Sheriff Joe Arpaio wants Maricopa County (AZ) residents to know he’s not changing how he conducts his crime suppression sweeps, in spite of the federal government’s limitation of the sheriff’s officers to act as federal immigration agents.
“We will continue to do what we have been doing, and target human smuggling, employee sanctions and any criminal activity we come across,” Arpaio told a group of reporters on Friday evening at the District 3 substation in Surprise. “I will be doing the same job, which is to enforce state laws, arrest (criminals) and book them into the county jail.”
The press conference was held in conjunction with the sheriff’s 12th crime suppression operation, which began at noon on Friday and will continue for approximately 48 hours, targeting the Northwest Valley.
As of midnight Thursday, according to the federal government, sheriff personnel may not prosecute those in the country illegally, but instead those suspected of being illegal will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for investigation and possible prosecution.
Arpaio and his deputies may now only check the immigration status of jail inmates.
Arpaio is the subject of a Justice Department investigation triggered by complaints of racial profiling, which Arpaio denies.
Arpaio said his department was responsible for investigating arresting and detaining 33,000 suspected illegal immigrants, which represents about 25 percent of the nations’ illegal immigrant arrests.
“We did our job,” Arpaio said.
Arpaio said he is looking into challenging the limitations now imposed on the department and will have the county attorney determine whether state and local laws would supersede federal orders.
“We don’t have to be controlled by Washington in everything we do,” Arpaio said.
The sheriff was nearly drowned out by a small group of protesters who chanted through the entire press conference.
The group, carrying signs that read “We are Human,” used a microphone and protested against Arpaio's alleged human rights violations.
One of them, Jack Gilman, 70, of Surprise, said he was against Arpaio’s alleged racial profiling and treatment of undocumented immigrants.
“They aren’t bothering anyone, they aren’t taking jobs away from Americans,” Gilman said. “And he’s treating them like they are the scum of the earth.”
Arpaio said the crime sweep on Friday had so far garnered the detention of eight suspected illegal immigrants near I17 and Anthem on human smuggling charges.
“And if we don’t have enough to arrest them, we’ll turn them over to ICE,” Arpaio said, adding that the paperwork and manpower that used to be used by the sheriff’s office for those duties is now being shouldered by ICE.
Arpaio said the sheriff’s department will now be using volunteer posse members to ride along and videotape activities of the sheriff’s department employees in response to his critics videotaping similar activities.
He would not say how many cameras would be in operation, nor how much was spent on the equipment, but did say at least part of it was paid for by RICO funds.“We’ll be using video (cameras) to tape the activities of the deputies,” Arpaio said. “They are performing their duties, and we want to show that they don’t do anything wrong.”
Arpaio said Saturday night’s crime suppression sweep “may have some surprises.”
“We’ll be (targeting) all phases of illegal activity,” Arpaio said.
“We will continue to do what we have been doing, and target human smuggling, employee sanctions and any criminal activity we come across,” Arpaio told a group of reporters on Friday evening at the District 3 substation in Surprise. “I will be doing the same job, which is to enforce state laws, arrest (criminals) and book them into the county jail.”
The press conference was held in conjunction with the sheriff’s 12th crime suppression operation, which began at noon on Friday and will continue for approximately 48 hours, targeting the Northwest Valley.
As of midnight Thursday, according to the federal government, sheriff personnel may not prosecute those in the country illegally, but instead those suspected of being illegal will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for investigation and possible prosecution.
Arpaio and his deputies may now only check the immigration status of jail inmates.
Arpaio is the subject of a Justice Department investigation triggered by complaints of racial profiling, which Arpaio denies.
Arpaio said his department was responsible for investigating arresting and detaining 33,000 suspected illegal immigrants, which represents about 25 percent of the nations’ illegal immigrant arrests.
“We did our job,” Arpaio said.
Arpaio said he is looking into challenging the limitations now imposed on the department and will have the county attorney determine whether state and local laws would supersede federal orders.
“We don’t have to be controlled by Washington in everything we do,” Arpaio said.
The sheriff was nearly drowned out by a small group of protesters who chanted through the entire press conference.
The group, carrying signs that read “We are Human,” used a microphone and protested against Arpaio's alleged human rights violations.
One of them, Jack Gilman, 70, of Surprise, said he was against Arpaio’s alleged racial profiling and treatment of undocumented immigrants.
“They aren’t bothering anyone, they aren’t taking jobs away from Americans,” Gilman said. “And he’s treating them like they are the scum of the earth.”
Arpaio said the crime sweep on Friday had so far garnered the detention of eight suspected illegal immigrants near I17 and Anthem on human smuggling charges.
“And if we don’t have enough to arrest them, we’ll turn them over to ICE,” Arpaio said, adding that the paperwork and manpower that used to be used by the sheriff’s office for those duties is now being shouldered by ICE.
Arpaio said the sheriff’s department will now be using volunteer posse members to ride along and videotape activities of the sheriff’s department employees in response to his critics videotaping similar activities.
He would not say how many cameras would be in operation, nor how much was spent on the equipment, but did say at least part of it was paid for by RICO funds.“We’ll be using video (cameras) to tape the activities of the deputies,” Arpaio said. “They are performing their duties, and we want to show that they don’t do anything wrong.”
Arpaio said Saturday night’s crime suppression sweep “may have some surprises.”
“We’ll be (targeting) all phases of illegal activity,” Arpaio said.
More about Sheriff Arpaio's law enforcement activities here.
11 comments:
This guy is great! What a hero! His story can be read in Joes's Law.. it is an enjoyable read.
Wish we had more like him.
Go sheriff Joe ! stand up to the liberal socialist Constitution shredders !
I love this guy. Unfortunately looks like Obama is still his nose in again where it doesn't belong. He's a great Sheriff. Criminals are going to do anything they can to have him removed. If one of these illegals murdered, raped or molested someones family member bet it would a whole different story.
There would be a lot more Joe's in this country (i.e. low enforcement officers upholding the law) if it wasn't for the pantywaste liberals.
My hat is off to this man. We need more like him! Get 'em Joe!
Sheriff Joe, do us all a favor and lock up the main illegal alien in the white house. It is nauseating to see how the liberal media classifies the illegal immigrants and undocumented immigrants.
Me too, I love Sheriff Joe. Too bad the local yokels don't take some lessons from him.
Keep em out Joe.
How sad when law enforcement is ordered not to do their duty.
Joe is Great,
But don't forget What We Got. Sheriff Mike Lewis.
Sheriff Lewis retired as a Sergeant with the Maryland State Police, Pro-Active Criminal Enforcement Team (PACE) after twenty-two years of loyal and dedicated service. In addition to his duties as the agency’s leading Criminal Interdiction Expert, Sheriff Lewis remains a CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR through the Maryland Police Training Commission, and a certified MASTER INSTRUCTOR through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Sheriff Lewis was directly responsible for the training and educating of all Maryland State Police personnel in the Criminal Interdiction Venue.
He pioneered the Drug Interdiction Program along Maryland ’s notorious U.S. Rt. 13 corridor, coordinating many multi-jurisdictional investigations following the seizures of large amounts of illegal contraband. During his twenty-two years as a Maryland State Trooper, he made many nationally recognized seizures of CRACK COCAINE along Maryland ’s East Coast.
Sheriff Lewis has trained tens of thousands of law enforcement officers extensively throughout the United States and Canada as well as other parts of the world to include; Australia , London , Germany , Russia & the West Indies . Sheriff Lewis has been judicially recognized by the federal & state courts of this country as an EXPERT in the areas of Highway Interdiction, Hidden Compartments & Drug Valuation.
Retired from the Maryland State Police effective July 1st, 2006, he was elected SHERIFF of Wicomico County, Maryland on November 7th 2006.
We are lucky to have him.
Tom Sawyer
Well said 5:40 pm, I couldn't agree with you more. How lucky is Wicomico County and the residents here to have such an amazing force on our side of the law. God bless, Sheriff Mike Lewis and the men and women of the Sheriff's Department and all law enforcement that put their lives on the line for each of us every single day. Job well done to all.
Hey, thank God that both Sheriff's are in office. Joe is one of the best out there and he saved taxpayers tons of money when he fixed the prison system in Arizona! I remember hearing a quote "One time Joe heard prisoners complaining about the heat outside in their tents, he shouted back, our troops overseas are in 120 degree heat, carrying 100 pounds of gear, and fighting for us, and what law did they break?" Mike Lewis is also the best we have here in Wicomico, thank God, they have more arrests than that of chiefty! Chiefty is a sad excuse of an officer. Maybe they should let Mike take over the city police and sheriff's office both.
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