Meet Sheriff Dupnik

[RadicalTexan]

http://pimasheriff.org/about-us/meet-the-sheriff/

Wall Street Journal
Opinion
May 5, 2010

Arizona's Immigration Mistake
Those who look suspiciously like illegal immigrants will find their liberty in severe jeopardy.

(snip)

The more fundamental problem with the law is its vague language. It requires law enforcement officials to demand papers from an individual when they have a "reasonable suspicion" that he is an illegal immigrant. The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal" and that "they are endowed . . . with certain inalienable rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Those who look "suspiciously" like illegal immigrants will find their liberty in severe jeopardy and their pursuit of happiness disrupted—even if they are citizens or have lived, worked, paid taxes, and maybe even have served in our Armed Forces for decades.

When used in a law-enforcement context, "reasonable suspicion" is always understood to be subjective, but it must be capable of being articulated. In the case of identifying illegal immigrants, the ambiguity of what this "crime" looks like risks including an individual's appearance, which would seem to violate the Constitution's equal protection clause. Such ambiguity is especially dangerous when prescribed to an issue as fraught with emotion as that of illegal immigration.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704342604575222420517514084.html

(snip)

[upi402]

1. "reasonable suspicion" = you're reasonable to expect that you're a suspect

Land of the free, home of the brave - my :dem:

[Old and In the Way]

2. Here's his bio from the official website for his Department

About Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik

dupnik_photo_web_color.jpgA veteran of over 50 years in local law enforcement, Clarence W. Dupnik has served as the Sheriff of Pima County, Arizona, since his appointment in February 1980. County voters endorsed the choice nine months later by electing him to his first four-year term and ratified that decision by re-electing him six additional times.

Since Sheriff Dupnik has been in office, the population of the unincorporated area of Pima County has increased from about 191,216 in 1980 to more than 360,365 in 2007. The Sheriff is known nationally for his implementation of innovative and effective law enforcement programs throughout his distinguished career. Here are some highlights of his successes, earning his agency's reputation as "one of the nation's finest":

* Organized a national and international award-winning crime-prevention program, using Arizona's first trained law-enforcement volunteers, now numbering more than 200 men and women.
* Founded the drug-prevention group Tucsonans for a Drug-Free Workplace, which evolved into Arizonans for a Drug-Free Workplace and now is the Compass Health Care Drug-Free Workplace Program.
* Served as a founding member of the Command Group of the Arizona Alliance Planning Committee - a joint effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with the military, designed to reduce the influx of narcotics across the Southern Arizona border.
* Maximized seizure of drug-related assets to cripple illegal narcotics enterprises while underwriting projects, fulfilling equipment needs, and lowering costs to taxpayers.
* Instituted a county-wide, community-based policing system.
* Provided deputies with state-of-the-art equipment.
* Introduced the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program to Pima County elementary and junior high schools, helping tens of thousands of students each year make better choices.
* Played a key role in developing the quick-identification Automated Fingerprint Identification System (A.F.I.S.).
* Integrated special weapons and tactics with emergency medical assistance, in consultation with S.W.A.T. Doctor Richard Carmona, M.D., former United States Surgeon General.
* Oversaw reduction of the per capita crime rate in Pima County to levels equal to the City of Scottsdale and one-half the crime rate within the City of Tucson.
* Installed the TIPS hotline to counter terrorism activities in Southern Arizona.
* Is currently presiding over the implementation of an unprecedented regional communications system made possible by voter approval of a $92 million bond issue in May 2004.

dupnik_portrait.jpgWith the county growing at such a rapid pace, it has been important to Sheriff Dupnik that the Department always provides a high-quality service to the public. Under his leadership, we have opened several district offices within the metropolitan Tucson area as well as in the outlying communities of Ajo, Green Valley, Catalina, Corona de Tucson, and Robles Ranch. In all, there now are six district offices and four substations accessible to the public, as well as the central headquarters building at 1750 E. Benson Highway in Tucson, the focal point for criminal investigations, data processing systems, communications, and records.

Sheriff Dupnik also has overseen the implementation of new, state-of-the-art maximum- and minimum-security adult detention centers in Tucson and a new medium-security detention facility in the town of Ajo.

Clarence Dupnik remains active in many professional, civic, and fraternal organizations, including the National Sheriffs Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He has been the long-time Arizona representative with Operation Alliance. He is a board member of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, the Arizona Law Enforcement Officer Advisory Council, and the Arizona Peace Officers Standards & Training Board. He is an advisory board member of the National Narcotics Interdiction System as well as an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Tucson.

Born on January 11, 1936, in Helena, Texas, he was raised in Bisbee, Arizona, and later attended the University of Arizona in Tucson. He graduated from Keeler Institute in Chicago, the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville, and the Urban Affairs Executive Institute at M.I.T. He joined the Tucson Police Department in 1958, and subsequently was promoted through the ranks from Patrol Officer to Major in charge of Field Operations. He left TPD in 1977 to accept the position of Chief Deputy with the Pima County Sheriff's Department, a job he held until his appointment as Sheriff by the Pima County Board of Supervisors 2½ years later.

Sheriff Dupnik's law enforcement experience in policing, supervision, and management is thorough. He has been an effective police officer, supervisor, and manager for many years. As Sheriff, he oversees a smooth-running department of 1,513 employees and an $118 million budget.

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Don't know what his politics are, but no one can question this man's competence. What a contrast to that racist clown Arpaio.