Sheriff Joe Arpaio has become an almost unstoppable force in his 20 years in office by driving home two themes: that he will unceasingly crack down on crime and, more recently, illegal immigration.
But the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America is in the middle of the most difficult re-election fight of his career — largely because those themes are being turned against him.
Arpaio has been dogged by revelations that his office failed to adequately investigate more than 400 sex-crimes cases — including dozens of alleged child molestations — and allegations that his deputies have racially profiled Latinos in his boundary-pushing immigration patrols.
It has all added up to a tough fight for metro Phoenix's 80-year-old sheriff, who has become a national political figure on the immigration issue and was courted by Republican presidential candidates this year as they sought to bolster their immigration credentials.
A lack of reliable independent polling makes it hard to tell how competitive the race is. Arpaio, for his part, has far more money on hand — $3.8 million at last count — than his rivals.
David Berman, a senior research fellow at Arizona State University's Morrison Institute for Public Policy, said it's unclear whether Arpaio will prevail again, but he's more vulnerable than ever.
Berman said some voters disapprove of his handling of sex-crimes cases and are tired of his focus on illegal immigration. "There are people who are concerned, who want to get away from the state's kooky image," Berman said. "Sometimes, he feeds into that."
The five-term sheriff said he has dealt with sex-crimes cases responsibly once they were brought to his attention, denied the racial profiling allegations and offered few regrets for his management of the agency. "I am not changing," Arpaio said in a recent interview at a Denny's where several diners walked up to greet him.
Despite tougher competition, Arpaio remains popular with many voters who are frustrated with the porous Arizona-Mexico border and approve of his practice of making jail inmates wear pink underwear and sleep in canvas tents in the sweltering desert heat.
Arpaio faces a challenge from Democrat Paul Penzone and Independent Mike Stauffer, who have hammered on the problems with sex-crimes investigations. "He does not want to be held accountable," said Stauffer, a 51-year-old retired Scottsdale officer. "He'd rather we'd forget about it."
The sheriff's office reopened more 400 sex-crimes cases that were reported to the agency but were inadequately investigated or not investigated at all after they were reported over a three-year period that ended in 2007.
A city that had contracted with the sheriff's office for police services had concluded there were many cases in which sheriff's investigators wrote no follow-up reports, collected no additional forensic evidence and made zero effort after the initial report of the crime was taken. The city later concluded that some cases were no longer viable, in part, because victims had either moved away or otherwise moved on.
Arpaio's office said it has moved to clear up inadequately investigated cases and has taken steps to prevent the problem from happening again, such as doubling the number of detectives on the sex-crimes squad, increasing training and setting up a system that alerts supervisors if there has been no activity in a case within 30 days.
The sheriff said reporters have "reinvented" a five-year-old story about the sex-crimes squad and his agency has been singled out when several other police departments in metro Phoenix have had similar problems.
County prosecutors who reviewed nearly 500 sex-crimes cases from Arpaio's office had concluded two-thirds of the cases were handled properly, but they still would have never made it to court because there was no crime committed or no corroborating evidence.
Prosecutors concluded further investigation wasn't possible in about 12 percent of cases because there were no medical exams conducted on victims, officers failed to follow up after a crime was reported or other deficiencies. Victims in another 11 percent of cases didn't want to follow through with prosecutions. The sheriff's office is expected to resubmit 28 cases for possible prosecution.
Penzone, a 45-year-old retired Phoenix police officer, said Arpaio gives short shrift to the duties he was hired to do and focuses instead on operations that elevate his public profile.
"He neglects fundamental responsibilities because they lack the sensationalism that draws media attention," said Penzone, who ran a commercial on the bungled cases that questions Arpaio's reputation for getting tough on crime.
The sheriff, in turn, launched an ad accusing Penzone of abusing his then-estranged wife in 2003, an allegation the challenger denied. No charges were filed. Penzone said it was his wife who hit him in the head during the dispute with a hockey stick.
A figurative thorn in Arpaio's side was removed in late August when federal prosecutors said they were closing an abuse-of-power investigation against the sheriff's office without filing charges. The investigation focused on the investigative work of the sheriff's anti-public corruption squad that brought failed cases against officials who were at odds with him.
