Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce (FNC)
This is a rush transcript from "Your World With Neil Cavuto," May 26, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
NEIL CAVUTO, ANCHOR: All right, just fire them all. My next guest so fed up with U.S. police chiefs just meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder today, well, he wants them out of a job today, all of them, even the ones who aren't in his state. The chiefs are warning that crime will go up because Arizona has cracked down on illegals.
State Senator Russell Pearce warning there would be a lot more crime if the state didn't pass it. Pearce wrote it. He joins me now and is still upset about it, right?
Right, Senator?
STATE SENATOR RUSSELL PEARCE, R-ARIZ.: More than upset. This is absolutely amazing. These are folks who go to Washington, D.C., to see if they can't figure out a way to continue not to do their job. They take a sworn oath to enforce of the laws of the land.
We just had — and you know what is interesting? Chief Harris is there in D.C. today with Eric Holder figuring out how not to do his job, how not to enforce the law. One of his officers was just killed this morning. He ought to be at the hospital with the family. He ought to be here for that family. Instead, he's down there figuring out how not to do the job.
In the last few years, six Phoenix police officers have been killed by illegal aliens, six of them critically injured by illegal aliens. What does it take for him to want to do his job? His association, the boots on the ground, 2,700 officers endorsed this bill unanimously, virtually. They have been enthusiastic supporters from day one. The largest police association in this state, the Arizona Police Association, over 9,000 officers, enthusiastically endorsed this bill. And yet these chiefs that are down there all come from open-border cities, sanctuary cities, cities that refuse to enforce the law. And they're down there figuring out how to continue not to enforce the law.
(CROSSTALK)
PEARCE: It's outrageous.
CAVUTO: Senator, what do you make of the administration offering to put 1,200 troops along your border?
PEARCE: Well, you know, if they were serious, they would put — it would be thousands of troops along the border. That's like putting 1,200 sandbags to try to control the Mississippi River.
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: By the way, Senator, you're not too far off on that. We actually calculated this out. We took off our socks and counted our toes and fingers.
(LAUGHTER)
CAVUTO: It — 1,200 troops works out to this: along the border, it's a troop member every 1.66 miles, every 8,764 feet...
PEARCE: Yes, and then do that 24 hours.
CAVUTO: Right. Right.
(CROSSTALK)
PEARCE: Then do that 24 hours and days off and weekends, and that is probably one officer every six miles or 10 miles.
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: Right. So, they wouldn't see each other.
We have even said that, even if you put the Statue of Liberty itself, 151 feet — we could show this — it would take 58 Statue of Liberties to cover that gap. And the statues wouldn't see — so, but 1,200, you argue, and the math would seem to back you up, is a joke.
(CROSSTALK)
PEARCE: You know, right during this debate, during this very debate of 1070, Rob Krentz, a friend of mine on the border, a rancher, a humanitarian, a Christian, a good man, was murdered on his own property.
This isn't just an unusual event. This is on a regular basis. I mean, this is unbelievable, what's going on. Phoenix, number two in the world in kidnappings, home invasion, carjacking, identity theft capital of the nation. And Chief Harris is in D.C. figuring out how he doesn't have to enforce this law?
The Maricopa County attorney's statistics on violent crimes on who they're charging two-and-a-half times that of any other demographic. What does it take to wake up? And let's use a good example. Prince William County, they enforce their laws very stringently, and started in 2007. When they did that, they had a 37 percent drop in violent crime, a 50 percent drop in homicides.
What does it take to wake these folks up? We have an obligation. Our citizens have a constitutional right to expect our laws to be enforced. Those guys take an oath of office. The president takes an oath of office.
And direct in the Constitution, Article 4, Section 4 requires the federal government to secure that border. It's amazing.
CAVUTO: Can they be fired? Can they be fired? Could the governor fire them?
PEARCE: No. The city — well, it takes a — I understand it takes at least a majority of the council. It depends on the charter of each city, but the city certainly can relieve them.
Chief Harris has been retired once. He's really not a police chief. He's a public safety guy in violation of his charter.
CAVUTO: Yes. OK.
PEARCE: But the point is, it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing.
I have been in law enforcement most of my life, have two boys in law enforcement. I have been shot at and missed and I have been shot at and hit. I know the risks those guys run out there.
CAVUTO: OK.
PEARCE: And for government to be complicit, for government not to get involved in enforcing our laws and protecting our neighborhoods, and just do the right thing. We're a nation of laws. Just do the right thing.
(CROSSTALK)
CAVUTO: But, you know, I just — Senator, I want to be fair to the Phoenix police chief, who you mentioned. He did not go to this Washington event precisely because of this shooting you referred to. He might still be against the law.
PEARCE: He's back. Oh, OK.
CAVUTO: But he did not — he did not go to the event. He did not.
PEARCE: And I appreciate that to some degree.
But he shouldn't have even been back there figuring out how to not do his job. That's what it's about. There — sanctuary policies in this country are illegal under federal law.
CAVUTO: OK.
PEARCE: They ought to have been enforcing the law long-term. They have inherent authority. They're figuring out how not to do their job. It's embarrassing.
CAVUTO: All right. OK. Senator, good seeing you.
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