PHOENIX — Congressman Andy Biggs, a Gilbert Republican, chaired a subcommittee field hearing in the Valley Friday called "The Monitoring Racket: The Grift That Keeps on Giving."
At the hearing, by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, witnesses argued that federal monitoring of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office should end.
"It has implications for residents across this nation who also find their law enforcement agencies held hostage by a special monitor or a similar situation," Biggs said.
The monitoring started 12 years ago as part of the settlement in a class action lawsuit against former Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies, who were accused of racially profiling Latinos during traffic stops and enforcement actions. The monitor tracks about 200 compliance measures related to non-discrimination, training, transparency and complaint investigations.
Witnesses at the hearing said MCSO is nearing full compliance, and taxpayers shouldn't keep paying millions of dollars a year for monitoring.
"Every dollar spent feeding this monitoring bureaucracy is $1 not spent on deputies, patrols, training, crime prevention or victim services," said Debbie Lesko, a Republican Maricopa County supervisor.
Biggs said he invited the Democratic members of his subcommittee to attend and bring witnesses, but they declined.
Everyone who spoke at the hearing wanted the monitor removed.
"This is just a political stunt," said Albert Rivera, a community activist.
Some in the Latino community want the monitor to stay.
They don't trust current Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, who was former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's second in command."[Sheridan] tried to gaslight us to say the past is the past and we are moving forward.
We know what Sheridan is capable of," Rivera said.
“We want the courts to understand we're watching. There is a separation of powers but there are checks as well.
This is one of our checks to raise awareness," Biggs said.
Ultimately, it is up to the federal judge in the racial profiling case to decide when MCSO has done enough to protect people's rights and no longer needs court monitoring.
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