Arizona House of Representatives Speaker Kirk Adams wants to give Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu $5 million in state aid to help “hunt down drug cartels.”
The rationale, Adams said in a Feb. 22 press release, is to make sure Babeu “has the necessary resources to fulfill his responsibilities.”
What about the responsibilities of the state’s other sheriffs and police chiefs?
The Speaker’s statement contained the usual political puffery about securing the border, how the federal government has failed and that Adams and Babeu will save us from the drug cartels.
According the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, “Drug cartels are large, highly sophisticated organizations composed of multiple drug trafficking organizations and cells with their command-and-control structures based outside the United States.” The Department of Justice reported Mexican drug cartels have a “network of dealers in 231 U.S. cities taking in about $39 billion in sales annually.”
In other words, Arizona and Pinal County are just two pieces in a huge organized crime supply chain. Babeu will be arresting low-paid mules and not the drug lords.
Adams came up with the idea to give Babeu millions after hearing the sheriff’s plans on the radio.
The millions will come from proceeds received from the state’s now-defunct photo radar program. Babeu’s major campaign issue in 2008 was doing away with photo radar.
In years past, the legislature has thrown a million here and a million there at Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Cash given to powerful politicians such as Arpaio can buy legislators political support. Adams, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Congress in 2012, no doubt wants to ensure support from the politically popular Babeu, whose star is rising as Arpaio’s dims.
While Pinal County and Babeu are the current sweethearts of politicians and the media, crime in the form of street and prison gangs linked to Mexican crime lords continues growing statewide.
A July 2010 report by the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Office said the Mexican mob “poses a great threat in Arizona. Street gangs are expected to continue to move into less populated areas, where law enforcement is unprepared or unable to deal with a growing gang presence. Drug trafficking and related crime will increase as the gangs expand their criminal operations.”
If you have a gang in your Arizona town and dope on your streets, your community is what they’re talking about.
As Adams prepares to cut Babeu a check in these dark fiscal times, law enforcement officials statewide are scrambling to do more with less.
No doubt Babeu needs help in a county that’s been home to domestic and international smugglers for decades. But $5 million? Last August, Babeu requested only $1.6 million from his county board of supervisors to combat smugglers. His request was denied. Since taking office in 2009, Babeu has received $2.96 million in federal grant money. In 2010 he received approximately $19 million for housing federal prisoners.
What the legislature needs to understand is that to effectively combat crime throughout Arizona — and not just in Pinal County — requires a statewide strategy and well-coordinated city, county, state, tribal and federal effort. Pinal County isn’t where crime in Arizona begins, nor is it where it will end.
Give Sheriff Babeu the $1.6 million he previously asked for. Then spend the rest on need-based grants and law enforcement programs that have been proven to reduce crime. And hold back enough money for Gov. Jan Brewer and the independent Arizona Criminal Justice Commission to pay for a comprehensive study to determine what needs to be done to combat the war against organized crime throughout Arizona.
Throwing money at an elusive enemy with billions of dollars and thousands of soldiers without a comprehensive statewide law enforcement strategy won’t solve Arizona’s organized crime problem.
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Retired Mesa master police officer Bill Richardson lives in the East Valley and can be reached at bill.richardson@cox.net
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:26 pm on Thu, Mar 3, 2011.
Let me get this right. Speaker Adams has $5 million tax-payer hard earned dollars (tax payers = the citizens of Arizona who actually work for their paychecks...not just stand in line for them) and wants to put these dollars to the best use. Should he spread $15,000 here...$35,000 there.... to Arizona County Sheriffs and Local City Police Chiefs that believe in a ..."SANCTUARY CITY or SANCTUARY COUNTY" law enforcement policy ???
Or should he allocate this money to an Arizona County Sheriff at the .."CROSSROADS".. of....MEXICAN ILLEGAL ALIENS...coming into Arizona...and the..."CROSSROADS" ..of MEXICAN ILLEGAL ALIEN DRUG SMUGGLING"........who "WILL" enforce Federal and Arizona anti-illegal alien Laws...and not provide any...."SANCTUARY" .....period ???
The Arizona ...'ILLEGAL ALIEN AMNESTY and RIGHTS" ...proponents... hate Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu because both of them ......SUPPORT SB 1070 which is what the voters of Arizona demand.
Just look at today's headline story about the MEXICAN ILLEGAL ALIEN DRUG DEALER...who was ..BEHEADED in Chandler (one of the first...."SANCTUARY CITY's" in Arizona). These killers didn't worry about the Chandler Police going after...ILLEGAL ALIENS...they never did in the past....did they ????
