Fox Touts Avid Immigrant Witch Hunter As ‘America’s Toughest Sheriff’
Fox Touts Avid Immigrant Witch Hunter As ‘America’s Toughest Sheriff’
Our guest blogger is Henry Fernandez, a Senior Fellow at the Center For American Progress Action Fund working on state and municipal issues.
Fox has done it again. Not content with Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, Fox TV network has found its most recent “perfect fit” – Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Maricopa County, Arizona. We have previously documented Arpaio’s desire for reality show fame as well as his inability to actually solve crime — some 48,000 felony fugitives remain on the loose in his jurisdiction.
Fox’s new “Smile! You’re Under Arrest” television program is intended to project Arpaio as “America’s Toughest Sheriff.” Here’s his record.
Arpaio has diverted deputies from solving crimes to chasing immigrants — and done so with no real strategy other than to attract television cameras. Arpaio’s deputies carry out traffic stops and neighborhood sweeps that have reportedly stopped people for no greater “crime” than being brown. These sheriff deputies hope they find someone without identification who they can turn over to federal immigration officials. Arpaio even requires that victims and witnesses prove their immigration status – a sure way to get fewer whistleblowers to come forward, thus increasing crime.
Seems like an odd guy for Fox to highlight as a law enforcement icon. America’s Voice has just produced a video attempting to give Arpaio “the attention he deserves” — a federal investigation into his record:
The conservative Goldwater Institute conducted an investigation and found using FBI crime statistics that violent crimes in Maricopa County have increased 69% since 2004 and murders have increased a whopping 166%; this while nearby jurisdictions have seen either declines or small increases. Arizona’s East Valley Tribune investigated as well and found: “slower response times on emergency calls, a dropping arrest rate, and for a time, excessive overtime costs.” Even better, on September 25th, Arpaio’s jails lost accreditation, and he is now operating the jails outside Arizona law.
But some people will prosper under Arpaio’s shenanigans – those who sue the county. Between 2004 and 2007, 2,700 lawsuits have been filed against Maricopa County. The Phoenix New Times reports that:
With a fraction of the inmate population, Arpaio has had 50 times as many lawsuits as the New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston jail systems combined. … The $41.4 million taxpayers coughed up to insure for, defend, or settle lawsuits is just the edge of the cesspool — one result of inhumane conditions that have long made Arpaio’s jails the target of investigations from both the federal government and advocates like Amnesty International.
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Who said we have no alternative to Gitmo?
It appears this assclown has been operating a Gitmo in Arizona.
Fox News: ‘Just when you thought we couldn’t get any lower’…
December 18th, 2008 at 3:54 pmArpaio is not really tough, he just likes seeing all that pink underwear on the manhood of the prisoners.
R_B
December 18th, 2008 at 3:57 pmLou Dobbs must be cursing Proposition 8 now… cuz I’m sure he’d want to marry this guy.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:02 pmAnother failed republican being hailed as a sucess and a hero by other failed republicans.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:02 pmFox just loves them some jack-booted thugs.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:20 pmA neanderthal’s neanderthal.
All the swagger of John Wayne coupled with the brains of Barney Fife.
A real embarrassment.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:21 pmWatch FOX, we fail upward, AND give you your opinion.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:31 pmArpaio just doesn’t compare to the model of the tough sherriff running a prison well. We still need to make sure our sherrifs and lawmen continue to inspire to be the best.
So far, Joeseph Goebels is still out in front on that one.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:31 pmThem FAUX News folks should try living in his county for a while and see how well it’s working. Between the crime rate and the taxes, they might start changing their minds about how good this guy is at his job.
December 18th, 2008 at 4:45 pm“It’s120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too, and they have to wear full battle gear, but they didn’t commit any crimes, so shut your damned mouths!”
Joe Arpaio
Love it! We need about 3,140 more of these sheriffs. Keep up the good work Joe.
