Arizona’s Sheriff Arpaio to fundraise in Iowa

A controversial Maricopa County, Ariz. sheriff will be in Iowa this weekend to appear at a fundraising event for Jones County sheriff candidate Rick LaMere and to spread a message of civic involvement.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio manages — and some might say with an iron fist — the nation’s third largest Sheriff’s Office. His duties include management of the office, county jail, courtroom security detail, prisoner transport and warrant and process servicing.

Labeling himself as “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” Arpaio, who has served as the county’s lead law enforcement official since 1992, is quite well known for his stances against illegal immigration and “tough love” for those who break the law. For instance, he is known for serving inmates in his jail spoiled and surplus foods, but only twice per day. His in-house radio station, KJOE, broadcasts classical music, Frank Sinatra hits, patriotic music and education programming five days per week, four hours each day.

Arpaio reinstituted chain gangs in 1995 and, one year later, expanded the program to include female inmates who volunteered. He has since also instituted a volunteer juvenile chain gang in which participants earn high school credits that can be used towards a diploma.

He set up an extension to his county jail that is best known as “Tent City,” also Arpaio has described it as a concentration camp. Earlier this year, when the temperature in Phoenix, Ariz. soared to 118 degrees, the temperature inside the Tent City, according to Arpaio, was 145. During an earlier extreme heat episode, Arpaio reportedly told inmates that “it’s 120 degrees in Iraq and the soldiers are living in tends, have to wear full body armor, and they didn’t commit any crimes. So, shut your mouths.” In 1997 the facilities were criticized by Amnesty International and additional critics continue to point out that those housed in the tents are awaiting trial and have not yet been formally convicted of crimes.

According to the MCSO website, Arpaio allows his jail inmates only “world-famous” pink underpants.

Arpaio will appear at J&P Cycles and the National Motorcycle Museum, both in Anamosa, on Saturday evening. He will be stumping in Iowa on behalf of candidate LaMere, who shares a background in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency with Arpaio.

According to the campaign, Arpaio will also appear at McOtto’s Restaurant in Anamosa on Friday night and in Cedar Rapids (Granite City) and Coralville (Coral Ridge Mall food court) on Sunday.

While in Iowa, Sheriff Arpaio will also be visiting several locations, meeting Iowans from all over the state and delivering his message regarding the importance of getting involved with your local politics and making sure your opinion counts – whether you are voting for your local Sheriff or the President of the United States. Previously, Sheriff Arpaio spoke in New Hampshire, invited by the Republican Party, and he now looks forward to addressing the people of Iowa!

LaMere, according to his Facebook campaign page, is running to be “A Sheriff for the People.” If elected, he plans to concentrate on solving the current drug problems in the county, addressing and enforcing current juvenile delinquency problems and child abuse, providing greater police presence in the county’s smaller communities, and providing accountability and commitment to the citizen’s concerns and problems.

He faces three other men on the November ballot including current Sheriff Harvey DeSotel, a former Linn County deputy and a Democrat who was appointed on July 1 following a resignation. Greg Graver, chief deputy in the Jones County office, and Scotty Shover.