So can you blame Speaker Adams for giving this money to an Arizona County Sheriff who is a strong supporter of SB 1070 and "does go after"....Mexican Illegal Aliens and Mexican Illegal Alien Drug Smugglers............I sure don't...Speaker Adams put the money where it would do the most good.............Pinal County Sheriff Office.
mikedurham posted at 7:36 pm on Thu, Mar 3, 2011.
Does Adams request meet the criteria of the plan with the Arizona Department of Homeland Security and did the request receive the endorsement of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission? If he didn't present the coordination with the plan as overseen by the legislative committee for Homeland Security and have in hand a recommendation from ACJC, then it's a fund Babeu effort. Did Babeu apply for DOJ money? What were the statistics that he used if he did? What were the statistics that Babeu gave Adams?
I can go on, Bill.
exit526 posted at 8:44 pm on Thu, Mar 3, 2011.
@Leon, nice note on the Chandler beheading. Monday night (Feb 21) a dead man was found in Vekol Valley, at the "crossroads", as it were. Found by a BLM ranger helping a group of USBP agent trail a group of armed men with backpacks. The dead guy had a fully-loaded AK-47 under his body as well has having extra ammunition and supplies under him. He appeared to have been dead about a week. Where are those elite troops Babeu has mobilized? The case was turned over to Pinal SO deputies.
Sheriff Babeu must've forgotten to mention that find in his testimony before the legislature several days later. Must've had something to do with which agency found it, maybe? Maybe the dead guy was not cartel enough? Maybe he was one of those elusive cave spotters that just lost his way. Died without being a headline for Babeu. Sad.
The $5 million is helping fund political ambitions of one individual aided by another individual who hopes to gain a little for assisting.
Too funny, the money will come from photo-radar fines the state has collected. Babeu has been poster boy for camerafraud.com from day one! Has Babeu picked out his helicopter yet? He's already got a Lt. on his staff to fly it. Then they can fly around and find the 75-100 caves he wants to believe are in the Pinal mountaintops but aren't.
Thanks for the insights, Bill.
No money in the state for organ transplants but plenty of money for more Babeu tactics. Anyone heard from McCain lately on getting that danged fence? And now Adams joins in.
billrichardson posted at 7:42 am on Fri, Mar 4, 2011.
Leon,
As always I appreciate your comments and taking the time to ready my column. Unfortunately the problem is far bigger than arresting illegals. Arizona has become not only a gateway for crime from Mexico, its also become a home to it and without a coordinated plan of attack involving all law enforcement and regulatory agencies we will lose. This war will not be won chasing down illegals and marijuana in the Vekol Valley. In fact, Vekol Valley and Pinal County might very well be a planned diversion that allows the Mexican mob their homegrown crime partners to flourish through the rest of the state?
Leon Ceniceros posted at 9:57 am on Fri, Mar 4, 2011.
The Vekol Valley is where the Drug Smuggling is concentrated. For some reason (charisma, looks, demeanor...who knows), the Liberals..the Left-Wing Illegal Alien Pro-Amnestistas, the Democrats ....HATE HIS GUTS.
He never takes a "bad" photo like Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The local Newspaper photographers do their "WORST" to demonize Sheriff Joe, Senator Pearce and Gov. Jan Brewer. You ...NEVER, EVER...see an attractive photo of them in the local newspapers....that's and editorial trick to get their socials agenda across to the reader.....WELL IT DOESN'T WORK WITH ...SHERIFF BABEU.
Do you blame Speaker Adams from giving this money to a County Sheriff who gets results and gets ....GREAT PRESS FOR ARIZONA ON NATIONAL TELEVISION ???
Should he have given the money to the Pima County Sheriff who went on National/World Television and .....BAD-MOUTHED ARIZONA....after the horrific events in Tucson ???
I have seen photos of Sheriff Babeu on BBC News, Die Welle (the German news channel) and even Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera projecting a....POSITIVE IMAGE OF ARIZONA ..to the World. No Democrat County Sheriffs shooting their mouths of....no Democrat Congressman calling for the...BOYCOTT OF THEIR OWN STATE.....no of that negative press that our State doesn't need.
Instead of damning, denigrating and degrading the Public Servant who is doing a great job for his County, his State and his Country.............YOU SHOULD BE SUPPORTING HIM.
Rich posted at 7:58 pm on Fri, Mar 4, 2011.
