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Better question: Do we really need another Arpaio term?
At least you KNOW what you're getting, sometimes it's better the devil you know than the one you don't. What would be said if the next guy we get has clay feet and is afraid of offending anyone? How would people scream then?
Arpaio has his faults to be sure but you're not going to please everyone especially when you're enforcing the law, doubly so when an affected group is so good at getting out the sympathy message.
At least you KNOW what you're getting, sometimes it's better the devil you know than the one you don't. What would be said if the next guy we get has clay feet and is afraid of offending anyone? How would people scream then?
Arpaio has his faults to be sure but you're not going to please everyone especially when you're enforcing the law, doubly so when an affected group is so good at getting out the sympathy message.
Incumbency corrupts. Like any elected official, there comes a time when they need to be replaced with new blood. It is time for Joe to go. I am quite sure we can find a competent replacement.
Your post reflects a common misconception of what the sheriff's duties and responsibilities really are. His main mission is to run the jail and make sure inmates get to and from court. In this part of AZ, almost everyone is within city limits and all cities of any significance have police departments that enforce the laws and deal with the bad guys. None of them ask for or receive any help from the Sheriff. In fact, the sheriff's deputies are widely considered "entry level" and the bottom of the barrel for LEOs.MCSO has contracts with some small towns like Guadalupe to provide police protection, but overall, they are seldom seen outside of the rural areas of the county or county islands. The sheriff, like any LEO, in the state can make arrests outside of his jurisdiction. Arpaio has used this authority to embarrass and harass political foes and for publicity stunts like his crime sweeps in cities that do not want him there.
I just finished listening to an interview of Sgt. Tommy Thompson on the radio show, 'Rosie on the House'. He was invited to discuss practical tips for preventing theft and burglary. What a breath of fresh air! Not only did the guy give a lot of very interesting, detailed advice based on his experience as an officer, but he just sounds so professional and serious, and doesn't seem to cultivate the circus atmosphere the way Joe does(obviously, not being an elected official might have something to do with that). But he seemed like a real guy who's involved in the nuts-and-bolts of his profession, not some Hollywood-inspired John Wayne type that gives people the illusion of safety, without actually providing it.
With Joe, the topic is always a myopic focus on immigration, because that's his money-maker as a politician. I know that's the nature of politics, but even so, I'd prefer to elect someone who has more than just that one tune to sing, who is more low-key and not a celebrity(which is a huge distraction all the time). In fact, I'd even go so far as to question the usefulness of having an elected position for Sheriff. I mean, are we really getting the best bang for our buck with this? I'd rather have more Phoenix PD resources, frankly, but not sure how the allocation of money works (county taxes versus city taxes?), I'll admit.
And I must say, my experience thus far with the Phoenix PD (having been burglarized twice) has been consistent with this type of leadership, this type of culture, in which the police really see themselves as there to 'protect and serve'. I still sometimes see the officer who assisted me the last time I was burglarized, stopping by for a quick chat to ask me how things are going, and then checking out the alleys which are a bit of a problem for our neighborhood. So, these officers that I've encountered so far have been really determined to make a difference in terms of real crime. The political nature of the Sheriff position just seems to lead to posturing and pandering, rather than a sincere attempt to do meaningful work.
I just finished listening to an interview of Sgt. Tommy Thompson on the radio show, 'Rosie on the House'. He was invited to discuss practical tips for preventing theft and burglary. What a breath of fresh air! Not only did the guy give a lot of very interesting, detailed advice based on his experience as an officer, but he just sounds so professional and serious, and doesn't seem to cultivate the circus atmosphere the way Joe does(obviously, not being an elected official might have something to do with that). But he seemed like a real guy who's involved in the nuts-and-bolts of his profession, not some Hollywood-inspired John Wayne type that gives people the illusion of safety, without actually providing it.
