by Jim Kouri
Maricopa County (Arizona) Sheriff Joe Arpaio — hailed by many as America’s Sheriff — is under attack for cracking down on illegal aliens. The liberal-left politicians, activists and members of the news media are vilifying Sheriff Arpaio for his department’s immigration and crime sweeps in and around Phoenix.
On Friday, government officials with the Homeland Security and Justice Departments stated that the veteran lawman’s deputies could no longer make arrests based on a person’s immigration status. However, during an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” Sheriff Arpaio told viewers that he and his deputies would continue to enforce the law and pointed to Arizona state laws that he would enforce.
In response to the federal complaints regarding his activities, Sheriff Arpaio dispatched deputies on a two-day “crime suppression” operation. While heralded by the men and women he serves, Arpaio’s sweeps have been characterized as racial profiling by opponents of immigration enforcement.
The nationwide enforcement of immigration law has been under the gun since President Barack Obama took his oath of office. Many political leaders, mostly Democrats, have targeted enforcement agencies and agents over the past few months with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi calling immigration raids “Un-American” and Congressman Luis Guttierez calling Border Patrol agents “The Gestapo.”
Attorney General Eric Holder has also threatened Arpaio with a federal investigation of his Sheriff’s Department and its activities as a result of his success at capturing hundreds of criminal aliens.
“Nothing has changed,” Arpaio told a Reuters reporter while overseeing an operation in a suburb northwest of Phoenix. “We’re still going to be doing what we’ve been doing tonight and during the last two and a half years. I don’t take orders from anyone.”
Sheriff Arpaio first carried out the sweeps after his deputies underwent training offered by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that gave participating state and local police officers authority to make immigration arrests during the Bush Administration. However, during the Obama Administration deputies have now lost their arrest powers as far as immigration laws on the streets.
The Homeland Security Department claims the reason for curtailing the program with local law enforcement is the current restructuring of the ICE program. However, Arpaio states that his officers are still allowed to determine the immigration status of detainees held in county jails.
Sheriff Arpaio was first elected in 1992 and is praised for his success in reducing violence and crime within his jurisdiction. While strongly supported by a majority of citizens in his county, Arpaio is routinely lambasted by Hispanic activists, liberal organizations and civil rights leaders such as Rev. Al Sharpton.
Sadly, at the same time as this government/media crackdown on Arpaio, the Department of Homeland Security estimates that the total unauthorized immigrant population residing in the United States is 10 million. Their total includes those who entered the United States illegally and those who entered legally but overstayed their authorized period of stay. Critics dispute the federal statistics saying that the number of illegal aliens is closer to 20 million.
Another recent study by the GAO estimates that there are about 15 million illegal aliens living in the United States. The study estimates that nearly 700,000 aliens enter the United States illegally or overstay their authorized period of stay each year.
Their report contained information on the number of criminal aliens incarcerated, their country of citizenship or country of birth, and the cost to incarcerate them. Congress also requested that the GAO provide information on the criminal history of aliens incarcerated in federal and state prisons or local jails who had entered the country illegally.
In the GAO study of a population sample of 55,322 illegal aliens, analysts found that they were arrested a total of 459,614 times, averaging about 8 arrests per illegal alien.
Nearly all of the illegal aliens in the study sample had more than 1 arrest. Thirty-eight percent (about 21,000) had between 2 and 5 arrests, 32 percent (about 18,000) had between 6 and 10 arrests, and 26 percent (about 15,000) had 11 or more arrests. They were arrested for a total of about 700,000 criminal offenses, averaging about 13 offenses per illegal alien.
One arrest incident may include multiple offenses, a fact that explains why there are nearly one and half times more offenses than arrests.
Almost all of these illegal aliens were arrested for more than 1 offense. Slightly more than half of the 55,322 illegal aliens had between 2 and 10 offenses. About 45 percent of all offenses were drug or immigration offenses. About 15 percent were property-related offenses such as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and property damage. About 12 percent were for violent offenses such as murder, robbery, assault, and sex-related crimes. The balance was for such other offenses as traffic violations, including driving under the influence; fraud–including forgery and counterfeiting; weapons violations; and obstruction of justice.
Eighty percent of all arrests occurred in three states — California, Texas, and Arizona. Specifically, about 58 percent of all arrests occurred in California, 14 percent in Texas, and 8 percent in Arizona. In addition, the FBI estimates that there are upwards of 50,000 illegal aliens who are members of crime gangs such as MS-13, the Mexican Mafia and the Latin Kings.
“If the US Attorney General and his boss President Obama are concerned with investigating criminal activity, perhaps they should focus on criminal aliens and gangs rather than persecuting an effective law enforcement commander such as Joe Arpaio,” said former NYPD detective and Marine Sid Frances.
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he’s a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he’s the former editor for the House Conservatives Fund’s weblog. Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.
He’s former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed “Crack City” by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He’s also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He’s a news writer for TheConservativeVoice.Com and PHXnews.com. He’s also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he’s syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. He’s appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc.
