Thread: Pima sheriff's squad to fight crime along border

Pima sheriff's squad to fight crime along border
DAVID L. TEIBEL
Published: 04.20.2007
Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik, who for years has bemoaned the strain border crime places on his department, is forming a squad of officers who will be tasked with fighting crime along the Pima County-Mexico border.
A sergeant and six deputies will make up the squad assigned to enforce state and local laws along the border, the Sheriff's Department said in a news statement released this morning.
It was not immediately clear from the statement whether deputies will also be told to enforce federal immigration law, something Dupnik for years has said is a federal responsibility he would not shoulder.
Dupnik has stressed he considers his responsibility to be the enforcement of local criminal law in the county, such as murder, robbery, burglary and auto theft.
He has said he does not have enough deputies or money to enforce those laws and federal immigration laws.
Last year Dupnik told the Tucson Citizen he would turn down federal funds if accepting them would obligate him to enforce immigration laws.
"We are literally overwhelmed trying to provide service to the people of Pima County," Dupnik told the Citizen.
Tucson Citizen records show 37 percent of the county's homicides this year - six out of 16 slayings - are related to border banditry.
"The violence associated with the problem of migration and narcotics and other contraband going both north and south has reached epidemic proportions," Dupnik said last month.
Local law agencies don't have enough people to cover nonbordercrimes, let alone divert resources to cover border issues, Dupnik said.
The statement did not say if the border crime unit was being formed with a federal or state grant or if money for the unit was coming from Dupnik's existing budget.
Dupnik and his top commanders could not be reached for comment this morning.
Further details on the unit are to be discussed at a press conference set for Monday morning.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/48992.php

Moving from General Discussion to the News Section.

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Originally Posted by mapwife

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