Sheriff upgrades border crime unit




Associated Press - December 31, 2007 10:44 AM ET

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - The Pima County Sheriff's Office says gangs of bandits preying on smugglers and illegal immigrants are to blame for killings more than doubling this year in unincorporated areas of the county.

This year, 8 of 26 slayings were related to border-area attacks on illegal immigrants.

Last year, the sheriff's office says it had four such killings.

The escalating violence led Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik to form a border crime unit in July consisting of 6 deputies and a sergeant.

The unit was upgraded earlier this month to a border crime section headed by a lieutenant with two sergeants and 14 deputies.


Information from: Tucson Citizen, http://www.tucsoncitizen.com

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