# Whats your Opinion of Sheriff Joe Arpaio
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 19, 2008, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892 "2008-12-19T12:33:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/21 "2008-12-19T16:25:27Z")
> [@Cisco](#):
>
> He’s a cock and I got in a pretty big fight with my parents back in November for voting for him.
I thought cock fighting was illegal…better watch yourself before your sporting the latest shade of pink 🙂
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### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/22 "2008-12-19T16:37:41Z")
> [@AK84](#):
>
> I have read up a bit about him ([obligatory wiki link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio))
> He seems pretty popular in the states, but his methods are whats shall we say? Cude? Effective. Inhumane? Crazy?
From your link, his methods are **ineffective** , \*\*dangerous \*\*and **expensive** :
- The family members of inmates who have died in jail custody have filed lawsuits against the sheriff’s office. The lawsuits have cost Maricopa County more than $43 million in settlement claims during Arpaio’s tenure.
- Comparing recidivism rates under Arpaio to those under his predecessor, the study found “there was no significant difference in recidivism observed between those offenders released in 1989-1990 and those released in 1994-1995.”
- An Irish High Court judge, Philip O’Sullivan, refused to extradite Colleary back to Arizona, writing in his decision that Arpaio “gloated over the inhumane treatment he dishes out to his inmates” and “appeared to take a chillingly sadistic pleasure in his role as incarcerator. It was the duty of any Irish court to see that no citizen was handed over to such a regime.”
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### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/23 "2008-12-19T17:16:16Z")
Moving poll to **IMHO**.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/24 "2008-12-19T17:18:48Z")
I don’t follow local politics that closely and even I knew enough about Arpaio to vote against him. Guess it didn’t work.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/25 "2008-12-19T17:30:01Z")
As somebody who actually runs a prison, my opinion of Arpaio is that he’s an idiot. He’s just using his position to publicize himself. But he’s not doing a good job. The sign of a well-run jail or prison is peace and quiet not riots and lawsuits.
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### Author:  [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/26 "2008-12-19T17:35:57Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> He’s just using his position to publicize himself. But he’s not doing a good job.
Yes he is. His books sell very well.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/27 "2008-12-19T18:20:46Z")
Sorry for being unclear. I figure his job is running Maricopa County law enforcement. Self-publicity is just his hobby.
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### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/28 "2008-12-19T18:32:13Z")
Well I disagree with Little Nemo, he is doing a great job of deterrance, I ain’t going 100 miles near this lunatics juridiction.
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### Author:  [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/29 "2008-12-19T19:22:01Z")
Some of this methods seem alright and some seem extraordinarily cruel. Despite what little I or anyone else agrees with him on, he should be sacked at the very least for the deaths. Wanton cruelty and inhumanization breeds contempt, its not surprising his “posse” laughed while prisoners were being injured
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/30 "2008-12-19T19:51:38Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Well I disagree with Little Nemo, he is doing a great job of deterrance, I ain’t going 100 miles near this lunatics juridiction.
Except that the facts show he isn’t. A study found that the recidivism rate in Maricopa County is unchanged.
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### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/31 "2008-12-19T20:11:50Z")
being sarcastic dude!
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/32 "2008-12-19T20:21:59Z")
He’s an enthusiastic supporter of the War on Drugs!
So, yeah, I think he’s a putz with power.
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### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/33 "2008-12-19T20:24:32Z")
> [@PeacePlease](#):
>
> I cannot believe that we elected him again. […] My parents used to be fans. He spoke at their church one year. Then they had a friend whose son got wrapped up in some legal difficulties resulting in prison time and they’ve since learned that the man is a pig. Neither of them voted for him this year either. […] too many people just don’t care as long as the person being mistreated is an alleged ‘criminal’.
Exactly – of course the “alleged criminal” is always one of Those Bad People Over There, who must be up to something not good if they’re in trouble. Nothing **“we”** ever have to worry about . . .
The man has a reasonable of recognition outside his jurisdiction, but I dare say that more people know of him just through the notion that “there’s this sherriff in Arizona who makes the criminals have a really hard time” and they like the notion. Folks buy the books, he gets interviewed, etc., but of course most of the book-buyers or TV viewers are outside his territory so they don’t follow the details of his person and his doings.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/34 "2008-12-19T20:40:37Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#):
>
> Exactly – of course the “alleged criminal” is always one of Those Bad People Over There, who must be up to something not good if they’re in trouble. Nothing **“we”** ever have to worry about . . .
