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Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu has been elected to serve a second term as the president of the Arizona Sheriff’s Association.
Babeu, an Iraq war veteran and former Chandler police officer, made a name for himself in recent years for his tough stance on immigration.
Babeu’s reputation as the face of immigration reform was furthered when one of his deputies, Louie Puroll, claimed he was shot by drug smugglers in the Vekol Valley — a remote section of Pinal County frequently used by cartels to move drugs and people into the country illegally.
Puroll’s account was later questioned by New Times. He was then
fired for lying after making comments — including an apparent death
threat Puroll claimed was made by a Mexican rancher — to a New Times reporter in the aftermath of our story questioning his claims.
Babeu
will lead the agency comprised of sheriffs from all of Arizona’s 15
counties. The PCSO describes the ASA as a way for sheriff’s from across
the state “to coordinate a uniform agenda to improve public safety
throughout Arizona.”
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“Our budgets have been reduced due to the slow economy, yet theft, burglary and domestic violence have increased in many parts of Arizona. Your elected Sheriff’s are teaming up to better protect our families with fewer resources,” Babeu says in a statement. “We have improved service by providing advanced training and modernizing our agencies with use of current technology.”
