Sheriff cites 'promising' Krentz case leads



By Derek Jordan/wick communications
Published: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 12:46 PM CST


SIERRA VISTA - Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever told a local audience of recent developments in his ongoing efforts to bring attention to border-related crime and violence. He spoke Wednesday at a monthly meeting of contractors.

During the 30-minute speech and discussion with members of the Southeastern Arizona Contractors Association at Pueblo del Sol Country Club, Dever touched on many topics, including the continuing investigation into the murder of Douglas-area rancher Robert Krentz.

"We have made a ton of progress," he said. "Three days after that murder, I would have bet you a nickel we wouldn't have gotten anywhere close to the shooter. We didn't have anything to go on. We do today."

Without divulging details, he said the inquiry is looking more "promising" than before, but was clear that authorities would not take any action before building a solid case.

"The worst thing we could do would be to put someone in handcuffs, drag them kicking and screaming across the fence, put them in jail and then have to turn them loose," he said. "It's got to be a lock-down case before we prosecute it."

Dever also reiterated his belief that the national attention brought to border issues due to Krentz's death and the passage of - and legal challenges to - Senate Bill 1070 must not be squandered.

"Immigration is going to be unavoidable in the next presidential election, rightfully so," he said. "No policy-maker or politician is going to be able to run and hide" from the issue. "We need to hold their feet to the fire."

He discussed the ongoing legal battle between the state of Arizona and the U.S. Justice Department over SB 1070, the state's illegal immigration law. Dever said that a legal brief he fought to have submitted to the judges of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers what he called the "operational common sense" of the bill, appeared to have been read and considered by the judges. He said he surmised this by the way they phrased their responses to arguments from the prosecutor and references to an unnamed sheriff.

"However they rule, one side is not going to be happy, and it's going to be appealed, ultimately up to the Supreme Court, and it will be a landmark, history-making case," he said.

Highlighting the troubles facing local and federal level border-area law enforcement, Dever recounted seeing footage from Border Patrol surveillance cameras along the border that showed how smugglers will wait for a crowd of illegal immigrants crossing the fence to draw the attention of federal officers before moving their product across at another location.

He went on to reflect on the changing nature of the relationship between law enforcement and smugglers.

"Maybe 14 years ago, human smuggling was practically nonexistent. Drug smuggling has always been a factor, but it was almost a gentleman's game. You got me today, I'll get you tomorrow," he said. "There were rules of engagement. Now, the trend in violence has really elevated the consequences of this whole thing. It's a deadly serious game right now."

When asked what his definition of a secured border is, Dever said, "to me, it means that you are in a position to detect every single illegal crossing, when and where it occurs, and having some sort of reasonable, predictable expectation that you're going to be able to respond to that in a timely manner and make an interdiction.

"We're nowhere near that today," he said.

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