County Board Votes Again to End Guadalupe Law Enforcement Contract

Deputies had to clear the auditorium as protesters become uncontrollable.

In another chaotic meeting, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted to end police protection for the town of Guadalupe.

Deputies had to clear the auditorium as protesters demanded the opportunity to speak.

"Yet again, we see that Sheriff Arpaio does not let the Board of Supervisors let the public speak on these issues that have to do with our tax-dollars, that have to do with our safety," said one protester.

Two people were arrested in the protest for their actions.

Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox wanted to hold off on a vote until a lawsuit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio is over, and the county completes its own investigation, but the board rejected her motion.

The vote confirmed the outcome of a meeting two weeks ago, where the board voted 3-1 to cancel the law enforcement contract.

Maricopa County to Drop Guadalupe Police Protection

The move, which some on the board said they approve of, would put Guadalupe on a 180-day notice for cancellation of a contract originally set to expire in 2010.

The Town of Guadalupe is facing a loss of police protection from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. On Wednesday, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors could vote to cancel sheriff's office protection for the Phoenix suburb.

The move, which some on the board said they approve of, would put Guadalupe on a 180-day notice for cancellation of a contract originally set to expire in 2010.

A heated confrontation between Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the former town mayor, Rebecca Jimenez, and her goofy antics led the sheriff to cancel a contract between the sheriff's office and the town.

The contract pays Maricopa County $1.2 million annually for providing police protection in Guadalupe. Town officials are hoping for a change of heart from Arpaio and the board.

"At this point, we have no alternatives to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office,'' Guadalupe Mayor Frank Montiel said. He is the new mayor of Guadalupe.

Montiel replaced Rebecca Jimenez as mayor earlier this month. Jimenez remains on the town board.

Montiel said he wants to establish a better relationship with the sheriff's office and is hoping that the two sides can reach an agreement before the contract expires. "I hope Mr. Arpaio will see it that way, also. We do have new leadership,'' Montiel said.

Arpaio said he might be willing to continue police protection in Guadalupe if things go his way.

"If I want to come back in there with my suppression operation, I will,'' he said.

It was a crime suppression operation that stirred anger in former Mayor Jimenez. She called the sweep racial profiling and said she planned to consider other options for law enforcement. During one sweep, Jimenez confronted Arpaio on live television, which led the sheriff to cancel the policing contract.

Supervisors have been inclined to go with Arpaio's recommendation on the matter. The sheriff originally made it in April, when the discussions with Guadalupe officials were most heated.

"The sheriff is determined to move on, (and) outside law enforcement is largely a creation of his own ability and desire,'' Republican Supervisor Don Stapley said.

"When he calls me and says, "We're not going to continue there, it's real hard for me to say, "Yes, you are."

Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, a frequent critic of Arpaio's immigration policies, will oppose the cancellation. Wilcox's district includes the town. "Guadalupe is going to become a casualty of these immigration battles, and we're going to leave a small town without services,'' Wilcox said. "It's really irresponsible of us.''

As far as alternatives, Phoenix and the Department of Public Safety have declined to contract with Guadalupe.

Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris says doing so could lead some neighborhoods without adequate police protection.

The DPS also told town leaders it could not provide police services, DPS Deputy Director Pennie Gillette-Stroud said.

More silly conduct on the part of the Mayor of Guadalupe!

People in Guadalupe were supposed to meet last night to talk about policing their town.

That did not happen because the mayor pulled the plug on the meeting. The countdown continues to tick away. Last month Sheriff Joe Arpiao said he was ending the $1.2 million contract with the town. He had given the city 180 days to find someone new to patrol the streets.

Last nights meeting was supposed to be the mayor's chance to calm the fears of residents and assure them that this will not be a police-less town in a few months, but instead she ended the meeting almost as soon as it began.

Mayor Rebecca Jimenez called for a vote to cancel the meeting because council member Patrisha Jimenez has an ailing father. The prematurely adjourned meeting caused a bit of an uproar from some of the residents and council members as they made their way through the lobby.

The Guadalupe Public Safety Committee is actually the group who called for this special meeting. They are a group of concerned residents who wanted to share their ideas with the council and mayor. They were obviously not pleased.

Council Member Frank Montiel tells 3TV the meeting could have continued with one member absent and he is not happy with the progress the mayor has made so far.

3TV was also told that the mayor has drafted a few letters to send to cities like Tempe and Phoenix asking for help patrolling but those letters have reportedly not been sent out. The mayor's supporters say give her time.

3TV tried to talk to the mayor but she said she would be right back and just needed to run to her desk but went out the back door instead.

This all started because of the mayor's comments about the sheriff's immigration busts in Guadalupe. Even the sheriff has said if the town gets its own police force, he can still come in and set up shop anyway.