Joe Arpaio, Arizona Sheriff, Faces Calls To Resign Over Sex Crimes Cases

By JACQUES BILLEAUD, ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOENIX -- Roughly 100 opponents of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio turned out at a meeting of Maricopa County officials Wednesday to urge the officials to call for his resignation amid reports of botched sex-crime investigations and other problems in his department.

Critics of Arpaio -- known nationally for describing himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff" -- say he must be forced out for failing to adequately investigate more than 400 sex-crimes cases in the county, inappropriately spending $103 million from two jail funds over an eight-year period for other operations and leading failed corruption investigations against county officials who were at odds with the sheriff.

The Board of Supervisors didn't act on the request to put a resolution calling for Arpaio's resignation on its January agenda. The board has budgetary authority over the sheriff, but doesn't have the power to fire Arpaio, who has refused recent calls for him to quit and still plans to seek a sixth term next year.

The board's lack of power to fire Arpaio didn't stop the sheriff's critics from heaping on the criticism, nor did it stop a smaller number of Arpaio supporters from speaking up for him.

"What is your threshold for injustice?" asked Chad Snow, chairman of Citizens for a Better Arizona, a group that led the recall effort against former Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce and recently launched a campaign to get other elected officials to voice their opposition to the sheriff.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Jerry Sheridan said the Arpaio critics are seeking his resignation based on misleading information about the sex-crimes cases and that the sheriff acted immediately to have 30 detectives investigate the cases after the problems surfaced.

"Police officers make mistakes. It's not unique to the sheriff's office. We are dealing with many issues throughout this county right now dealing with sex-crimes cases. One thing the sheriff did was take immediate action when he realized there was a problem," Sheridan said, prompting many Arpaio opponents to cough loudly as he tried to finish his comments to the board.

The botched sex-crimes investigations have served as an embarrassment to a department whose sheriff is considered national hero to many conservatives on the immigration issue. Arpaio apologized for the botched cases last week after The Associated Press outlined some of them; the situation had been reported earlier by the East Valley Tribune, The Arizona Republic, KNXV-TV and other media outlets

Arpaio's office had to reopen 432 sex-crimes cases after learning of cases – including dozens of alleged child molestations – that hadn't been investigated adequately or weren't examined at all over a three-year period ending in 2007. Arpaio apologized for the botched cases last week.

Arpaio's office has drawn criticism for spending $103 million in funds set aside for jail operations on other operations, such as some costs for immigration patrols and unsuccessful criminal investigations against county officials. Arpaio's office investigated criminal cases against two county supervisors and a judge that collapsed in court before going to trial.

Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, the target of one of Arpaio's failed investigations, said she wanted results of the sheriff's examination of the bungled sex-crimes cases.

Linda Herrera, one of the Arpaio critics who called for his resignation, said the sheriff has been allowed to commit his abuses because elected officials haven't been able to stop him or decided to ignore him.

"We are all responsible for what is going on in Maricopa County," Herrera said.

Anna Gaines, an Arpaio supporter who launched an unsuccessful 2008 recall effort against Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, said the sheriff is responding to crimes committed by some undcoumented immigrants when they come to the United States. She said undocumented immigrants steal people's identities so they can work in the United States, don't pay their share of taxes and use government benefits that are meant for U.S. citizens.

"It's not the sheriff's fault they came here illegally," Gaines said.

Comments

[imjh0]

09:21 AM on 01/05/2012

why are stupid people screaming about Sheriff Joe, about the sex crimes, when they should be asking what is wrong with the laws that these people fell they can get away with this behavior. all the bleeding heart people out there have made the laws so that one mistake and they can be throw-ed out. really what is a child molester going to get out of it five years of free medical and food ect.

[Kritikos]

10:50 PM on 12/15/2011

Yo Joe, time to go.

[Louis Sipher]

10:33 AM on 12/15/2011

The sadist from AZ supports Rick Perry's hatred and executions. Send him to Abu Ghraib for a panty party and photo shoot.

[rgilley]

08:50 AM on 12/15/2011

At least Some people in Arizona want to rid themselves of this right wing Fascist SS style Sherriff.
Put him in pink and into prison not just resign him !!

[ardethbay]

07:25 AM on 12/15/2011

I guess investigating crimes aren't as important as making sure he doesn't see any brown people.

[rgilley]

08:51 AM on 12/15/2011

Arpio is the most despicable sherrif in the nation. Fascist SS style police states are what results from law people like Arpio.

