Warning: Following article by Albor Ruiz, the Ruben Navarrette. Jr. of the East Coast.

Justice report sings out for Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio to finally face the music
Pattern of ‘unconstitutional policing’ no surprise to Latinos

nydailynews.com
by

Saturday, December 17 2011, 8:00 PM


Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been called out in a scathing 22-page Justice Department report that detailes evidence the Maricopa County, Az., lawman engaged in a pattern “of unconstitutional policing.”

At long last Joe Arpaio, America’s self-proclaimed toughest sheriff, will have to face the music — and you can be sure it won’t be Christmas carols.

As nasty a human being as they come, the infamous Maricopa County Sheriff was exposed in a scathing Justice Department report, made public on Thursday, as the racist bully every immigrant — especially Latino — has known him to be for years.

The Justice Department’s expert on measuring racial profiling said it was the most egregious case he has seen, according to Thomas Perez, who heads the department’s civil rights division.

Yet, in a Thursday afternoon press conference, Arpaio, in grandiose terms, played the victim.

“This is a sad day for America,” he said, and went on to blame President Obama for orchestrating a “witch hunt” against him for political reasons. The guy has gall.

It took the feds three years, but the 22-page report details evidence that Arpaio, 79, engaged in a pattern “of unconstitutional policing” that created “a chronic culture of disregard for basic legal and constitutional obligations.”

The Department of Homeland Security followed up by giving Arpaio the boot and cancelling the rest of its 287(g) agreement with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Arpaio’s abuse of power is almost unbelievable blatant. According to the report, for instance, Latinos are four to nine times more likely to be pulled over in traffic stops in Maricopa County than non-Latinos. It also found that the sheriff’s department treated all Latinos as if they were undocumented.

On top of it all, it was recently revealed that Arpaio's office mishandled more than 400 cases of sex crimes against minors — many of them children of undocumented immigrants — from 2005-2007.

“The bells have tolled for justice and we expect justice to be served,” said Angelica Salas, executive director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

“The report by the Justice Department is an indictment on Arpaio and on the Obama Administration for blindly supporting and expanding discriminatory and racist practices through immigration enforcement programs such as Secure Communities,” Salas added.

With this report Arpaio has joined Russsell Pearce, the disgraced former Arizona Senate president who was the main force behind the draconian anti-immigrant legislation, S.B. 1070. In a stunning rebuke to the politics of hate, last November Pearce became the first state lawmaker ever recalled in Arizona.

One is left to wonder what aspiring Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Michele Bachman — each of whom went knocking on Arpaio’s door humbly seeking his endorsement — have to say now.

The publicity-hungry Arpaio has five full-time media relations specialists to publicize his stunts. Yet the spin doctors can’t hide the fact that his indiscriminate street sweeps of Hispanics are motivated by racism. The aging Arizona “lawman” has come to symbolize everything that is wrong with immigration in this country.

“Today, in Maricopa County, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, under the direction of Tom Perez, let Arpaio and his followers know that the Constitution and the rule of law do matter,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice Education Fund.

“[We thank\] the Justice Department and responsible police leaders who have spoken out against Arpaio’s tactics for years. He must be held accountable for undermining public trust and public safety,” Sharry added.

Yes, America’s toughest sheriff is finally facing the music — and you can be sure it won’t be Christmas carols.

aruiz@nydailynews.com.

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