For all those critics that demonstrate in front of my office for three years, calling me every name in the book, I'm going to announce right now... that I'm running again for sheriff, for my sixth four-year term. So maybe they're going to have a bad day, all these critics against me.As Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arpaio embodies the anti-illegal immigration movement. He has made inmates wear pink underwear, paraded them in public in shackles, and housed them in tent cities. Now a scathing report from the Department of Justice (DOJ) documents Arpaio's unlawful discrimination against Latinos. Yet besides trampling on constitutional, human, and civil rights, Arpaio has neglected other duties of his office and failed to make his community safer. In short, his tenure has not only been bad for undocumented immigrants, it's been bad for Latinos and Arizona as well.
Last month, the DOJ found that Arpaio's office had illegally targeted Latinos for arrest and detention, and mistreated Spanish-speaking inmates. The DOJ backed their findings with thousands of pages of interviews and evidence. Their report cited a "pervasive culture of bias against Latinos." One expert termed it "the most egregious case of racial profiling in the U.S."
In Maricopa County, according to the DOJ, Latino drivers were four to nine times more likely to be pulled over while driving than white drivers. One Latino resident was incarcerated for thirteen days for failing to use a turn signal. In Arpaio's jails, prisoners who did not speak English were denied access to clean clothing and medical attention. In 2009, Arpaio forced a pregnant woman to give birth while shackled to her bed.
Meanwhile, in his focus on immigration enforcement, Arpaio has neglected critical duties of his office. Last year, an Arizona TV station reported that his office failed to investigate over 400 sex crime cases. Even the conservative Goldwater Institute has criticized the sheriff for not acting on more than 40,000 outstanding felony warrants. Arpaio apparently thinks that chasing undocumented dishwashers is more important than arresting violent criminals.
Defending Arpaio, Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies told the Washington Post that "his actions on immigration enforcement make everybody in this country safer." Really? Consider that violent crime has fallen everywhere in Arizona except in Sheriff Joe's jurisdiction. Between 2002 and 2009, violent crime dropped 12% in Arizona -- while increasing 58% in Maricopa County. So much for effective crime fighting.
Even worse, Arpaio's policies have negatively impacted relations between local law enforcement and the community. In 2008, then-Mesa Police Chief George Gascon complained about a "wedge being drawn between police and immigrant groups." The DOJ found that a "wall of distrust" had been created with Hispanics, which is a hindrance to police officers who must deal with crime victims and potential witnesses. Then there is the damage that Sheriff Joe's highly visible campaigns have done to Arizona's image. Once proudly known as the Grand Canyon State, today it is also widely seen as intolerant of Latinos.
Thankfully, the people of Arizona may have had enough. One of Arpaio's allies, State Sen. Russell Pearce, architect of the state's infamous "papers, please" law, was recalled in a special election last year. Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, both Republicans, have expressed concern about Maricopa County's botched sex crime investigations.
Arpaio maintains he is being used as "a whipping boy for a national and international problem." Still, that doesn't excuse his flouting of the law. It's ironic that someone who is so obsessed with who is "legal" would be willing to commit so many illegal acts himself. Arpaio is a perfect example of why local law enforcement officials should not be immigration agents. He has run amuck, harassing Latinos while generating lawsuits, investigations, and the ire of the Hispanic community. If he manages to get re-elected, he needs to understand that no one is above the law -- not even "America's Toughest Sheriff."
Follow Raul A. Reyes on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RaulAReyes
Mexican-Americans want the border controlled.
A SF Sheriff deputy was arrested in Houston, while on official duty smuggline an illegal minor out of the country. SF did that so that the kid would not have a Federal criminal record which is a major violation of our laws. At least Arpaio has not been charged with any crime. So while Arpaio has done things that some don't like, he so far has done nothing criminal as most of his detractors have done.
By the way, shackling a woman prisoner who is giving birth is the most common thing in most states It is NOT a violation of any law.
