User Panel
Posted: 10/17/2008 6:02:18 AM EDT
Arpaio raids Mesa City Hall; mayor outraged
Mayor outraged by sweep for illegal migrants by Gary Nelson, Michael Kiefer and JJ Hensley - Oct. 17, 2008 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic Sheriff Joe Arpaio traded angry words and accusations with Mesa officials Thursday after 60 deputies and posse members armed with search warrants stormed City Hall and the public library in the middle of the night in a hunt for illegal workers. "I believe the safety of our citizens was gravely compromised" when Maricopa County sheriff's deputies in "battle gear" swept into city buildings about 2 a.m. while cleaning crews were at work, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith told reporters. "I believe we had set the scene where bad things could have happened." Arpaio defended his tactics, claiming the raid came only after a former city employee called the sheriff's illegal-immigration hotline to report that a cleaning company under contract with the city was hiring illegal immigrants. Arpaio said the informant had tipped off a Mesa police lieutenant and said the lieutenant brushed off the request, saying it was a problem for the cleaning company. But a city spokeswoman late Thursday said police Lt. Wade Pew and city staff met with the cleaning company, Management Cleaning Controls, on May 21 after he received the information. A follow-up e-mail sent June 4 by facilities maintenance director Dennis Ray to cleaning company officials reiterated the city's concerns over "several security issues that have recently been brought to our attention," and included a section of the city's contract requiring that contractors ensure all workers are legal. Predawn raid Arpaio said the raid was set up after a sheriff's undercover detective infiltrated the cleaning business, claiming to be an undocumented immigrant, and was schooled by a manager in how to obtain false identification that would get him past federal identification verification software. About 30 deputies and 30 volunteer posse members in bulletproof vests and carrying semi-automatic weapons prepared for the operation in Pioneer Park across from the Mormon Temple shortly after midnight. The deputies, carrying 25 arrest warrants, headed for the library and City Hall, an eight-story building that houses several municipal departments as well as the mayor's and council members' offices. Deputies fanned out and arrested three people; 13 others, including a manager at Management Cleaning Controls, were arrested at residences later that morning, Arpaio said. Ten were arrested on suspicion of identity theft and six for potentially being in the country illegally. The 16 arrested included six people who were not named in the warrants. Arpaio said they are still looking for 15 more company employees. Smith said that most of the janitorial workers at the public buildings were either U.S. citizens or in the country legally and that they were terrified by the size and firepower of the sheriff's force. Deputies returned to Mesa about 8 a.m. seeking records related to contractors at the city's Municipal Security Badging Office. Smith said if the Sheriff's Office wanted information about contractors and employees, it could have submitted a public-records request and easily obtained the information. Smith said at a news conference that a Mesa officer came across the deputies about 12:30 a.m. as they staged at the park "dressed in battle gear, with canines and semi-automatic weapons." When the officer recognized the men as sheriff's deputies, Smith said, "He was told they were not allowed to tell him what their purpose was. . . . He never got any information. Approximately an hour later, the city was told that they were there for K-9 training." Because of that, Smith said, there was enormous potential for death or injury had Mesa police responded to a 911 call from someone who had seen armed men gathering in the park. Smith, who appeared distraught as he spoke with reporters, said he also took great offense that City Hall was targeted. "The citizens of Mesa, Arizona, this is their City Hall. (It) was, in my belief, violated by another government agency. I don't believe that's proper . . . and I believe that also crosses the line as to what law enforcement should do," he said. Questions denied Arpaio denied questions about whether the raid was politically motivated or that it was timed to deflect attention from a videotape that surfaced Wednesday depicting the brutal death of an inmate at a county jail, which his office runs. The inmate's family has filed intent to sue the county. Joining Arpaio in an afternoon press conference, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said the cleaning company had been under investigation for months. When asked why Mesa police could not handle the case, Arpaio said, "It's my jurisdiction, too. You seem to forget." Then he suggested that there was something in the Mesa police "culture" that "they do not want to enforce the immigration laws." Smith denied that, saying Mesa police cooperate routinely with other law agencies. Smith said he's not trying to pick a fight with Arpaio and hopes to meet with the sheriff to talk about how the city and county can cooperate in the future. History of discord Thursday's raid is the latest in several immigration-related incidents this year involving the Sheriff's Office and the Valley's second-largest city. In April, after Arpaio had begun conducting his controversial crime-suppression sweeps in the Valley, Mesa Police Chief George Gascón and the head of one of Mesa's two police unions made a request. They asked Arpaio for at least two days' notice before conducting sweeps in the city, citing potential risks to officers and the public. Arpaio responded by calling Mesa police uncooperative. In early July, Smith and Gascón announced a new immigration-enforcement policy in the city, one in which every person arrested is asked about immigration status. Arrested people suspected of being illegal immigrants are to be referred to federal authorities. But Mesa's policy specifies that police will not arrest everyone they think might be an illegal immigrant. People pulled over for minor traffic violations, for example, would not be arrested even if they admit they're here illegally. Instead, their information would be turned over to federal officials. Two weeks after that policy was announced, Arpaio was back in Mesa, arresting about 40 people, including 26 suspected of being undocumented immigrants. A Mesa landscaping company was raided Aug. 27, and three dozen people suspected of being in the country illegally were taken away. It was later learned the city contracted with that firm to landscape its parks. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/10/17/20081017MCSOoperation1017.html |
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Would the volunteer posse members be other LEO's, or just civvies with guns?