While the sheriff's immigration enforcement has made him popular among some voters, it has led to two lawsuits that allege racial profiling in his immigration patrols. A federal judge heard one of the lawsuits this summer and hasn't yet issued his ruling. The lawsuit filed by a small group of Latinos will serve as a precursor for a similar yet broader civil rights lawsuit filed against Arpaio by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Arpaio disputed claims that he's facing his toughest campaign. He has sought to deflect the criticism by running ads promoting his crackdowns on deadbeat parents and animal abusers. Still, he conceded he's catching more heat over his immigration enforcement this time around.
"There is more anger out there," the sheriff said.
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Masterrogue666 posted at 10:40 pm on Mon, Oct 29, 2012.
@Mike McClellan: Doesn't the DA have to issue an warrant to have an employer arrestted? Perhaps you are blaming the wrong person!
Ateam1 posted at 7:12 am on Sat, Oct 27, 2012.
Sheriff Joe can stay but you lawless idiot illegal lovers need to GO!!! You morons wont be happy until you can get the border open and allow the whole mess to finish AZ. OFF,which wont take much.I guarantee you where i live,we wont tolerate it.You Joe bashers are the racists.Phooey!
Masterrogue666 posted at 9:23 pm on Tue, Oct 23, 2012.
@Mike McClellan: What do you mean by "employer sanctioned" sweeps?
downtownresident posted at 2:10 pm on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
The old coot needs to go!!!!!
Look at his shameful display of anmesia during the Whale trials and any other time he is on the witness stand. He's a disgrace to Arizona. (Clue: Hendershott)
Mike McClellan posted at 1:32 pm on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
Please raise your hand if you can cite one employer sanctioned (under current AZ law) for hiring illegal immigrants arrested by Sheriff Arpaio.
What? No one raised his hand?
Of course not. Because in all -- all -- of his supposed "crime suppression sweeps," not one employer's been sanctioned. Not one.
VofReason posted at 12:57 pm on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
Please raise your hand if you don't think AZ has an illegal immigration problem. Please raise your hand if you think convicted criminals should get better treatment than our soldiers do in the battlezone. Please raise your hand if you think Arpaio did something he thought would put people in harmsway of a sexual abuser. Thanks for playing.
DonMey posted at 12:42 pm on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
While I question his competence, and deplore his methods, his stance on illegal immigration is something I support.
retired03 posted at 7:52 am on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
why is it mandu that reporting relevant news on a candidate, whether it's good news or bad, in this case, a "hit job." If this was an article in favor of king joe, your tone would be differenet... You can't have every article go your way all the time. King Joe is not God and has made many critical errors in the last several years. They are catching up with him. I agree with doc10250 if he gets re-elected, Maricopa county will pay the consequences.
retired03 posted at 7:44 am on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
dead beat dads and animal abusers? My God a broken record or what?
doc10250 posted at 7:10 am on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
SHERIFF JOE HAS GOT TO GO. Stop the bully with a badge. Comeon Maricopa, get rid of this facist once and for all. Study the facts. Your attention has been diverted from them in favor of illegal immigration. This is NOT the only issue. His jails are a joke, his deputies are little bullies with badges, and this guy is an embarrassment to Arizona. Vote em out, or live with the consequences. Does anybody not wonder why 80% of this guy's money comes from OUT OF STATE??????. We have a chance to correct this error. Do it now or you'll get what you pay for.
doc10250 posted at 7:08 am on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
SHERIFF JOE HAS GOT TO GO
DavidNichols posted at 5:50 am on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
It is time for America to "Move Forward", and get beyond this "Anti-Immigrant Rant".
For the Record:
January 2008 began the E-verify Law, the I.C.E. Deportation/Incarceration Programs, "The Great Recession", "The Foreclosure Crisis", and our "New Ballooning National Deficit".
This is No Co-incidence!
Fact: The Hard Labor Immigrants gladly did for America was the very "Foundation" of our Strong Economy, and the twenty-five year period prior to "The January 2008 start of "The Anti-Immigrant Rant" was the "Most Prosperous period in Total U.S. History.
We all worked together towards America's Prosperity.
In my eyes Sheriff Arpaio has Crashed and Divided America, and I fail to see how Arpaio is any better than the Child Rapists he intentionally IGNORED, and allowed to continue their Raping for years after being reported to ARPAIO"S M.C.S.O.
A vote for Arpaio is a vote for Racism, Hatred, and even for Child Rape.
jezzabella posted at 5:31 am on Mon, Oct 22, 2012.
