Sheriff Takes Patrols to Guadalupe, Protesters Meet HIm

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, undaunted by accusations of racial profiling and wasting county money, plans to return this afternoon to the east Valley town of Guadalupe, continuing his third patrol operation targeting illegal immigrants in the past month.

Fifteen people, at least four of them illegal immigrants, were arrested Thursday as deputies and possemen flooded the one-mile-square town on the Phoenix-Tempe border, founded by the Yaqui Indians with a population now about evenly divided between Yaquis and Hispanics. As in two earlier patrols -- in central and north Phoenix where day laborers gather -- the sheriff's officers were met by protesters, who claimed they were looking only for illegal immigrants.

Arpaio said he was invited to the town, which contracts with the Sheriff's Office for its law enforcement, by city officials and business leaders who are concerned about crime.

The sheriff said Thursday he is tired of criticism from Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and others about his efforts to enforce immigration law.

``I am discouraged, disgusted at the mayor and other critics who keep saying, `Sheriff, you should be arresting all your warrants and not go after illegals,'" Arpaio said. ``We are NOT responsible for all those warrants."

He added, ``I'm here doing my job that I took an oath of office to do," and said of Gordon, ``Maybe he ought to follow his oath of office."

The sheriff criticized Phoenix for not implementing a new policy in which city police officers may contact federal Immigration and Customs agents if they stop a suspect who is an illegal immigrant.

``Their (Phoenix's) public safety director, Jack Harris, has been procrastinating," Arpaio said. ``How long does it take him to decide to sign a policy to allow our Phoenix police to enforce the laws?"

The sheriff was met in Guadalupe with critical comments from Hispanic leaders.

Businessman Juan Aguero said, ``We need to tell Mr. Arpaio, `It's time for you to hit the rocking chair, baby,'" Aguero said. ``Because we need to get another sheriff in town. The toughest sheriff is becoming the worst sheriff that we ever had. It is unfortunate that Arizona is on the map because of a crazy person."

Aguero called the operation a blatant attack on Latinos.

Phoenix attorney Salvador Ongaro chimed in: ``Anytime we see a new operative, it tends to divide the community that much more. It's been very negative for the entire community and the city to have to see this."

Former state lawmaker Alfredo Gutierrez repeated his plea from earlier this week for the sheriff to stop the patrols.

``This is a particularly vicious and incompetent human being," Gutierrez said of Arpaio.

Francisca Montoya with the Chavez Foundation said, ``Picking up people on traffic violations or people who might have their tags expired, people jaywalking, those aren't real criminals," Montoya said.

One business owner, who did not want to be identified, said Guadalupe is a hotbed of drug and gang activity and that he supports the sheriff's patrols.