Thread: AZ: County sheriffs may soon be able to assist Border Patrol

County sheriffs may soon be able to assist Border Patrol

Law would allow officers to bypass Board of Supervisors


By Michael Rich, UA Community News Service February 19, 2008

The border crime unit of Pima County's sheriff's department is in charge of crimes committed along the border - everything from murders and drug smuggling to simple speeding violations.
The unit hunts the same criminals as the U.S. Border Patrol, yet the two agencies seldom work together because the Border Patrol requires that agencies have an intergovernmental agreement to work with it, something the Pima County unit does not have because it has not gotten approval from the county Board of Supervisors.


But that might all change. A bill is moving its way through the Arizona House that, if passed, would allow the Pima County unit or any other sheriff's department in the state to enter into an intergovernmental agreement without approval from county supervisors.

"The sheriff of a county deals with law enforcement policy, and it seems silly that he couldn't make this decision on his own," said Rep. Jonathan Paton, R-Tucson, the sponsor and author of the bill.

Paton said he got the idea for the bill when he heard about the situation with the Pima County unit.

The unit had put a measure before the Board of Supervisors that would have allowed Border Patrol agents to be embedded in the Border Crimes Task Force, but it was pulled from the docket by Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik.

"The measure was pulled because members of the community and the board thought the measure would equate to the Border Patrol working in the sheriff's department, taking everyday calls, but that is not the case," said department bureau chief George Heaney. "We felt we needed more time to explain the initiative to the community."

Paton wrote the proposed legislation before the sheriff's department took any more action.

"I served in Iraq, and we always wanted to have someone from the Air Force letting us know what they were doing so we didn't get blown up," Paton said from his office in Phoenix. "This law is going to protect officers from being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Meanwhile, some sheriff's departments have taken advantage of current laws and already work with the Border Patrol.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada and Yuma County Sheriff Ralph Ogden both said that they have gotten approval from their county supervisors to work with Border Patrol agents.

"This bill is a good thing if your department needs it," Ogden said. "I can't see any downside to it."

Not every lawmaker is in favor of the legislation.

Rep. Tom Prezelski, D-Tucson, agreed that there needs to be communication among the agencies, but he said this legislation is not the way to go about it because of the cost.

"There is already a method for the sheriffs to enter into these agreements," he said. "By the state allowing the sheriff's departments to enter into these agreements without board approval, there is a risk of cost to the counties."

In Arizona, county boards of supervisors are responsible for the budgets of their sheriff's departments, said Paul Newman, Cochise County supervisor.

"With the budget crunch, we cannot afford any additional cost," he added.

Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manny Ruiz said that if the law is passed, it could put a county in a situation of being liable for the actions of Border Patrol officers.

"We do not want to bring problems to our county," he added. "We cannot afford a lawsuit."

Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias said he thinks the proposed bill is taking away authority from the counties.

"This is just an example of the Legislature meddling with the idea of control," he said.

Paton said that his bill gives a sheriff's department the ability to enter into a contract, but it does not spell out the contract's details.

"The contract can be worded to eliminate cost and liabilities," he said.

www.zwire.com

LOL! Now the HB racists are really going to want to nuke Arizona!