, "train wreck."
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But this may be the first time that the sheriff has metaphorically jumped the tracks while simultaneously boarding a train.

He has decided to have armed deputies transport prisoners on the new Metro system between the airport rail station, at 44th and Washington streets, and the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix.

Arpaio always has been the little engine that could not resist a publicity stunt, and this works for him on several levels.

For years, the sheriff had been riding the issue of illegal immigration like one of those seemingly unending freight trains that roll by a railroad crossing.

Lately, however, the caboose to that particular train has passed by and the tracks went silent. Then, just as we were about to pull ahead, the sheriff comes along, pushing this little handcar of an idea and blocks traffic again.

Not only that, but he gets the additional bonus of causing trouble for some of the very politicians who have boosted Metro light rail and criticized him, including the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, a big supporter of the trains.

At first, Arpaio said that he needed to use light rail because he was being charged too much money at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport for deputy parking.

An airport spokesperson said that wasn't true, but the sheriff told me that he has the receipts. He also said that he wasn't causing trouble, but instead was being a "good partner."

The sheriff said that since prisoners are transported on commercial airplanes, there should be no problem with transporting them on trains.

"This board (of supervisors), they want to cut our budget up to 20 percent," Arpaio told me. "So it was my decision to utilize the light rail as a continuation of (transporting) the person on the airplane. Our two deputies on board also will take action on any crime perpetrated on those trains. So we're killing two birds with one stone. That's the way I look at it."

The thing that derails this particular train of thought is that commercial airlines require every passenger be identified, to go through metal detectors and to be subject to a search. While anyone can carry anything onto a train.

The sheriff dismisses that argument. He says that since no one has problems with the chain gangs he deploys around the city, we shouldn't have trouble with this.

He could have chosen to use buses or taxis or even those three-wheeled bicycles used to carry tourists downtown. But Joe the Engineer chose light rail, and as far as we in the media are concerned, the Arpaio Express is a gravy train. We hop on for a ride whenever it leaves the station.

Metro light rail spokeswoman Hillary Foose told me, "Anything that might cause riders discomfort has our attention. We are not a controlled environment, like an airport, and based on what we've heard from some of our colleagues nationally, transporting prisoners is not the norm. The charm of a transportation system is that it doesn't discriminate, but that also means that we don't yet see any way to prevent the sheriff from doing this."

An optimist might express hope that Arpaio will see the light at the end of the tunnel and drop the prisoner-transport idea.

A realist would point out that if the past is any indication, that "light" is simply another train headed our way.


Reach Montini at 602-444-8978 or ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... i0129.html

Arpaio cancels plan to transport inmates on Light Rail
Reported by: Alyssa Pivirotto
Email: apivirotto@abc15.com
Last Update: 3:32 pm


Related Links
Sheriff says he'll cut costs putting inmates on light rail
Sheriff to begin 'Con Rail' program on Valley's light rail
Sheriff Joe Arpaio will not use light rail to transport inmates to the 4th Avenue Jail, according to a statement released Thursday afternoon.

Earlier this week, the Sheriff started those transports from Sky Harbor Airport to the downtown Phoenix jail, saying it was a way to save money on parking transport vehicles.

Now, the City of Phoenix has given the Sheriff four parking passes, allowing him to park for free.

Officials took the passes away in the summer of 2007, telling the sheriff it needed the revenue, according to the statement.

"Utilizing the light rail would have been a viable and safe alternative for transporting inmates," Arpaio said. "Since the city has been kind enough to issue free parking, we will go back to transporting inmates the way we used to, for now."

The Sheriff says he does not see a need for light rail but will leave the option open because his deputies have proven it works.


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