Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Puts Mugshots to Vote Online
Public allowed to rate inmates arrested by "America's toughest sheriff."
April 20, 2011— -- Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio calls himself "America's toughest sheriff," and now he's come up with a new way to try and prove it.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's office this week unveiled an online showcase of hundreds of inmate mugshots categorized by crime -- and put them up for a vote. Arpaio calls it the "Mugshot of the Day" competition.
"I want people to turn to see if their neighbor's been arrested," Arpaio said in a prepared statement.
He said the website may help produce more leads on unresolved crimes.
The "leader board" of seven inmates who have received the most votes features disheveled faces and unusual physical appearances.
Benjamin Luna, 35, arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and making threats to inflict injury or damage to property, holds the top slot with more than 4,200 votes.
The page notes that all the subjects have not yet been convicted and remain innocent until proven guilty.
Arpaio, first elected Maricopa County sheriff in 1992 and believed to be weighing a bid for the U.S. Senate in 2012, is a popular figure among conservatives around the country for his tough approach to crime and punishment, including housing prisoners in tents, issuing them pink underwear and putting them to work on chain gangs.