Thread: AZ: County considers border options after slaying

County considers border options after slaying

By Shar Porier/wick communications
Published: Wednesday, April 7, 2010 1:15 PM CDT

BISBEE - In the wake of the killing of county rancher Robert Krentz, many people who reside east of Douglas have growing safety concerns from numerous burglaries and home invasions.

Two county employees, health department Director Vaira Harik and federal stimulus grants coordinator Susan Buchan, attended the rancher meeting called by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. They came not only to show support for the Krentz family but also to hear just what the plans were to end the two-year cycle of crime that stretches across eastern Cochise County.

They, too, are concerned for their safety and that of their neighbors. Harik said two elderly women living in Portal had to defend themselves when illegal immigrants broke down the home's metal security door. The ladies promptly went for their weapons to protect themselves as they waited an hour for deputies to show.

And that is the crux of the problem there - the long, long wait time while deputies travel to the remote area. It allows criminals the opportunity to rob and get away because travel time is extensive.

Carol Capas, public information officers for the sheriff's office, provided a list of the burglaries that residents from San Simon to Douglas have endured over the past 15 months. In 2009, 52 burglaries and break-ins were reported. So far, in the first three months of this year, there have been 21 - that's seven per month. All are considered the handiwork of illegal border crossers.

County Supervisor Ann English was unable to attend the meeting due to illness, but has been considering the problems of her constituents.

She's also aware that Sheriff Larry Dever has wanted to locate deputies in the area, but housing cost is a problem. It's been suggested that the county should build a satellite deputy station in Portal. But is that physically or economically feasible?

However, what is puzzling to her is the failure for the Border Patrol to add resources in this highly trafficked, crime-ridden area. "This is a border issue. People are coming across the border to commit crimes and returning to the border after committing crimes. Sheriff Dever has less than 100 deputies for 6,200 square miles of county land and the Border Patrol has several hundred just in the Douglas station."

She continued, "Yes, people want quicker response from the deputies and they have that right. But, they also pay for the Border Patrol which has more manpower, better salaries and lot of high-tech equipment to get the problem solved before it would become a county problem."

Another request is to encourage mobile communications companies to install towers not only for service to the residents, but so that emergency personnel can talk to each other - a point that was emphasized Wednesday night by Giffords and ranchers.

English said, "I think the recent grant from Homeland Security for communications capabilities is one step that has been needed for a long time for the sheriff's department. Unless you have radios, which are not always reliable, you feel alone with no cell coverage."

County emergency services coordinator Mike Evans noted, "We're trying to get help out there. It's the whole reason we went after the DHS grant. Right now, there's no way for our deputies, emergency personnel or Douglas Fire to communicate at all out there."

Just recently, the county was awarded a $56,000 grant to buy repeaters for installation in the Portal/Apache region, added Evans. However, the county won't have the money until this fall. After procurement policies are followed to make the purchase, the county will have to find locations where the repeaters will go. All that could take a year.

"You got to have them in a place where radio waves can hit them. Out in that terrain, it's going to be difficult," Evans said.

As far as a substation goes, it's not just the cost of constructing a building that has to be considered, said county Administrator Mike Ortega. It's the salaries of the deputies needed to man the station.

If just four deputies were added, it would cost around half a million dollars the first year to provide uniforms, training, equipment and vehicles. In later years, that would drop to around $360,000, Ortega said.

Then there are the maintenance and utility costs to consider, Ortega added.

Though the county supervisors could set aside some of the $3.2 million planned for the Douglas satellite office, Ortega said they have not suggested using any of that money to beef up the sheriff's department.

Krentz family's statement

"On March 27, our husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle was murdered in cold blood by a suspected illegal alien on the ranch.

This senseless act took the life of a man, a humanitarian, who bore no ill will towards anyone.

Rob loved his family instilling in them the importance of honesty, fair dealing and skill managing, all aspects of a large 100-year-old ranching operation producing food to make our country strong and healthy.

He was known for his concern and kindness helping neighbors, friends and even trespassers on his ranch with compassionate assistance in their time of need.

We hold no malice towards the Mexican people for this senseless act but do hold the political forces in this country and Mexico accountable for what has happened. Their disregard of our repeated pleas and warnings of impending violence towards our community fell on deaf ears shrouded in political correctness.

As a result, we have paid the ultimate price for their negligence in credibly securing our borderlands.

In honor of everything Rob stood for, we ask everyone to work peacefully towards bringing credible law and order to our border and provide Border Patrol and county law enforcement with sufficient financial resources and manpower to stop this invasion of our country.

We urge the President of the United States to step forward and immediately order deployment of the active U.S. military to the Arizona, New Mexico border.

Thank you for all for honoring Rob. We want the truth known."

The Krentz Family


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