With Joe, the topic is always a myopic focus on immigration, because that's his money-maker as a politician. I know that's the nature of politics, but even so, I'd prefer to elect someone who has more than just that one tune to sing, who is more low-key and not a celebrity(which is a huge distraction all the time). In fact, I'd even go so far as to question the usefulness of having an elected position for Sheriff. I mean, are we really getting the best bang for our buck with this? I'd rather have more Phoenix PD resources, frankly, but not sure how the allocation of money works (county taxes versus city taxes?), I'll admit.
And I must say, my experience thus far with the Phoenix PD (having been burglarized twice) has been consistent with this type of leadership, this type of culture, in which the police really see themselves as there to 'protect and serve'. I still sometimes see the officer who assisted me the last time I was burglarized, stopping by for a quick chat to ask me how things are going, and then checking out the alleys which are a bit of a problem for our neighborhood. So, these officers that I've encountered so far have been really determined to make a difference in terms of real crime. The political nature of the Sheriff position just seems to lead to posturing and pandering, rather than a sincere attempt to do meaningful work.
There was a time in his first term or so when Arpaio acted professionally in his appearances as well. He just went off the tracks, especially in the past few years. Maybe it is political, but I have to think any Republican who ran would be elected so he did not have to to that. My gosh, the voters of this county elected a lawn mower repair guy (R) over a career law enforcement guy (D) years ago. I think Sheriff, though, is a position that should not be elected. An appointed chief LEO for the county would probably be a much better approach. Seems to work well for the cities, as you point out.
I never understood the birth certificate issue anyway. Citizenship by birthright is conferred if you have an American parent...which the Pres does, so why is this even an issue?
The only thing a birth certificate would prove is if he changed his name or something. So unless Joe's trying to prove the Pres changed his name during his lifetime, I don't see the point of an investigation - in which case I still don't see the point since this type of investigation was not what he was elected to do and really has nothing to do with his job which pertains to crime prevention and the courts and jails of Maricopa County.
He should keep his investigations to his scope of office - I'd say that about any elected official.
Incumbency corrupts. Like any elected official, there comes a time when they need to be replaced with new blood. It is time for Joe to go. I am quite sure we can find a competent replacement.
Your post reflects a common misconception of what the sheriff's duties and responsibilities really are. His main mission is to run the jail and make sure inmates get to and from court. In this part of AZ, almost everyone is within city limits and all cities of any significance have police departments that enforce the laws and deal with the bad guys. None of them ask for or receive any help from the Sheriff. In fact, the sheriff's deputies are widely considered "entry level" and the bottom of the barrel for LEOs.MCSO has contracts with some small towns like Guadalupe to provide police protection, but overall, they are seldom seen outside of the rural areas of the county or county islands. The sheriff, like any LEO, in the state can make arrests outside of his jurisdiction. Arpaio has used this authority to embarrass and harass political foes and for publicity stunts like his crime sweeps in cities that do not want him there.
I find this interesting (bold) as my stepdad was a Pima County Sheriff and I remember clearly him saying many times that the Sheriff is the high man in the county, he can go into any city in the county and do what the Sheriff needed to do no matter what the locals said.
Now this may have changed (to be honest I've not really paid much attention for years) but I've got a big feeling the S.O.'s might take a bit of offense and argue with your description of them and what they do.
As for appointed vs elected, all depends on which master you want them to answer to now doesn't it? Elected, in the end he has to listen to the voters. Appointed, he only has to listen (and pander) to whoever "crowned" him.
I find this interesting (bold) as my stepdad was a Pima County Sheriff and I remember clearly him saying many times that the Sheriff is the high man in the county, he can go into any city in the county and do what the Sheriff needed to do no matter what the locals said.
Now this may have changed (to be honest I've not really paid much attention for years) but I've got a big feeling the S.O.'s might take a bit of offense and argue with your description of them and what they do.
As for appointed vs elected, all depends on which master you want them to answer to now doesn't it? Elected, in the end he has to listen to the voters. Appointed, he only has to listen (and pander) to whoever "crowned" him.
