A recent segment of Anderson Cooper 360 shined a light on Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s history of using his office to initiate bizarre investigations and settle political scores with those who dared question the Sheriff’s tactics over the years. As CNN notes:
Now, the investigations have turned on Arpaio himself. A federal grand jury is now investigating whether Arpaio, his chief deputy who is on a leave of absence, and a former county attorney used their powers to attack political opponents, according to some who have been called to testify during the grand jury proceedings.
It is critical that the case receive more national attention, but this story is only the tip of the iceberg.
In telling the story, CNN paints a much too rosy picture of “America’s Toughest Sheriff” Joe Arpaio’s crime fighting prowess. Producer Ismael Estrada begins by stating as a matter of fact that Sheriff Joe Arpaio is “tough on crime” and goes on to say that his success is proven because of high poll numbers. I’m no statistics whiz, but I’m pretty sure there’s no direct causation between popularity and lowering violent crime rates.
Take a look at the crime stats:
