Reply #5: Arpaio also has "brownshirts" in the form of his "posse" of volunteers.

[L. Coyote]

The posse, whose ranks have increased to 3,000 members under Arpaio, is the nation’s largest volunteer posse ....

One of the most visible parts of the Sheriff's Office, the Posse volunteers bring their own personal talents to the service of all of us here in Maricopa County. They provide valuable support to the various divisions of the Office and have become an integral part of the day-to-day operations of the Sheriff's Office.

Citizens who choose to become volunteer posse members come from all walks of life. All posse applicants undergo a background check and a drug test. Applicants then receive training such as law and legal and first aid. Posse members may also take additional optional training for specialized assignments if they choose.

Posse members provide valuable assistance to virtually every division within the Sheriff's Office. Posse members assist the patrol deputies by providing back-up on dangerous calls, transport prisoners to jail, and provide traffic control at accident scenes. Posse members are also used to process paperwork for the Civil/Criminal Process Sections, Records and Identification Section, Enforcement Support Division, and the Special Investigations Division.

............ http://www.mcso.org/index.php?a=GetModule&mn=Posse

=================
Sheriff Joe Arpaio's posse puts down 1st Amendment
By Pat Young CARECEN February 6, 2009 - http://www.longislandwins.com/blog/in_the_news/sheriff_joe_arpaios_posse_puts.php

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has created Wild West-style "posses" to act as a vigilante force against Latino immigrants. Recently one such posse prevented their work from being documented by telling a camera operator that it was illegal to film them.

=================
Armed Arpaio Posse of 60 Nets 3 in Nighttime Raid on Public Library, City Hall - http://www.ijjblog.org/2008/10/armed_arpaio_posse_of_60_nets.html

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio traded angry words and accusations with Mesa officials Thursday after 60 deputies and posse members armed with search warrants stormed City Hall and the public library in the middle of the night in a hunt for illegal workers. ... About 30 deputies and 30 volunteer posse members in bulletproof vests and carrying semi-automatic weapons prepared for the operation in Pioneer Park across from the Mormon Temple shortly after midnight."