As a legal immigrant and retired paralegal for MCSO, I am compelled to express appreciation to Sheriff Arpaio; a man who led his department with honor, dignity and valor throughout decades of public service.

Arpaio implemented dozens of cost-saving programs which provided a second chance to inmates. He protected animals from abuse. He was proud to lend his name to numerous charitable organizations fighting for just causes. During my travels all over the world, I was proud of that fact that many locals knew the name of our great Sheriff Arpaio and wished he was their Sheriff.

Unlike the current leadership “Sheriff Joe” never shied away from hot topics. Ignoring political correctness, he stood on the side of law and order, clearly defining illegal immigration and the danger of the existence of sanctuary cities. He also protected the rights of law-abiding gun owners, thus protecting our Second Amendment.

I question the implication that “low morale” existed because of Sheriff Arpaio. It was caused by the Board of Supervisors and the Obama administration’s vendetta. Those entities played their political games at the expense of hardworking employees. They took away benefits and forced employees to suffer years without a pay increase. Sheriff Arpaio gallantly fought to right that injustice. I know, I was there!

The biggest falsehood was the statement made of “260” lawsuits (presumably against Sheriff Joe). As a paralegal in the federally mandated Inmate Legal Services Department, we were required to process hundreds of fraudulent claims by the inmates, at taxpayer expense, which were always tossed out of court. If these bogus lawsuits are included in the “260” figure, then this blatant distortion needs to be corrected.

Sheriff Joe is an honest man with no hidden agenda. From the bottom of my heart thank you for your service.