[Jerry Pappy Wilson]

07:20 AM on 12/15/2011

..it so seems that they will try anything to get this great man out of office, just remember...LEGAL OR LEAVE!!!

[ardethbay]

07:49 AM on 12/15/2011

Don't forget the first Europeans that came here were illegal aliens.

[spinnerator]

08:59 AM on 12/15/2011

No they weren't, they were a superior race and civilization that brought enlightenment to a savage continent and saved it from obscurity.

[Gail Mokry Shoultes]

09:27 AM on 12/15/2011

Great men don't misappropriate 100 million bucks. Great men don't leave molested and raped children to fend for themselves. Great men don't cost the county 50 million in law suits. Great men don't run a jail where people die at the hands of deputies on a regular basis. Great men don't chase landscapers and cooks and let 70,000 felong warrants flap in the wind. Arpaio is anything but a great man.

[amd02148]

11:27 PM on 12/15/2011

Fanned and faved Gail.

[1differentdrummer]

07:00 AM on 12/15/2011

1. Why doesn't he just do his job?

2. Why is a top law man elected instead of appointed?

[spinnerator]

09:01 AM on 12/15/2011

So he can't be influenced unduly by Mayors or city/county councils. An appointed position leaves the office holder beholden to those who appointed them.

[IMac]

05:57 AM on 12/15/2011

We just caught another rapist (an illegal alien ) in Phoenix. That's what Arpaio does - he enforces the law and if you don't like it - leave! Go to another country where they allow illegals to invade and commit crimes again their people.

[ardethbay]

07:32 AM on 12/15/2011

Yeah, I'm sure all the crime is only commited by illegal aliens. If you are not of Native American desent, you are a desendant of illegal aliens.

[spinnerator]

09:02 AM on 12/15/2011

No, he's the decented of the rightful rulers of the continent, the superior europeans and their superior civilization.

[Gail Mokry Shoultes]

09:29 AM on 12/15/2011

Arpaio only enforces selectively and that is NOT good enough for me.

[IMac]

05:49 AM on 12/15/2011

This is the open borders crowd that wants amnesty for the illegal aliens - the ones who are committing these sex crimes, along with drug pushing, burglary, identity theft, fraud and even domestic violence and murder. Arpaio and his officers need more like them to stand up for Americans in Arizona, not the friends and family members of illegals who detest all law enforcement.

[1differentdrummer]

07:02 AM on 12/15/2011

Haven't really looked at the issues, have you? The "open borders crowd" is made up of AZ employers who love slave labor.

[Gail Mokry Shoultes]

09:44 AM on 12/15/2011

You are so misguided. Your statement is so full of falsehoods that it's laughable. I'm guessing you do your research at the I Hate Brown People Institute.

[Steve Albin]

05:24 AM on 12/15/2011

That is a sex crime every 3 days in one city. that is a lot must be the sex crime capital of the USA

[Jim Pasterczyk]

04:10 AM on 12/15/2011

Too busy posing for the cameras to do his job right. Boot him.

[Big Game Hunter]

03:41 AM on 12/15/2011

He probably defended himself by saying "hey those kids were Mexican! Who cares?"

[marecek]

02:56 AM on 12/15/2011

Hey, what's all the fuss? He's got more important fish to fry than sex crimes - he's investigating where Obama was born!

[Randy Chidester]

11:45 PM on 12/14/2011

This guy is another corrupt republican Misused 100 million dollars in eight years. He makes the prisoners wear pink underwear.

[m2abare]

11:16 PM on 12/14/2011

The same Liberal sops have been spewing the same drivel for well over a decade. He remains the most popular elected official in Arizona.

[chincycoot]

12:24 AM on 12/15/2011

That's not saying much

[spinnerator]

09:04 AM on 12/15/2011

People like you just hate it when democracy works, don't ya?

[weprintandsend]

02:19 AM on 12/15/2011

"of course..he knows where all the bodies are"..imagine trying to go up against someone that can run backgrounds or worse yet stop you and plant something in your car that could get you ten years..he is a loud mouth self serving "A" hole and his day is coming..just wait and see..

[IMac]

05:52 AM on 12/15/2011

He is the only thing standing between safety and chaos here in Arizona. He will be re-elected again because we know what will happen if the open borders crowd get their way - and he is working on the sex cases - every time he hauls in another illegal alien - they are the ones who are committing these crimes - check it out for yourself.