To subscribe to Kouri’s newsletter write to COPmagazine@aol.com and write “Subscription” on the subject line.
Thank you Joe. This is a problem the American & Mexican goverment does not want to solve. Too much money to be made. It helps to justify the bullsh-t home land security branch (what a joke of an organization). If the goverment really cared the boarders would be secured , instead of wasting billions of $ and man power on phony wars.
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Evergreen Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Seconded!!! Yes, thank you very much Sheriff Joe. Homeland “Insecurity” is what it should be called.
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I was here in Maricopa County when Arpaio was elected the first time.
I was here when he tried to cover up the murder of an inmate by a dozen of his guards.
I was here when Napolitano quashed the investigation that would have put him in prison.
I was here when he supported Napolitano’s run for governor.
I was here when he welcomed Vicente Fox who had come to tell the illegals that “this land is your land”.
I was here when he had his goons arrest the publishers of a local newspaper who were critical of him. (Don’t tell the truth. It causes Joe problems.)
I was part of the group that Arpaio called vigilantes for guarding the border and releiving some “mules” of the dope they were bringing in. (Pre-Minutemen)
I was here when a poll was taken of the MCSD deputies and 90% said he was a bad sheriff.
Now I see America’s Fattest Showman….er…Toughest Sheriff once again pulling a political stunt to ensure that he stays sheriff. Too much graft to give up. Check his real record. You won’t be so impressed by him. It’s ALL show!
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jack brumby Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Can not argue your points David from AZ , your there , I’m not. All I can see is , it appears he is trying to solve the problem that home land security can’t. I am sure there is some “show time” antics involved to project the image he wants everyone to see. Just about everything that we read & see contains truths & lies within it. All I can do is sift through the muddy waters & try to find some clear solutions. I will check as best as I can on his record . Thank you for your first hand account.
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Ang Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
hmmmm still sitting on the fence Jack? Sheriff Joe does sound like a bit of a renegade and a law unto himself doesn’t he? On the other hand, you can’t make an omellette without breaking eggs! He is doing his job and doing it well, defending his states sovereignty at the same time. I’m sure the pressures and extraordinary circumstances of criminal illegals invading Maricopa County in such numbers requires a tough man at the helm.
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jack brumby Reply:
November 6th, 2009 at 2:59 am
Ang , Come on know , how am I sitting on the fence ? I still like what Joe is doing as I have seen it reported. Now David from AZ says he has 1st hand accounts that shed a different light on the issues. Am I to call him a liar or should I try to validate what he says ? Ang we both know what we think we see & hear is not always true. We have to untangle the bullsh-t before we can find the truth. Your input is always worth listening to. They seem very sound & plausible.
Go Joe! I was born and raised in Yuma, AZ. a stones throw from the border and can tell you if we had Joe and others like him 50 years ago this would never have mushroomed into the crisis we have now.
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Are the crime stats in joes jurisdiction any different than any other part of the nation?
If lower, then he is effective.
If not…
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David from AZ Reply:
November 18th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Just so you and others will know, the people in the outlying areas of Maricopa seldom see a sheriff’s deputy. Joe say’s he can’t afford more staff. He can, however, afford to buy 50 caliber MG’s. He can afford to keep six personal bodyguards on the payroll. He manages to find funds to purchase amphibious assault vehicles (We’re in the desert!).
Meanwhile, more than 75,000 arrest warrants go unserved and criminals run free so Joe can get in the news.
I heard someone close to Joe state that he was running illegals out of the county because they were bringing in drugs in competition to Joe’s bunch.
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Yea, I also live in Maricopa county. And I remember Joe’s roadside checkpoints into the county in the 90’s. And also his deputies were given a “public encounter form” that I personally had a copy of, which they were to record serial numbers off of firearms and other personal information when making traffic stops or other encounters with the public. This form said on the reverse side “This information to be used for “PROJECT L.E.A.D. When he was substituting on the Bob Mohan show one time I called in and confronted him on Project L.E.A.D. He said he didn’t know what I was talking about and hung up on me. Ang, “you cant make an omellette without breaking eggs” and “pressures and extraordinary circumstances” This sounds like trading freedom for security horse crap. You don’t know the man. Remember, they create the problem so they can offer you their solution.
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Ang Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 12:08 am
When I’m wrong, I’m usually spectacularly wrong. Thanks for the heads up. Apologies to David from AZ, Jack Brumby and Steve.
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jack brumby Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Ang , You seem to be a stand-up individual. I guess thats why I like your input. Hopefully I will follow your lead & admit when I am wrong , which I probably am more times than not.
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Ang, that’s alright brother. God knows I need and receive my share of correction. We’re all in this together and on the same side. I hope we never forget this. We used to have a real good sheriff in Arizona just north of us here in Maricopa county. His name was Richard Mack. He sued the federal government back in the 90’s and won when they tried to impose a five day waiting period on hand gun purchases. We haven’t had a waiting period since.
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