IT IS hard to imagine Maricopa County, Arizona, without Joe Arpaio. The flamboyant, tough-talking sheriff reigned over the county, which includes the sprawling Phoenix metropolitan area, for 24 years. Sheriff Joe, as he was often called, became known around the world for his unusual policies and aggressive self-promotion: dressing his inmates in pink underwear and housing them in tents in Arizona’s sweltering desert heat; using the power of his office to round up illegal immigrants.
But “America’s toughest sheriff”, as he called himself, is no longer in the job. On December 4th, Paul Penzone, a Democrat, was sworn in as the new sheriff. In elections in November, voters in the heavily Republican county opted overwhelmingly against giving 84-year-old Mr Arpaio a seventh term in office and chose Mr Penzone, a former Phoenix police officer. Mr Penzone has said he will get rid of what he described as Mr Arpaio's publicity stunts—including the pink underwear—but may retain other practices, such as the use of volunteers to free up police time.
For years, Mr Arpaio seemed invincible. To the chagrin of his many critics, he seemed to remain a hero in Maricopa...Continue reading
Source: United States http://ift.tt/2iR2nXg
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