Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio announced that he has mobilized his volunteer armed posse to aid front-line deputies. Posse members will ride with deputies on patrol.
Arpaio claims that he has made the move due to the “growing anti-police hostility, as seen by the shooting of police officers in St. Louis County, Palm Springs, California, Boston and San Francisco in the last two weeks.”
Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he “believes that the time to turn the tide of the rise of line of duty deaths is here.”
The decision is seen by many to be a political move in response to the DOJ’s decision to charge him with contempt.
However, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has seen an uptick in violence. In May, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Wisda was shot multiple times during a traffic stop by a suspect who was angered for being stopped the day before. Deputy Wisda survived his wounds and is recovering. Later that same month, another suspect shot at a deputy as he was entering a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office substation in Surprise, leaving a slew of bullet holes in the substation door.
“The war on cops must end,” stated Arpaio. “It is imperative that the first line of defense in this country against crime – the cop in America, be protected while protecting us.”
Additionally, Sheriff Arpaio’s annual volunteer mall patrol posse is gearing up for the holiday shopping season for the 23rd straight year. Sheriff Arpaio instituted the mall patrol posse soon after taking office in 1993 after a spate of vehicle break-ins at the malls during the previous holiday season.
In March, Sheriff Arpaio raised money for the armed posse through the sale of guns seized from criminals in prior investigations. $250,000 was used to purchase radios and bullet proof vests for posse members to assist in their increased law enforcement role.
In November 2015, three days before the San Bernardino shooting, Arpaio called on armed citizens to take a stand against terrorism and use their firearms during mass shooting situations. With nearly 250,000 Arizonans carrying concealed weapons, terrorists with evil intent should be worried about armed citizens who will be ready to defend themselves and others. I expect armed citizens to take action in the event a terror attack or other violence occurs until law enforcement arrives.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is still seeking information on a suspect in a silver or gray Chevrolet Silverado extended cab who pointed a weapon at a deputy twice in a marked vehicle. The incident occurred on September 13, 2016 on Loop 101 near the interchange with Loop 202.