The article is full of false information. Written by a lawyer who lives in NYC and has probably never been to AZ.
Crime in Miracopa County is down across the board.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/New-numbers-indicate-crime-rate-is-falling-125537383.html
The DOJ has been chasing the sheriff since BO got into office and have never found him guilty of anything. The allegations listed in the article have not been proven to be true.
Neither are Latin foreign nationals but somehow they and their sending countries seem to think they are.
Arpaio is just doing his job. That's good enough for Americans, including most in Maricopa County.
The Latin countries are just trying to colonize and conquer the US and Obama is just trying to allow it. That doesn't sit well with most Americans.
It would be more properly said that he is doing more than his job, because the Federal government under Obama is refusing to do theirs. The real problem is being created by the fact that the DOJ, Mexico and their illegal citizens and advocates don't like that he is picking up the slack they are trying to get ICE to leave.
I read just fine thank you. And I am probably better versed on the subject than you are.
The DOJ, despite years of trying to catch Arpaio doing something illegal, has found NOTHING they can successfully prosecute him for.
The people who disagree with him are Mexico, the Latin countries that have formed a coalition with them and their citizens who flagrantly violate American laws, immigration and otherwise.
If the Federal government had indeed found wrong-doing in all the time they have been investigating him they would already be dragging him into court for prosecution.
Is this the same DOJ, along with POTUS that sent thousands of guns to Mexican drug dealers resulting in hundreds killed included two border agents, all so they could manufacture evidence for undermining the Constitutions 2nd Amendment?
I would hardly call that DOJ the arbitrator of the moral high ground on "discriminating against Latinos" when they are personally responsible for the deaths of hundreds and the terrorizing of thousands more.
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was established as a separate component within the Department of Justice pursuant to Title XI of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296, on January 17, 2003.” Link: http://www.justice.gov/jmd/mps/manual/atf.htm
But, the problem is no one will challenge him because in the past he uses his office as a sort of praetorian guard to harass his politcal opponents.
Only an elected police official or sworn officer could challenge him so that there would be equal muscle on both sides.
And his deputies stomp the inmates in LA County Jail.
We were fighting for the rights of ALL American citizens, and most especially those of black Americans whose rights were illegally being denied. Illegals have NO such claim or right. YOU and your kind are the Bull Conors of today by claiming YOU and the illegals are above the law and do not have to follow any law you don't like. Just like Bull Connor did.
What special power does Arpaio have that the feds don't when it comes to sneaking back in.
It's got to offend the Latin sense of "machismo".
So it's a fair and factual statement when I say the simple.tons descending on this thread who support him support him for his r@c!sm NOT for his work as a taxpayer funded civil servant.
The man is going to go down hard, thanks to the DOJ, and may he end his days in prison for the atrocities he's committed, for the rest of his miserable life.
I received a press release from one of those groups bragging about it's victory over American citizens:
http://redwriteblue.blog.com/2011/11/12/nefarious-victory
Incarcerating a Latino for thirteen days because he failed to use a turn signal? How's that supposed to "secure ... property and civil rights"?? And then he fails to investigate over FOUR HUNDREDS SEX CRIMES because he's out arresting brown-skinned people for not using their turn signal? Why are you defending him? If a black sheriff arrested you and locked you up for thirteen days, would you tell yourself he's just "securing other people's property and civil rights", or is he in violation of yours?
Arpaio is *not* above the law. And as for Pearce, SB 1070 was targeted against all people with brown skin and it's a cause for celebration that the arrogant rep was ousted and that egregious law was gutted.
Arpaio and Pearce are a disgrace to America and anyone who supports him is, too.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/New-numbers-indicate-crime-rate-is-falling-125537383.html
The brown shirts in the DOJ have been chasing him since BO got into office. They have found no evidence. That's a fact.
Your link is a dud, btw.
Try this one:http://washingtonindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/AmericasVoiceCrimeGraph2.png