Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio drops the ball on sex crimes

Looks like yet another right-wing "hero" is about to flame out.

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/L ... rts/150148

Will bungled sex abuse investigations matter to the Joe Arpaio faithful?




A 15-year-old girl bursts into an El Mirage store and reports that she’s just been raped by two men in a nearby ditch. A 9 year old tells a school counselor that her grandmother’s boyfriend comes into her room at night and molests her as she tries to sleep.

A 13 year old opens the door to a man whose car had supposedly broken down. He knocks the girl out and sexually assaults her.

In each case, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate. In every one, the “investigation” ended with that call.

They are among 432 sex crimes reported to the sheriff’s office between 2005 and 2007. Reported and …

Nothing.

No investigation, no arrests, no justice.

It's a been a rough year for America's most dumbfounded sheriff, what with rogue operations, misspent funds and $177 million in lawsuits. And now, national headlines about bungled investigations into sex crimes against victims as young as two years old.

On Monday, Sheriff Joe Arpaio held a press conference to offer up what apparently passes for an apology in Joeland.

“If there were any victims,” he said, “I apologize to those victims.”

If there were any victims?

If there was any accountability, we would know the details of how and why Arpaio’s office ignored reports of serious crimes while the sheriff spent years running around the county, talking tough and arresting illegal immigrants in order to get on the evening news

You know, I get letters from that guy on a regular basis to contribute to his re-election campaign. I've never even been to AZ. I've always thought when I get those things that a sheriff who runs a national re-election campaign must be more than a little full of it.

I would like to see the numbers on the percentages of these calls nationwide that are sent to ground. This might just be a hit piece where they point out just a handful of cases handled incorrectly. And after what Syracuse and Penn State are going through, looks like many cases of sex abuse aren't handled correctly.

FredHayek wrote: And after what Syracuse and Penn State are going through, looks like many cases of sex abuse aren't handled correctly.

It's one thing for Penn State not to report sex crimes, but quite another for law enforcement to ignore them when they are.

It's certainly big news down here in Phoenix, where Joe's support has been eroding over the last couple years, seems he is more intent on gaining favor from national politicians and being on TV than he is about the day to day running of the sheriff's department. He has cost Maricopa County hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend him and the county in lawsuits. People are tired of the blowhard style of sheriff....they want someone intent on keeping them safer and catching criminals (yep, especially sex offenders)

Well, they could always vote in someone to take his place. And I am surprised they haven't, or why this old guy hasn't retired.

I agree, it's the voter's fault.

Voters always choose ideological rhetoric (GET TOUGH ON ILLEGALS!!!) over actual competence or effectiveness.

AspenValley wrote: I agree, it's the voter's fault.

Voters always choose ideological rhetoric (GET TOUGH ON ILLEGALS!!!) over actual competence or effectiveness.

No kidding... look at our current president.

Obama HAS been pretty tough on illegals, hasn't he?