December 18th, 2008 at 5:08 pmICEMAN Says:
Icebrain you are a moron without any brainpan whatsoever. You have never posted a single thing worth reading. You are ignorant, stupid and completely worthless so why dont YOU go pour yourself a nice steaming hot cup of STFU. No one thinks you are anything but a spoiled little punk with a chip on his shoulder and a well earned inferiority complex you worthless loaf.
December 18th, 2008 at 5:15 pmArpaio is a sadistic little creep
December 18th, 2008 at 5:16 pmHe is all talk & bravado
somehow the Maricopa county voters keep him in office.
luckily I live in another county in Arizona and very rarely
go to Phoenix area.
of course I have nothing to worry about, his goons only stop brown people.
he was just re-elected by just over 55%…
December 18th, 2008 at 5:29 pmLove it! We need about 3,140 more of these sheriffs. Keep up the good work Joe.
December 18th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Just as I doubt you’ve ever been in a fire fight, i doubt you’ve ever been busted.
It should happen to you. The whole drill. So you know what you’re applauding. I know where to find a plunger to perform the cavity search…
December 18th, 2008 at 5:31 pmtokin librul Says:
he was just re-elected by just over 55%…
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That is Phoenix for ya. Arpaio is a Nazi at his best. The man needs to go away.
December 18th, 2008 at 5:56 pmAmerica’s toughest sheriff is heavily into police brutality and cruel treatment of prisoners (including those who have not been convicted), according to Tom Zollner.
What’s even more troubling to me is that Janet Napolitano, soon to be our new Michael Chertoff, looked the other way while Sheriff Arpaio abused Americans when she was U.S. Attorney in charge of putting a stop to such unlawful behavior. In exchange, Arpaio — a Republican — backed Napolitano in her gubernatorial race. After she won the election — by a thin margin — Napolitao did nothing to stop Arpaio’s futile raids on immigrants. To me, Arpaio is the sideshow — Napolitano is the story. And it’s not a pretty one.
The Constant Weader at http://www.RealityChex.com
December 18th, 2008 at 6:01 pmArpaio isn’t a “tough sheriff,” he’s a racist and a criminal.
He makes me sick.
December 18th, 2008 at 6:04 pmscotsdalian says
all the swagger of john wayne coupled with the brains of barney fife…..lol brillent
they should put up a billboard with that and lil joeys crime statistics and watch his head explode
December 18th, 2008 at 6:45 pmAmazing – nothing to be done about it, just lament the atrocities (kinda like the Bush administration). It’s a shame that there are no laws in this country against rogue “law enforcement” officials. It used to be investigations that exposed illegal behavior by public officials resulted in prosecution, or at least, ouster from office. Now all we get is (maybe) acknowledgment that bad things are being done…..
December 18th, 2008 at 7:01 pmYeah, it takes a real man to humiliate prisoners.
December 18th, 2008 at 7:32 pmAnother NeoClown dufus failing upward in FauxVille.
December 18th, 2008 at 8:27 pmThis guy is the living embodiment of a Will Farrell movie character.
And in a real world setting, that’s not good.
“I’m the Sheriff…I’m the law! When do I get my guest spot on Law & Order as the Law?”
December 18th, 2008 at 8:28 pmWhat, specifically, has this Sheriff done that is so bad?
Explain.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:11 pmAnd for the sake of decent conversation, please try to respond without resorting to insults or generalizations.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:15 pmArpaio’s deputies carry out traffic stops and neighborhood sweeps that have reportedly stopped people for no greater “crime” than being brown.
Called profiling. Is in violation of the fourth Amendment, Timmeh. Be very afraid Timmeh, he might be coming to your neighborhood..
December 18th, 2008 at 10:38 pmThe guy is rounding up little brown men, women and children at the expense of letting numerous felons run free, at the cost of every tax payer in the area. I’d call that more than a bit troubling, especially in the area of Constitutional law and ethics.
