Sheriff Joe requires all deputies to carry AR-15s 24/7

"America's Toughest Sheriff" announced Thursday that he would require all deputies to arm themselves with AR-15 assault rifles at all times -- 24 hours a day -- and fight crime even while off duty.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona said "I want all my deputies to be armed with the greatest firepower available 24 hours a day."

The decision comes amid an ongoing investigation into the death of Jorge Vargas, a 27-year-old detention officer with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, who was shot in the driveway of his home earlier this week.

"While this decision may seem controversial to some in the public and among other law enforcement agencies, I have extreme confidence in the training and professionalism of the men and women deputies in the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office."

Arpaio said he does not know whether Vargas was targeted for being an officer, or what the motive of the shooting might have been.