This attitude bugs me (and I know you’re not espousing it, just describing it, **JRDelirious** ). It’s the core of every personal belief that constitutional protections can be scrapped in the name of safety or security. It seems like a minority of people have the imagination to consider how they’d feel about abuse of power if they were the victims.
Or perhaps lack the imagination to foresee a circumstance where they WOULD be the victims.
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### Author:  [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/35 "2008-12-19T21:14:56Z")
When he worked DEA he was mocked by his fellow agents as being, “Nickel bag Joe.” He’d pop small time users and dealers to pump up his arrest numbers under the justification that maybe it would lead to bigger fish. It almost never did because he kept so busy going after small timers he wouldn’t pursue the information he got from them.
He’s brought the same tactics to his war on illegal aliens. For the record, I’m 100 percent opposed to illegal immigration. I support full deportment and the creation of a much more streamlined visa and guest worker system.
That said, this idiot has made a point of going after taco and corn stand workers and conducting “anti-crime” sweeps where motorists with any infraction whatsoever get pulled over, detained and quizzed about their immigration status.
We in AZ passed an employer sanctions law a few years ago that levies pretty significant penalties on businesses that knowingly hire illegals. So far he’s made three significant investigations, one against a municipality’s janitorial workers because he was in a feud with that town’s mayor and council.
As noted above, he’s cost the county 10s of millions of dollars due to settlements in his human rights abuse and wrongful death lawsuits filed on behalf of people who have died or been injured in his jails.
Lastly, one of the major duties of his office is to serve outstanding felony warrants. At present there are more than 40,000 felony warrants unserved in the county because he devotes a significantly disproportionate amount of his resources to illegals sweeps and other showboating exercises to keep his name in the papers.
Since you asked my opinion, I despise him and have voted against him in every election since I got here in 1994.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/36 "2008-12-19T21:42:50Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Lastly, one of the major duties of his office is to serve outstanding felony warrants. At present there are more than 40,000 felony warrants unserved in the county because he devotes a significantly disproportionate amount of his resources to illegals sweeps and other showboating exercises to keep his name in the papers.
It’s your own fault. You guys never offered him a reality show format to serve warrants on.
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### Author:  [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/37 "2008-12-20T02:33:18Z")
> [@AK84](#):
>
> I have read up a bit about him ([obligatory wiki link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio))
> He seems pretty popular in the states, but his methods are whats shall we say? Cude? Effective. Inhumane? Crazy?
His methods are highly effective. His recidivism rate is way low.
I wish he’d run for President so I could vote for him.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/38 "2008-12-20T03:07:13Z")
> [@Clothahump](#):
>
> His methods are highly effective. His recidivism rate is way low.
>
> I wish he’d run for President so I could vote for him.
And, as usual, **Clothahump** prefers his conservative fairy tales to actual statistics. Surprise!
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### Author:  [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/39 "2008-12-20T03:50:19Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> As somebody who actually runs a prison, my opinion of Arpaio is that he’s an idiot. He’s just using his position to publicize himself. But he’s not doing a good job. The sign of a well-run jail or prison is peace and quiet not riots and lawsuits.
I will defer to you, re your experience. But I wonder, how can he put people on chain gangs, if they haven’t even been convicted? There has to be a law against that.
Besides, my impression of him from television is that of a self satisfied, conceited attention whore, one who would even embarrass Buford T. Justice.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2008, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-opinion-of-sheriff-joe-arpaio/477892/40 "2008-12-20T05:30:01Z")
> [@](#):
>
> His methods are highly effective. His recidivism rate is way low.
That’s simply not true. The Maricopa County recidivism rate has remained constant. The incarceration rate and the crime rate in Maricopa County have both increased. The cost of law enforcement has greatly increased. Maricopa County’s jail system received fifty times as many lawsuits as the jail systems of Chicago, Houston, New York, and Los Angeles - combined. Seventy thousand warrants were waiting to be served while Arpaio was negotiating a television deal to serve them on camera. [cite](http://joesgottogo.com/downloads/ASU_Jail_Recidivism_in_Maricopa_County.pdf) [cite](http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0803/S00144.htm) [cite](http://extradition.org.uk/2008/09/02/joe-arpaio-maricopa-county-sheriff-the-truth-about-americas-toughest-sheriff/) [cite](http://montysbox.blogspot.com/2008/06/phoenixs-brown-cloud.html)
So you’ve got a sheriff who’s going around doing publicity stunts while ignoring law enforcement fundamentals. He’s raised expenses while lowering results. How is that highly effective?
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