Guadalupe Redux: Will Joe Arpaio Return to the Scene of the Crime, or Punk Out? (w/Update)

As I reported in last week's Bird column, Guadalupe's lickspittle Mayor Frankie Montiel has invited Sheriff Joe back to his square-mile town for Thursday's town council meeting, and perhaps a meal of Mexican seafood. Arpaio's return comes one year after the MCSO ran roughshod over that town in an anti-immigrant sweep, pulling over everyone brown (which is the whole burg), harassing law-abiding citizens, even menacing a Catholic confirmation for the town's children led by Bishop Thomas Olmsted.

Montiel also invited Joe for a meal of Mexican seafood with council members, but this is unlikely to occur, in part because most of the other council members want nothing to do with Arpaio, and because such a supper, with a quorum of the council present, would violate Arizona's open meeting law.

But Montiel's fawning aside, will Joe really have the stones to show as scheduled?

The council members I've spoken to believe this to be the case. They tell me that the MCSO's liaison with the town has informed them that metal detectors might be used to check those entering Guadalupe's small town hall. This same deputy inquired about whether he can keep some people out. He was informed that it was an open meeting, and that he cannot pick and choose who can enter.

As there will be protesters and many pissed-off residents present, I suspect that if Joe does show, his deputies will sneak him in through the back, as there is a door in the town hall meeting room that leads directly to the MCSO's Guadalupe substation in the rear of the same building. On the other hand, it would also be classic Joe for him to punk out, and say he never promised to be in Guadalupe, despite Montiel's claims to the contrary.

Joe's return comes during the Lenten season in Guadalupe, which involves weeks-long celebrations by Pascua Yaqui Indians, who make up half of the town's population, the other half being Mexican. It's a holy time for all Guadalupanos, and Arpaio's mere presence is considered to be an affront to the unique traditions of the community.

"It's beyond an insult," said community activist Andrew Sanchez, whose family was profiled in Michael Lacey's recent cover story "Are Your Papers in Order?," and who is organizing a peaceful protest to greet the sheriff. "It's like he's disturbing our peace."

Sanchez says it was also an insult for the MCSO to set up metal detectors or use wands when they've never been used at council meetings before.

"What is he, a celebrity?" asked Sanchez, whose family has been mercilessly harassed by the MCSO because of Sanchez's activism. "He's no celebrity. He knows our community is non-violent. He's trying to make it seem like we're bad people."

The council meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m., but protesters will be gathering around 4 p.m. at the southeast corner of Guadalupe Road and Avenida del Yaqui. Already, Sanchez and his allies have signs up around town. Several feature an eye, with the slogan, "Cuidado, viene Arpaio," which means, "Look out, Arpaio's coming." Some remind the sheriff of last November's election tally from the town: Saban, 1,181 votes; Arpaio, 183.

And if Joe blows the meeting off?

"That just means we won," said Sanchez with a smile. "If he doesn't come, it's because of us."

UPDATE: Just received the following message from Guadalupe Frankie Montiel to Joe's top flack Lisa Allen. It speaks for itself. In turn, Andrew Sanchez is calling on all town council members to walk out of the meeting once Arpaio shows. More as it comes.