Joe Arpaio Can't Imagine Why Hispanic Group Doesn't Want Sheriff's Office at Their Event

Sheriff Joe Arpaio issued a press release condemning a Latino organization for not allowing the Sheriff's Office to run a booth at the organization's upcoming convention.

Gee, can anyone think of a reason why the Hispanic Women's Corporation would try to keep Arpaio's office out of its event?

Maybe -- just maybe -- it has something to do with a federal judge's ruling earlier this year that the Sheriff's Office, under Arpaio, racially profiled Latinos.

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The county's Latino residents also happen to be aware of Arpaio's infamous sweeps, workplace raids, and whatever other name they give to immigrant roundups.

This was probably an attempt by the MCSO to do some Hispanic outreach, as will likely be ordered by the judge in Arpaio's racial-profiling case. After being rejected by this organization, Arpaio proceeds to publicly chastise two Latino groups, including one that's not even involved. Way to win back the community, Joe.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is reporting that it has been informed by the Hispanic Women's Corporation, a group which hosts an annual Hispanic Women's conference in Phoenix, that its $800.00 fee for an exhibitor's booth at this year's conference is being returned because a decision has been made by the HWC leadership to not have a booth sponsored by the Sheriff's Office present at the event. The conference is scheduled for September 26-27, 2013, at the Phoenix Convention Center.

In an early evening September 10, 2013 phone call to James Estrada, the Director of Community Outreach for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, the HWC's president, Linda Mazon Gutierrez, explained that Sheriff's Office would not be welcomed this year. The group had previously accepted the $800.00 fee on August 29, 2013. It was returned to the Sheriff on September 11, 2013.

Mazon Guiterrez had previously served on the National Council of La Raza General Board of Directors, according to published reports.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio said: "This decision appears to be entirely political and that's a judgment based on the background of the president of this group. The shame is that we could have interacted with future employees of the Sheriff's Office. At a time when jobs are scarce, that's not something to play politics with."

(By the way, that was a suave move, name-dropping an "Estrada" who works for the Sheriff's Office.)

The press release goes on to say that the purpose of MCSO purchasing the booth was to "foster the message that "MCSO Empowers Women.'"

"Many Latina officers had volunteered to be part of the effort, so, the rejection by the HWC hits greatly upon the Hispanic women in the Sheriff's Office," the press release continues.

Gee, maybe terrorizing Latino communities in the county wasn't the best idea.

However, the headline of the press release kind of gives away the purpose for Arpaio's latest attention-grab. When there's an opportunity to blame Latinos for something, Arpaio and company don't seem able to contain themselves.

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Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.