Why is Sheriff Clarence Dupnik using holy name Mecca in his public talks?

Mecca refers, in this case, to a haven or a place journeyed to. For instance, Arizona is a state where crazy and angry people flock to be with like-minded folks.

It’s a little like calling a beautiful place Shangri-la, even though it’s not the real Shangri-la.

There is “Mecca”, which is the actual city in Saudi Arabia, comparable to Rome or Jerusalem as a center of faith, and then there’s “mecca” meaning a center that draws people with certain interests and talent, like Nashville being a mecca for country music singers, or New York City being a mecca for actors.

Another pairing like this is “Catholic” and “catholic”, the later meaning “universal.”