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Arpaio critics push to make sheriff’s post an appointed position
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| Contributor | Thomas Walker |
| Last Edited | Thomas Walker Apr 21, 2009 05:28pm |
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| Category | Proposed Legislation |
| Media | Newspaper - Pacific Business News |
| News Date | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 11:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Critics of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his immigration policy are looking at a new avenue to unseat the long-time sheriff.
Some of Arpaio’s detractors point to the possibility of a ballot measure that would let state or county voters decide if the county sheriff and county attorney should be appointed rather elected.
That would put the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in control of the positions.
“There is considerable talk about that here,” said Mike Manning, a partner with the Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP law firm who has sued Arpaio over county jail conditions and other matters. “Eventually that is where our county will be. In our modern-higher crime era, most metro areas realized that public safety concerns required real law enforcement expertise and the kind of interagency cooperation that comes with professionals rather than political soundbite Sams who have to do all that politicos have to do to get in and stay in office.”
Arpaio was reelected to a fifth term in November and won by 13 percent. His opponent in that race was former Buckeye Police Chief Dan Saban, who agrees there is merit in the appointed positions.
“It injects politics into public safety,” Saban said. Some states use the appointment system, he said, adding it can put a more professional twist on the position. City governments in Arizona also appoint their police chiefs and county attorneys.
Saban said such an effort likely would be in the form of statewide ballot initiative, but acknowledged it would face opposition from conservatives, Arpaio supporters and some rural counties. |
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