The heat is on at Tent City

PHOENIX — With temperatures hitting 130 degrees this week inside Tent City, America’s Toughest Sheriff has taken measures to make sure inmates don’t suffer from heat exhaustion.

“It may be a little hot for the inmates, but we try to do the best we can by distributing more water, some ice, sunscreen,” said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Fans are no longer permitted inside the tents, because Arpaio says they’ve been damaged in the past.

“We can lift up the flaps of the tents to get a little more air in there,” he said.

Tent City will celebrate its 21 years of operation in August, but MCSO said the number of heat-related illnesses among inmates have been miniscule.

And when he gets complaints about the heat, Arpaio always likes to bring up the military.

“Our military are living in tents fighting for our country in the Middle East. It’s probably just as hot in Iraq and Afghanistan. I used to work that area,” Arpaio said. “If you don’t like the heat, don’t violate the law.”