Posted on 05/14/2008 5:13:49 AM PDT by radar101
PHOENIX -- Gov. Janet Napolitano has ordered the state to end an anti-illegal immigration contract with the Maricopa County sheriff so she can pay for a larger effort to track down thousands of felons around Arizona.
The sheriff, Joe Arpaio, on Tuesday criticized the governor's decision as a maneuver to thwart his efforts against illegal immigrants.
"Dirty politics are at work right now," said Arpaio, who was flanked by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, state House Speaker Jim Weiers and state Rep. Russell Pearce at a news conference.
All four men have staked out hawkish positions on illegal immigration reform. The sheriff has been criticized in particular for letting thousands of felony warrants go unserved while he chased after illegal immigrants.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, there are about 59,000 outstanding, unserved felony warrants in the state. The majority of those are in Maricopa County.
Pennie Gillette-Stroud, the DPS chief of the criminal investigations division, said Napolitano's task force will focus on violent, repeat criminals as well as undocumented aliens with felony warrants.
The task force will be led by DPS and will combine local, state, federal and tribal authorities to track down felons around Arizona.
"We can go into different regions, concentrate on suspects that are problematic in other areas," Gillette-Stroud said.
DPS hasn't put a price tag on the task force. "We're putting together a plan with a budget to help determine those figures," Gillette-Stroud said.
But to help pay for the task force, DPS said it won't renew a $1.6 million contract between with the sheriff's office. Arpaio still can tap into that money if he cooperates with the state.
"We invite him," to cooperate, she said. "His personnel has a lot of experience."
Still, Arpaio and his supporters cried foul when they heard the news.
"I got news for the governor, I got news for the mayor, I got news for Mary Rose Wilcox and I got news for those activists that follow me around and destroy me from enforcing the illegal immigration laws," Arpaio said. "And we're going to keep doing it, money or no money, I guarantee you."
Weiers questioned the governor's decision to move money away from Arpaio. He said the money was intended for the sheriff and it appeared the governor may have violated the constitutional separation between government branches.
"As a legislator, I'm very upset," he said.
Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer denied that the governor was trying to cut into efforts to stop illegal immigration.
"It couldn't be further from the truth," L'Ecuyer said.
ping
The Dems are pretty slick operators, huh? They want to cut spending to catch illegals, so that they will have money to track down felons. It’s all in how you package the crapola.
“Gov. Janet Napolitano has ordered the state to end an anti-illegal immigration contract with the Maricopa County sheriff so she can pay for a larger effort to track down thousands of felons around Arizona”.
...you gotta give the socialist Gov credit. She sure knows how to pull the wool over the sheeple’s eyes. (pardon the pun) Point is, that most of the felons throughout Arizona ARE illegals.
God bless men like Sheriff Joe, we need a lot more of them. This goofy Governor just might get her head handed to her over this one.
OK fine. But what about all those thousands of felony warrants not being served. You going to do anything about those?
Then she's killing two birds with one stone, isn't she? Point is, if you have some illegal schmuck working in a sweatshop and an at-large fugitive with an armed robbery warrant then who should you be concentrating your efforts of catching?
So who ya gonna believe and put your trust in. Sheriff Joe or the crazy lady governor?
You go Joe.
The governor has said that she wants the money to "go into other areas", which I took to mean other geographical areas of the state. Why do you believe that Arpaio's area is falling short with respect to serving felony warrants?
The sheriff, Joe Arpaio, FOR PRESIDENT!
Because according to the story the governor also said there are almost 60,000 outstanding felony warrants in the state that need to be served, and the majority are in Maricopa County. That's why she says she's setting up the state-wide taskforce, and that's why she says she needs the money. And if her figures are correct then what's the sheriff doing about it?
I don’t believe it. They are trying to paint Joe. Do you really believe that?
I doubt that state law requires he go after illegal immigrants either, since that's a federal matter. But if we accept for a moment that it is all crime, and if we accept the earlier poster's comment that most of these fugitive felons are probably also illegal immigrants, then wouldn't it make more sense from a resource utilization standpoint to concentrate on the fugitive felons? Especially the dangerous ones? Has the sheriff explained why be believes his pursuit of illegals in general is more important than the pursuit of these felons?
Believe it or not, makes no difference to me. I don't live in Arizona, but if I did I think I'd put finding fugitives above finding your run of the mill, ordinary illegal.
I think it would be easier to fence off South Phoenix and rename it “State Prison”.
So are you part of laraza? Go the msnbc link it explains it very well.
While they do the routine stops for cracked windows, etc, they not only pick up illegal aliens they pick up dudes with outstanding warrants.
Won’t take you a minute to read and is better written than I can.
Do the La Raza goons push “1” for English when they call in to threaten the political livelihood of the Governor?
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