During Arizona's last legislative session, one of the top priorities for our legislators was to give Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu $1.7 million.
The politically popular sheriff and tea party favorite told the Legislature he needed money to buy an armored car, machine guns and a helicopter to take on the Mexican drug cartels he continually says control Pinal County.
While cutting education, health care and public safety budgets, the Legislature bought Babeu's shtick and paid cash for his political loyalty.
Since he took office in 2009, Babeu (who went from rookie patrolman to novice sheriff) has pleaded poverty and told us how he'll save Arizona if only he had more money.
But here's the thing: Since 2008, crime has gone down in Pinal County. Eleven of the 15 Arizona counties have higher crime rates than Pinal. Maricopa County residents are victimized nearly twice as often as Pinal's. [...]
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Retired Mesa master police officer Bill Richardson.
