County supervisor calls for Arpaio to resign

PHOENIX -- Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox has called for Sheriff Joe Arpaio to resign and suggested that the department be taken over by an outside agency.

Wilcox spoke Wednesday as a group of demonstrators -- both for and against the sheriff -- gathered outside the Board of Supervisors auditorium in downtown Phoenix.

Wilcox, one of the sheriff's most outspoken critics, said that after amost $100 million in misspent funds and a recent investigation that led to the firing of Chief Deputy David Hendershott, she wants the federal government to put the sheriff's office in receivership.

"It's gone too far with the civil and human rights abuses, the financial abuses and the corruption, Wilcox said.

She also called for the Justice Department to pursue an abuse-of-power case against Arpaio.

The two groups of demonstrators shouted at each other as they carried signs outside the supervisors' auditorium.

Arpaio supporters waved a flag reading, "We love Joe."

Katherine Kobor, who backs the sheriff, blamed the supervisors for trouble in the Sheriff's Office.

"They should be indicted and arraigned for what they've done to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department," said Kobor.

Amy McMillan called for Arpaio's resignation because of the scandal involving his former chief deputy, David Hendershott, who was fired two weeks ago following an investigation by Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu.

"He (Arpaio) knew what Hendershott was up to and anybody who gives that much power to one of his underlings is not fit to hold office, anyway," McMillan said. "There's too many things to name, but right now he's misappropriated $100 million -- which is kind of at the top of the list -- but he's committed many civil rights violations of citizens of the county."

Kobor supported Arpaio's crackdown against illegal immigrants and said the Valley has lost too many law enforcement officers because of illegal immigration.

"For instance, Orlando Tirado -- who was just shot by an illegal out of California who was in prison for years. We have had enough of this killing."

She referred to the May 1 shooting death of a Buckeye police officer while he was working off-duty security detail at a Phoenix nightclub. Arpaio said Tuesday the prime suspect, who also was killed in the shootout, was an illegal immigrant who should have been deported years ago.