If you let and believe a pet rock will guard your lawn and house from burglars, you obviously have no problems with a schmuck like this.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:36 pmArpaio does a damn good job of making sure people don’t want to be arrested in his country.
Fact is criminals make an effort to avoid his region.
That being said the man needs to ease up on those who haven’t been convicted.
December 19th, 2008 at 1:27 amsectionop92 Says:
If you let and believe a pet rock will guard your lawn and house from burglars, you obviously have no problems with a schmuck like this.
Totally off-base and unnecessary. My pet rocks guard my house very well. I love my pet rocks.
cd Says:
Arpaio does a damn good job of making sure people don’t want to be arrested in his country.
Fact is criminals make an effort to avoid his region.
Name one county where people want to be arrested. Last I checked, only mentally disturbed people want to be arrested — anywhere.
Fact is that you are wrong: criminals DO NOT avoid his region. The crime rate (and violent crime in specific) has skyrocketed in this goon’s county, to an unprecedented degree. You are trying to argue for the theme that ‘if the law is tough on crime then criminals won’t do bad things out of fear.’ Well, this is a clear example of yet another neocon/repug/con idea that does not work (like everything else from the right: failed ideologies, and even with blatant proof that these ideologies are not workable (trickle down, anyone?), the right still clings to them tenatiously like they were life preservers, when they are actually lead weights.
Fact is, cd, you are dead wrong. This goon’s policies do NOT work to lower crime, and have served to increase it drastically. But keep drinking the koolaid and tell yourself that your ideology is perfect and correct regardless of how much evidence to the contrary comes to light.
Goon.
December 19th, 2008 at 7:42 amHeard on NPR on Thursday that Mexicans are moving back to Mexico because there no jobs here. Guess Araipo’s fame will be short lived.
December 19th, 2008 at 8:10 amOnce again, you’re conflating legal and illegal immigration. That confuses the debate. There’s no argument against legal immigration. Illegal immigration is the hardball issue we’re looking at solving.
The fact that racists and nativists are against illegal immigration does not make illegal immigration ok.
I don’t hold with abusing illegal immigrants, by the way. Which the sheriff is very close to the edge on.
December 19th, 2008 at 10:00 amTim Vaculik Says: Nothing much.
Timmeh, you should learn to read. Thereby allowing you to garner information BEFORE you make yourself look stupid.
December 19th, 2008 at 3:17 pmDefinitions:
Liberal asks a question – he’s “enlightened”
Conservative asks a question – he’s too stupid to know he never should ask questions of the “enlightened”
December 19th, 2008 at 10:56 pmArpaio even requires that victims and witnesses prove their immigration status – a sure way to get fewer whistleblowers to come forward, thus increasing crime.
That myth has been debunked in Los Angeles. Nobody is blowing the whistle on MS13 anyway. Get real.
December 27th, 2008 at 8:09 am“Araipo For Head of Immigration and Naturalization” and “ICE.”
On a side note, lets bring the Gitmo detainees here, and house them in the middle of a pig farm.
I was fortunate enough five years ago to be in New York visiting a friend; a friend who was working as a guard at the WTC site. About 3:30AM on a particular weekend I was able to walk the site with a backpack sprayer, and sprayed diluted pig blood on the area where the towers stood; no going to see Allah for those terrorists. Isn’t freedom wonderful?
February 10th, 2009 at 4:12 pmScottsdalian in #6, above; Be easy on yourself. OK?
February 10th, 2009 at 4:14 pmRUCerious Says:
Arpaio’s deputies carry out traffic stops and neighborhood sweeps that have reportedly stopped people for no greater “crime” than being brown.
Called profiling. Is in violation of the fourth Amendment, Timmeh. Be very afraid Timmeh, he might be coming to your neighborhood..
Reply: After a while it is no longer profiling, it’s a description of the perps. Most illegal Mexicans are brown, are they not?
February 10th, 2009 at 4:18 pm