The Verkol Valley? Spent six days there in January. Cartel? You're brain dead. It's 5 mil of your money going to an incompetent motorcycle patrolman, who likes publicity. I hunt, I see it. Where does it come from? Right now into White River. North then south. Ask hunters, we watch because it is what we do. If you're going to spend 5 mil to stop it you give it to state cops, not some bald headed publicity freak. I mean is it really necessary to put, "Be stupid" on the top of your list of things to do today?
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:35 pm on Sat, Mar 5, 2011.
"incompetent motorcycle patrolman"...Rich, I would drive....REAL, REAL CAREFULLY FROM NOW ON.....I don't think your disparaging remarks about these Law Enforcement Professionals are going to win you any ..."FANS".......LOL.
I remember my old Debate coach in high school said that when a debater started with the ....PERSONAL ATTACKS...the referees gave the other side the ............WIN.
Just watch the TV moderators on MSNBC....and we see the same ....2010 ELECTION-LOSER PYSCHOSIS....causing them to go on the ....PERSONAL ATTACK ...too.
I guess it appeals to the ..."Lowest Common Denominator" in the Socialist/Left-wing/Liberal/Progressive/Democrat......mentality....you know the ones we have seen these past 2 weeks....marching in Madison, Wisconsin....THE PUBLIC SERVICES UNION MEMBERS....THE ONES WITH THE ....CADILLAC PENSIONS.....CADILLAC HEALTH CARE....CADILLAC VACATION WEEKS....CADILLAC WAGES.
THE ONES PROTECTED BY THE UNION WHO...................CAN'T BE FIRED....FOR ANY REASON...........SOME THING IS WRONG WHEN YOU CAN IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES............BUT YOU CAN'T FIRE A ......PUBLIC SERVICES UNION EMPLOYEE..............but.....AMERICA IS LIKE THE ...ENERGIZER BUNNY....WE JUST KEEP ON BEATING THAT ...........TEA PARTY DRUM.
NPDRETIRED posted at 5:33 pm on Mon, Mar 7, 2011.
This issue for Babeau is not about saving Arizona or America from crime or drugs.
The only agenda on Babeau's bucket list is to move up in the political ranks. Its all
about Babeau and nothing else. He could care less about his people, the county,
the state or the country. His agenda is Babeau. By the time he leaves Pinal County
Sheriffs Office he will have bankrupt Pinal County from just the law suits from his own
people withing the department.
Looks good, sounds good, but a cancer to this state, county and country. If there is
truley an investigative reporter out there, not affraid of politics there is truley an over
abundance of evidence to get this guy impeached.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:04 am on Wed, Mar 9, 2011.
Give the poor Valley of the Sun reporters a break.
They have their hands full with the Chandler Police Department scandals and the Phoenix Police Department scandals.....WIDE-SPREAD STEROID USE....CRIME LAB PROBLEMS....GROPING/FONDLING FEMALE PRISONERS AND SUSPECTS....FICTIOUS OVER-TIME CLAIMS....AND THIS....HUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INVESTIGATION INTO "OVERBLOWN" MEXICAN ILLEGAL ALIEN KIDNAPPINGS THAT JUST CAUSED THE PHOENIX POLICE CHIEF JACK HARRIS TO BE DEMOTED TO BUS/RAIL SAFETY SUPERVISOR (OH, ALMOST FORGOT...HE IS IN CHARGE OF THE WAND-COPS AT THE COURT HOUSE TOO).
AND WE WON'T EVEN BRING UP THE PHOENIX FIRE DEPARTMENT SCANDAL ABOUT THE THREE OR MORE FIREMEN INVOLVED WITH SETTING A MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE ON FIRE.
REMEMBER WHEN THE ...."BOYS IN BLUE"....WERE AUTHORITY AND RESPECT FIGURES IN THE COMMUNITY????....................WHAT HAPPENED, FOLKS...WHAT HAPPENED.
ChuckUF posted at 2:39 am on Sat, Mar 19, 2011.
NPDRetiered got it right. Over a dozen employees fired anmd almost every one of them were awarded thier jobs back in Merit hearings. Babeu immediately appeals each and turns down thier unemployment insurance. So several of them are still on the payroll, have been awarded back pay and are not allowed to work. Others are in the process of sueing Babeu, citing wrongful termination and no just cause. Moral is at an all time low with many of the deputies afraid to take any action at work that incur the ire of the sheriff and result in their own terminations. Hey Pinal county residents, how safe are you? Maybe you should ask a deputy, 'cause you sure aren't going to get the truth out of Babeu.