Arpaio’s security offer turned down by some churches

Citing accusations against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for racial profiling, some African-American churches told the sheriff, “Thanks but no thanks,” to his offer for additional security Sunday.

“The Maricopa County Sheriff has been adjudicated as a racial profiler,” said Rev. Reginald Walton, Rev. Warren Stewart Jr. and Dr. Angeles Maldonado in a joint press release. “He is the last person we would look to for help.”

Arpaio said Thursday that additional officers and posse members would provide added security to African-American churches following the shootings at a church in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday that left nine people dead.

The sheriff said that he agreed to provide protection at the churches at the request of the Rev. Jarrett Maupin, who explained that he’s concerned about white supremacists trampling on the civil rights of black people within the county.

However, Walton, Stewart and Maldonado said in the same press release that Maupin doesn’t speak for them and adds that Maupin is not the civil rights leader in Phoenix.

Maupin said he wasn’t aware of any specific threats against churches within the county, but he added that places of worship with black congregations often get hate mail. Still, Maupin said he’s concerned that the South Carolina shooting might prompt white supremacists to come forward to harm black people.

This isn’t the first time Arpaio responded to shootings across the country with stepped up security locally. Following the Sandy Hook School shootings in 2012, the sheriff sent hundreds of posse volunteers to provide security outside of schools.

Maupin said the controversy over Arpaio’s now-shuttered immigration enforcement crackdowns is irrelevant to the issue of protecting the churches from white supremacists.

“Love us or hate us, we are here to make sure people can worship freely and safely,” Maupin said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story