Buckeye Police Chief Dan Saban announces retirement to take on Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 03:00:19 PM

Dan the Man, heading into battle against Nickel Bag Joe.

Just received the following news release on Dan Saban's retirement as Buckeye Police Chief. It'll be effective August 1, so he'll have nothing slowing him down as he goes into full-court press against Sheriff Joe this fall. If we're lucky, by the second week in November, we'll be reading about ol' Joe's forced retirement from office.

With Obama coming to town tomorrow and the primary next week, I know everyone is caught up in Presidential fever when it comes to politics. As much as I'd like to see the Dems win the Presidency, the Saban vs. Arpaio race is by far the most important political race this year for all those who live in Maricopa County. Followed closely by County Attorney Candy Thomas' bid for reelection.

What happens in Washington matters, of course. What happens here matters more. The MCSO is the entity that's riding roughshod over the rights of oridinary citizens like you and me. Liberals and conservatives alike like to natter on about the Patriot Act and such. But it's the MCSO's Selective Enforcement Unit that can come calling for you in the middle of the night, like they did my bosses Jim Larkin and Mike Lacey. And it's MCSO kingpins like Chief Deputy David Hendershott and others, who have the power to smear folks, just like they did Dan Saban back in 2004.

One interesting aside: Check Buckeye Mayor Bobby Bryant's good wishes to Saban below. Bryant and Saban have had their tiffs. In September, Bryant even suggested an ordinance forbidding any city employee from being "a candidate for nomination or election to any paid public office." The proposed ordinance was aimed squarely at Saban, though it was later withdrawn from consideration once it began to garner media attention. Check then Bird item, "Dan Tanned," and the blog item, "Buckeye punts, for the moment, on ordinance aimed at Arpaio foe Chief Dan Saban," if you're interested in ancient history.

Buckeye Police Chief Dan Saban Announces His Retirement Effective Aug. 1

Buckeye, Ariz. (Jan. 29, 200 – Buckeye Police Chief Dan Saban has announced his retirement from the department effective Aug. 1 to spend more time on his campaign for Maricopa County Sheriff.

In a letter to Interim Town Manager Jeanine Guy and Assistant Town Manager Scott Rounds, Saban said that his three-year verbal commitment when he was hired approaches on March 29, “a minimum of three full years in the event I chose to initiate a second campaign for Maricopa County Sheriff in 2008, and in fact I have.

“I am so grateful for the opportunities, challenges and experiences I have been afforded during my tenure thus far,â€