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Good. |
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They are law enforcement employees with the sheriff's office. They wouldn't do this lightly. I'm sure there was full probable cause to do this. Imagine, cops with semi-automatic firearms. The horror. The horror. |
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Arpaio loves to get attention. Too bad he is the only LE other than border patrol that goes after illegals. Several of the bleeding heart mayors have made the cites sanactuary cities (Mesa, Phoenix to name a few).
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in a hetro kind of way |
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Whats the story about videotape that surfaced Wednesday depicting the brutal death of an inmate at a county jail?
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sounds like America still lives, and is struggling for breath.
thanks joe!! |
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Inmate choked and beat to death another inmate in his cell. Surveillance video shows it, but it took guards like 20-30 minutes to figure out what happened. |
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I'd have a higher opinion of him if he didn't go after his political opponents using county funds. And if he'd stick to nailing illegals instead of some of his other questionable tactics... You may love him, but if he were sheriff in your county and tried to implement things like mandatory fingerprinting for traffic stops, you'd probably have a more realistic opinion of him. |
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I L-O-V-E that Sheriff!!
Also scary how the mayor was wetting his pants that the deputies had "SEMI-AUTOMATIC" guns!!! Jeeze - them things is WAY too dangerous to let out, even in the hands of trained lawmen! Looks like some voters need to get on the ball and roll that shit bag mayor out the door! BIGGER_HAMMER |
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in the most heterosexual taxpayer-dollar defending way |
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I don't mind being fingerprinted for a traffic ticket. Hell, I'll even give her a DNA sample.
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Translation: We're above the law. |
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I applauded the MCSO for following up on a lead & apprehending illegal aliens. However, I do have to question Arapio's tactics at times - seems the majority of the time he executes legitimate LE enforcment in the most sensational way to get his name in the media.
I also have to wonder what the arfcom response would be if MCSO did the same 'raid' for an alleged drug dealer working for a cleaning crew at City Hall/Library. Brian |
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And because he uses the illegal alien issue (mainly to draw attention to himself), people who don't know all the other self-serving slimey shit he pulls love him. |
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Yep-folks crying foul at Obama's "truth squads" would shit a kitten if they researched how Joe deals with political opponents and public detractors. |
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Careful brother, by posting our opinions we're very likely to be targeted by the Arpaio Intimidation Machine.
Bullshit. He's a politician of the worst sort. Be as ignorant and blind as you want. |
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Yup. |
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Careful brother, by posting our opinions we're very likely to be targeted by the Arpaio Machine. +1. The New Times may be a liberal rag and a shitty paper, but those who publish it and those who read it enjoy the right to do so as much as anyone else. You can't pick and choose what parts of the Constitution you want to respect. Selective Enforcement Unit anyone? |
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While I approve of the raid...I'm not sure going in with full battle gear (if that is what happened) was appropriate.
Most people here will probably disagree with me, and I'm fine with that. |
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+1 |
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I know. I'm almost regretting it now. It's a very patriotic feeling. |
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Why do you feel necessary to comment on a LEO's attire when serving arrest warrants? What's it to you? What does it have to do with anything? What's appropriate, then? I feel that police battle gear does not affect anyone's life in any way, except those super sensitive types who don't want to see cops armed with anything other than a pen and notepad. I wish they would go back to England. |
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Looks like I hit a nerve. |
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Damn, it's Friday and you're on the East Coast; you must be drinking already - we agree on something Brian |
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Do you wear full battle-rattle for every warrant service? I'm having a hard time believing illegal aliens working for a janitorial crew are armed/dangerous and necessitate that kind of response. Brian |
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Yup! He's the Sheriff not the chief of police he doesnt work for the mayor. The mayor can't pull his strings |
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Sheriff Joe "Attention Whore" Arpaio did something that landed him in the news? What else is new?
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