Maricopa County’s Arpaio is Straight Shooter
Karen Bune
Victimology Contributor
Officer.com
Known as America’s Toughest Sheriff, Arizona’s Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is no- nonsense, practical, and determined law enforcement leader. He does not placate criminals, pander to his critics, and he does not back down when threatened with inquiries, lawsuits, or tactics of intimidation by those who don’t agree with his practices or policies. Sheriff Arpaio is definitely no wimp, and he runs his department the way he sees fit. He does not allow himself to be swayed or manipulated by others who constantly find fault with his strategies and condemn him for his philosophy. Obviously, for the residents of his county, he has lasting appeal because they overwhelmingly elect him term after term.
Sheriff Arpaio is outspoken and doesn’t molly-coddle criminals. He continues to demonstrate creativity with the idea and implementation of a new television reality show on the Fox reality channel titled, “Smile, You’re Under Arrest” in which the sheriff himself stars. Offenders willingly sign up to appear on the show in which professional actors are utilized in skits that enable arrests to be made of miscreants who may have outstanding warrants, missed court dates, DWIs, drug offenses, and other violations of the law. The offenders, thinking they will be ‘stars,’ easily succumb to the lure of the telephoto lens and reveal their true level of gullibility for that desired claim to Hollywood fame.
Arpaio is also well known for having his inmates live in a tent, wear pink underwear (because the white underwear was being consistently stolen), and for having offenders work on chain gangs. Moreover, they are banned from smoking, drinking coffee, and watching television. If inmates have any money saved in their jail accounts, the sheriff requires them to pay for their own meals. His jail is no playground for fun or shenanigans, and he holds his inmates’ feet to the fire by making them accountable.
Though the Mayor of Phoenix, Phil Gordon, has requested federal investigations of the sheriff accusing him of unfairly targeting illegal immigrants with his aggressive crackdown that employs crime suppression techniques and Paco Fabian, of America’s Voice, accuses him of racial profiling, Arpaio resolutely denies he is doing anything of the sort. To the contrary, Arpaio can point to the fact that he has successfully weeded out those who are criminals and that they have been deported as a consequence of their illegal activities. “We are the only ones cracking down on the state’s human smuggling laws,” counters Sheriff Arpaio.
The sheriff seems to garner the disapproval of the mayor and others of his ilk because his crime fighting strategies and correctional methods are bold, daring and different yet they have proven to be successful. Sheriff Arpaio says what others don’t want to hear, treads down paths others fear to go, and speaks out when it is politically incorrect.
Sheriff Arpaio has the courage to do what needs to be done when necessary. In an era where, on the one hand, employers encourage their workers to be flexible and “think outside the box,” the sheriff is already one step ahead of them on that ideological road. As he moves forward at a rapid and determined rate, those same people who encourage this philosophy are presumably the ones running behind him, trying to grab his coat tails, and attempting to influence him to sing a different tune that more aptly pleases their own political self-interest. If people like Mayor Gordon of Phoenix and Paco Fabian can’t stand the heat, it’s time for them to get out of the kitchen and let the sheriff continue to do his job without their unsolicited input and unwarranted interference.
I have followed the career of Sheriff Arpaio. He has been the subject of many discussions on our local talk radio stations in Los Angeles. I think it is refreshing that he follows his principles and doesn’t falter to political pressure. I would be interested in knowing the recitivism rate at his jails. I would assume it is less than the average because he doesn’t coddle criminals yet provides the structure for them to follow and learn by their mistakes.
All I can say as a law abiding LEGAL resident of Maricopa County is that I am very happy with the job Sheriff Arpaio is doing and was very glad to see him re-elected in a landslide.
Good article. Sheriff Arpaio is a refreshing countercurrent in this country of political correctness where peace officers must fear being jailed in trying to do their jobs. I’m sure the Sheriff is no stranger to the courtroom and challenges to his methods and am equally sure he rises to the occasion and will not weaken under such pressure.
I think that he should continue to ensure that inmates understand that jail is not a fun place to be. THere are some in society that commit crimes just so they can go to jail for the free bees. As long as he promotes a safe environment and is not violating any human rights laws I say anything goes to change the mindset of the career criminal.
I am sick and tired of those useless “penny-enny” politicians codling up to those putrid, dirtbag rats called illegals. Good for him, we need more people like the sheriff in this country and less of those “two-faced, hippocrits” like the mayor of Phoenix and that other louse Paco, Pedro or the Cisco Kid or whatever his name is.
THe article says: “The sheriff seems to garner the disapproval of the mayor and others of his ilk because his crime fighting strategies and correctional methods are bold, daring and different yet they have proven to be successful.”
Ok, does anyone have stats to back this up?
Mr. Russell,
The unpopular pink underwear certainly is working in terms of a cost-cutting measure because it is not being stolen!
The Sheriff’s tactics are simply the modern day application of old time law enforcement, prior to the PC bull we put up with now. Arpaio is a great Sheriff and voters everywhere need to elect men that will follow in his footsteps.
Awesome Sheriff…..please bring him to DC!!!!! We could use a few good men & women of this caliber.
Not as awesome as you think. While I agree with many things that he does he is still a grand standing publicity hound who want to be famous. He has cost the county MILLIONS of dollars in lawsuits for failed policies and poor management. He has become a victim of his own need for power and recognition.
The pink clothes, tent city, etc… are all great ideas. Raiding another cities police department in the middle of the night- not so swift. He is an accident waiting to happen. I would urge the writer of this blog to do a bit more research on Joe and the other side of the story as it were
Karen - I think it interesting that you comment about the Sheriff the same day that the Washington Post, and other liberal newspapers are touting Virginia’s Senator Webb and his new plan to improve the prison system by making jail time now associated with how many minorities are there. Same old tripe, never works.
I’d sure like to know what the Sheriff’s recidivism rate is. I know the recidivism rate for Virginia, is 97%. That means, 97% of Virginia inmates will return to prison before they die. I’ll bet the Sheriff’s jail system has considerably less of that. Geez, I wonder why? Looks to me like folks in the Sheriff’s jail may not want to return. Whereas, Virginia jails as an example, are castles compared to the Sheriff’s jails. Virginia has cable TV, great food, exercise, gyms in every floor (Arlington at least), organized schooling daily. Shucks it’s better than home!! Other than no dope, who on earth would actually want to be on the dangerous streets?
Richmond for example is as dangerous as Iraq. Who’d want to be there!!
More power to the Sheriff.