'I don't need the federal law'

[Bob Hubbard]

'I don't need the federal law' 1:27
A sheriff in Surprise, Arizona caused controversy when he arrested alleged illegal immigrants without federal authority.

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2009/10/18/soto.arpaio.sweep.ktvk.html

 

[Big Don]

The feds are so worthless on actually enforcing immigration law, they seem to forget, just over 8 years ago, a group of people who illegally overstayed their visas, becoming Illegal Aliens, flew planes into buildings.
Arpaio is kind of a weird guy, but, the people of his county must like what he is doing and how he does it, or they wouldn't keep reelecting him.

 

[KELLYG]

Is Arpaio the Sheriff that has the tent jail?

 

[Big Don]

Yep, and the crappy food, the pink uniforms, etc

 

[KELLYG]

Thought so. I saw something about him on TV he has a radical view on incarceration for sure. I can't say I don't approve. As for people that are not here legally they are breaking the law and should at very least be sent back home.

 

[celtic_crippler]

No, he doesn't and I'm glad somebody is actually enforcing the law. You can't count on the Fed to do it.

 

[Archangel M]

I can count on one hand the number of times I needed the feds to do my job.

 

[geezer]

Thought so. I saw something about him on TV he has a radical view on incarceration for sure. I can't say I don't approve. As for people that are not here legally they are breaking the law and should at very least be sent back home.

Sheriff Joe is quite a case. Everything he does grabs publicity, and he's the best known sheriff in the nation. He isn't afraid to twist the law to get attention either. He's done some legally very questionable things (I actually used to work in one of his jails). But for every liberal or Latino vote he loses, he picks up two cracker votes. And Maricopa county ain't hurtin' for crackers. Whatever you think of him, he ain't stupid, and I expect he'll stay in office as long as he wants.

 

[Tez3]

Sorry me and questions again! I find this a bit confusing lol!
What authority does the sheriff have to arrest people by and why does he need authority from somewhere else and what is that somewhere else? Hope you follow that lol!
I've understood in previous threads you have different law enforcement agencies but isn't something illegal, illegal everywhere?

This sheriff even I've heard of, he's quite infamous here lol!

BTW on a completely different subject, this is one of the things the Study is very useful for, explaining how things work in other countries!

 

[Bob Hubbard]

" isn't something illegal, illegal everywhere?"

Nope. Something illegal in NY may/maynot be legal in TX. Something legal in NY state, may be illegal in Buffalo, NY, depending on a local statute.

I think in this particular case, it's a matter of the Federal government not enforcing laws, and this sheriff being told not to enforce them, so he found a State statute to enforce instead which accomplishes much the same goal.

 

[Tez3]

" isn't something illegal, illegal everywhere?"

Nope. Something illegal in NY may/maynot be legal in TX. Something legal in NY state, may be illegal in Buffalo, NY, depending on a local statute.

I think in this particular case, it's a matter of the Federal government not enforcing laws, and this sheriff being told not to enforce them, so he found a State statute to enforce instead which accomplishes much the same goal.

Ah! thanks. You know, it must make enforcing the laws complicated sometimes over there! Or at the very least learning the laws to beome a police officer must take a while longer than ours. Must make moving around different states interesting!

 

[Archangel M]

That is because...from our nations founding and even somewhat to this day...we are a group of united "States".

 

[Archangel M]

Ah! thanks. You know, it must make enforcing the laws complicated sometimes over there! Or at the very least learning the laws to beome a police officer must take a while longer than ours. Must make moving around different states interesting!

Not really. You are familiar with the laws that apply to your state. I don't have to enforce the laws of the other 49.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

50 separate little countries, though mentioning it to some here drives em batty.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

50 separate little countries, though mentioning it to some here drives em batty.

And they go even battier when you point out that it's only gonna get MORE like that as the years go on

 

[Tez3]

Not really. You are familiar with the laws that apply to your state. I don't have to enforce the laws of the other 49.

So if you were visiting in another state you wouldn't have your powers of arrest etc as a police officer?
It's interesting though that the sheriff's job is decided by election, it's something thats quite hard to get your head around unless you're used to it. I can't see it as a political job like being a mayor where the law is concerned. The sheriff would be trained in policing etc though?
As I said though this particular one is probably famous all round the world and quite laughed at too, certainly here. He's been on a few programmes here.