Pima county is quite different than Maricopa in that much more of the population is in "county" and has the sheriff as main law enforcement agency. MCSO polices mostly old folks in the Sun Cities. Sheriffs who go where they want "no matter what the locals said" are not playing well with others and are doing a disservice. Even Joe rarely if ever does that kind of stuff except for his grandstanding immigration raids. As for professional reputation, I have no knowledge about Pima, but have heard the negative comments about MCSO from so many sources that I have to believe there is something to it.
Pima county is quite different than Maricopa in that much more of the population is in "county" and has the sheriff as main law enforcement agency. MCSO polices mostly old folks in the Sun Cities. Sheriffs who go where they want "no matter what the locals said" are not playing well with others and are doing a disservice. Even Joe rarely if ever does that kind of stuff except for his grandstanding immigration raids. As for professional reputation, I have no knowledge about Pima, but have heard the negative comments about MCSO from so many sources that I have to believe there is something to it.
Agreed, they wouldn't be playing well with others. From what I was told this rarely happened for just that reason. You don't want to step on toes but sometimes (like with an incompetent or badge heavy local) they would.
Incumbency corrupts. Like any elected official, there comes a time when they need to be replaced with new blood. It is time for Joe to go. I am quite sure we can find a competent replacement.
Your post reflects a common misconception of what the sheriff's duties and responsibilities really are. His main mission is to run the jail and make sure inmates get to and from court. In this part of AZ, almost everyone is within city limits and all cities of any significance have police departments that enforce the laws and deal with the bad guys. None of them ask for or receive any help from the Sheriff. In fact, the sheriff's deputies are widely considered "entry level" and the bottom of the barrel for LEOs.MCSO has contracts with some small towns like Guadalupe to provide police protection, but overall, they are seldom seen outside of the rural areas of the county or county islands. The sheriff, like any LEO, in the state can make arrests outside of his jurisdiction. Arpaio has used this authority to embarrass and harass political foes and for publicity stunts like his crime sweeps in cities that do not want him there.
There are county islands throughout Gilbert and Mesa, as well as other areas of the valley, and not just in retirement communities.
Regarding MCSO being entry level: In the San Francisco Bay area officers would move laterally, as vacancies arose, to the safest cities and highest pay. A city like Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek were highly desirable and an officer fresh out of the academy didn't have a chance of getting on there because the cities would choose the best laterals.
So the new officers would go to places like Oakland, with the high crime rate (higher risk to the officers safety)
I would think that the same competition for more safe and desirable areas would be in place here. Gilbert would probably be at or near the top of the more desirable cities for an officer to work, and probably the more experienced laterals would be selected from the other areas to fill vacancies.
Working in jails is fairly risky because the officers are in constant contact with dangerous criminals who will hurt them if they have the opportunity. So it's probable that laterals would not apply for those jobs, and it's the new officers (entry level) who would get them.
Using the words entry level seems to imply some degree of incompetency, and I don't think that's a fair assessment of the deputies in the department.
While the SO may get it's fair share of new officers, they have many experienced officers. And their female patrol deputies are very experienced and tough. I doubt if any of the tough macho guys they've had to apprehend would call them entry level.
If the sheriff's patrol officers job is fairly dangerous, then it's probable that those jobs are mostly filled with new officers. However, new officers become experienced officers over time, and not every officer in the department will move to another department.
I know a couple of officers who are with the sheriff's department, and these guys are highly experienced.
The Sheriff's posse on the other hand, is made up of volunteers, and many of them don't carry weapons. They do a lot of odd jobs that don't require a sworn deputy.
I'm trying to nail down the cost of joe in lawsuit dollars,mis-spent money,and funds in the jails & where they end up.Where does the $10.00 surcharge go any time money is added to an inmate account?Who runs the concessions,his wife?Prices are inflated,where does the profit go?There's well over $30,000,000 in judgements!He must run for office again to try to prevent the audit his successor must perform.
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The cost of sheriff joe
