Thread: New border watch group begins patrols near Yuma

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... rs-ON.html

New border watch group begins patrols near Yuma

Associated Press
May. 17, 2005 01:50 PM

YUMA - A new citizens group has begun patrolling the Arizona-Mexico border to watch for illegal immigrants.

The so-called Yuma Patriots put about two dozen people on the border for the first time Monday night with instructions to call authorities if they saw anyone trying to cross into the country illegally.

Group organizer Flash Sharrar said the group's goal is to stop terrorists, criminals and drugs from coming into the community.


"We're not going to arrest or detain anyone," he said. "We're going to call the U.S. Border Patrol and have them do their job."

"We're not vigilantes," said group member Laurie St. Cyr. "We're moms, dads, grandmas. We're workers."

Border Patrol Spokesman Joe Brigman said the agency encourages people to call its toll free number, 1-866-999-USBP, to report suspected illegal activity.

"We continue to encourage people to use those means to report suspected illegal activity and to refrain from venturing into unknown and highly dangerous border areas," Brigman said.

Civilian groups with similar missions have been operating in southeastern Arizona for years, watching for migrants and reporting them to the Border Patrol. They have no official connection to the federal government.

One of the most recent efforts, the Minuteman Project, brought scores of volunteers from across the country to patrol an area around Naco for the entire month of April.

This is a good thing! These groups need to keep up the pressure so that it builds in crecendo.

YIPPPEEEEEE

and to refrain from venturing into unknown and highly dangerous border areas," Brigman said.

If the area is so dangerous, put more Border patrol out there and arrest more criminals.