 

[Carol]

So if you were visiting in another state you wouldn't have your powers of arrest etc as a police officer?
It's interesting though that the sheriff's job is decided by election, it's something thats quite hard to get your head around unless you're used to it. I can't see it as a political job like being a mayor where the law is concerned. The sheriff would be trained in policing etc though?
As I said though this particular one is probably famous all round the world and quite laughed at too, certainly here. He's been on a few programmes here.

In the U.S., a police officer only has powers of arrest within his/her jurisdiction. In a small city like Salem, Massachusetts, a Salem Police officer has powers of arrest anywhere within the city of Salem. A Massachusetts State Trooper has powers of arrest anywhere within the state of Massachusetts. Its usually the State Troopers that catch us speeding on the highway because they aren't restricted to an individual town. (Ooops did I say that out loud? ) In a large city such as Boston, Mass. police officers are assigned to particular precints (section of the city) and their powers of arrest may also be limited to that precint.

Each state is divided up in to counties. There is a modicum of goverment at the county level, usually just enough to manage shared resources for the towns/cities wiithin the county.

A Sheriff is both a political job and a law enforcement job. The Sheriff's office is largely responsible for overseeing the corrections system within the county. The Sheriff also performs law enforcement duties for the parts of their county that have not been incorporated in to towns (if they exist). This is seen more in the rural parts of the country, such as the south and west....and less so in the Northeast where everything is rather crowded.

That is why Sheriff Joe has the say he does over the Maricopa County Jail, because as Sheriff, he oversees the corrections system for the county.

Confused yet?

 

[Tez3]

In the U.S., a police officer only has powers of arrest within his/her jurisdiction. In a small city like Salem, Massachusetts, a Salem Police officer has powers of arrest anywhere within the city of Salem. A Massachusetts State Trooper has powers of arrest anywhere within the state of Massachusetts. Its usually the State Troopers that catch us speeding on the highway because they aren't restricted to an individual town. (Ooops did I say that out loud? ) In a large city such as Boston, Mass. police officers are assigned to particular precints (section of the city) and their powers of arrest may also be limited to that precint.

Each state is divided up in to counties. There is a modicum of goverment at the county level, usually just enough to manage shared resources for the towns/cities wiithin the county.

A Sheriff is both a political job and a law enforcement job. The Sheriff's office is largely responsible for overseeing the corrections system within the county. The Sheriff also performs law enforcement duties for the parts of their county that have not been incorporated in to towns (if they exist). This is seen more in the rural parts of the country, such as the south and west....and less so in the Northeast where everything is rather crowded.

That is why Sheriff Joe has the say he does over the Maricopa County Jail, because as Sheriff, he oversees the corrections system for the county.

Confused yet?

Wow! It's easier for us because we are so much smaller and have less ground to cover, our police forces are divided into counties but all come under the Home Office. The Prison Service looks after the prisons (obviously lol). funnily enough we do have sheriffs but they aren't the same thing at all. You'll like how they're picked!
http://www.privy-council.org.uk/output/Page29.asp

In Scotland there are the 'messengers-at arms and sheriff officers' a very old profession. This goes back they believe to pre feudal times.
http://www.smaso.org/background.php

 

[Carol]

Wow! It's easier for us because we are so much smaller and have less ground to cover, our police forces are divided into counties but all come under the Home Office. The Prison Service looks after the prisons (obviously lol). funnily enough we do have sheriffs but they aren't the same thing at all. You'll like how they're picked!
http://www.privy-council.org.uk/output/Page29.asp

In Scotland there are the 'messengers-at arms and sheriff officers' a very old profession. This goes back they believe to pre feudal times.
http://www.smaso.org/background.php

"Reflecting the antiquity of the office" indeed. I'm fascinated at how it is also still a true civilian service (meaning: unpaid). My state's legislature is still a civillian one, but I think we are the only state left in the Union that retains this tradition.

 

[Archangel M]

Some states grant officers arrest powers throughout the state but only for felony or misdemeanor crimes. If I catch someone robbing a store in the next town over I have authority to make a "police arrest. Again. Different states different laws.