Brittanicus: The TEA PARTY of "moderate Conservatives" is a major delusion proven by your racist post and claims of conspiracy. Get a dementia checkup. You need it.
chatmandu002 posted at 8:08 pm on Sun, Oct 21, 2012.
Another hit job on Sheriff Joe by the Administration Press (AP).
Go Sheriff Joe, enforce all the laws all the time.
Brittanicus posted at 7:46 pm on Sun, Oct 21, 2012.
Two Washington bills that guarantees bringing to a trickle the daily illegal alien invasion? 1. A nationwide E-Verify “THE LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT” that will forever stanch jobs being handed to illegal workers, as long as the penalties for employers are harsh and include prison time. 2. “THE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ACT” that will immediately stop the annual progression of smuggling unborn children into America, as no longer will that baby or babies be granted immediate citizenship, as at least one family member must be a U.S. citizen. These are the ONLY assurances that will not only start a self deportation of foreign nationals unlawfully settled here, but will end illegal immigration as we know it. Neither the Democrats backed by the hard core Liberal influence or even Republicans have kept these laws from being voted upon in Congress. The TEA PARTY of moderate Conservatives will force these two extremely major laws into the spotlight and insist that these laws have a chance of passage. ITS NOT JUST WHITE AMERICANS THAT WILL SUFFER UNDER OBAMA, AS PRESIDENT AGAIN, BUT EVERY LEGAL IMMIGRANT FROM ANY COUNTRY WHO IS NOW PAYING TAXES? You have seen gas prices, well this present President is in collusion with the environmental zealots who have already closed down coal sources, but he is out to limit drilling for oil and natural gas?
These two mandatory bills have been concealed from public awareness, so that all Americans can convince their State and Federal lawmakers how important it is to pass them. Just the cost of educating children of illegal aliens is a phenomena amount of taxpayers’ money. Hundreds of billions of dollars that could benefit our own citizens and legal resident, instead of being forced to pay under uncompensated mandate forced by the courts. This is the original source of the DREAM ACT controversy, of pregnant Mother mainly arriving here from some foreign government and placing their financial burden on U.S. taxpayers. And so it continuous—the unceasing flow of mothers carrying hidden fetuses, that are clogging our hospitals so delivery becomes our responsibility.
Under another Obama 4 year administration is a promise to the 20 million plus illegal aliens a Path to Citizenship. So not only illegal aliens will be tempted to vote for the man, but many will and Democrats will intentionally stay oblivious. The cost according to the Heritage Foundation is well over TWO TRILLION DOLLARS to complete the process, which includes Social Security, Supplementary Social Security, retirement, pensions, health care, education and other different financial programs; much of it paid for by taxpayers. At a working age, American citizens begin paying for their retirement, having paid into these systems, but illegal migrants and immigrants in the majority have not? In fact they are even fraudulently using their children to collect 4.6 Billion dollars in child credits, which this government and probably the previous ones don’t think it’s worth prosecuting?
From now and until the general election in November two groups that includes THE NATIONAL TEA PARTY and TRUE TO THE VOTE, will be monitoring organizations that has some affiliation to the ACORN group, other canvassers that was registering illegal voters, who were eventually caught and prosecuted in eleven states for election violations. ACORN since then has assumingly vanished, but has returned under entirely different names. In Addition individuals who knowingly vote in two States which is a felony, along with absentee ballot irregularities will be held accountable. Believe it the Democrats have asked some United Nations group, made up of European Observers to monitor our elections. Personally the UN is the last entity I would entertain in refereeing our voting system. They are just as corrupt as the two principle political parties. When I heard that Obama has given the UN approval of taxing America, for the financial interests of foreign nations, which really was a clincher for ultra socialist agenda’s. His other idea in agreement with the grand United Nations was sharing our deep sea water rights to other countries. Obama is a definite danger to America, with his nationalization health care system and sharing our resources with other countries. My advice is joining the TEA PARTY (THE PEOPLE’S PARTY) and voting in Mitt Romney, as you can observe from TEA PARTY POLITICIANS pushing out Republican incumbents in some states and are gaining in influence.
samkat posted at 7:19 pm on Sun, Oct 21, 2012.
Susie: You obviously do not like Joe. I doubt if he will invite you to his reelection party. :-)
Susie posted at 3:05 pm on Sun, Oct 21, 2012.
Please folks, let's get rid of this greasy haired egomaniac. He is way too old and set in his ways to serve any longer. He is nothing but a blow hard. Just sayin.....