Thread: Babeu Reacts to Letter Sent to Him by Border Mayors

Babeu in Studio. EIGHT Minute Video


Babeu Reacts to Letter Sent to Him by Border Mayors

Updated: Wednesday, 16 Feb 2011, 8:46 AM MST
Published : Wednesday, 16 Feb 2011, 7:57 AM MST

TUCSON, Ariz. - Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu has a strong stand on border violence. He says it's spilling over into Arizona, but several mayors of border cities disagree.

The mayors of Nogales, Douglas and San Luis wrote a letter to Babeu. They said his message on border violence is hurting their cities' economies.

Babeu claims violence is on the rise, and he's preparing deputies for a major battle with drug cartels.

The mayors said Babeu's statements have less people visiting or doing business in their towns. They also cite an FBI report that shows border violence has decreased in recent years.

Babeu reacts to the letter at FOX 10 Wednesday morning. Press Play to see the video.

The letter reads:

"We would appreciate it if you would not cultivate a culture of fear in our state and to start being accurate about border security ... your consistent inaccuracies hurt cities and towns like ours by causing those who live and travel to the border to fear for their safety when in our communities."

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/im ... e-02162011

AZ: Border BoletÃ*n: Az border mayors tell Babeu to tone it
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-228187.html

It's all about money, having lived in some of these border towns I know they have changed for the worse 20-30 years past they were actually fun to visit, no longer true no matter what the mayor's and other town leaders say.

Sheriff fires back at Border Mayors

Posted: Feb 19, 2011 8:41 PM PST
Updated: Feb 19, 2011 8:41 PM PST

Nogales, AZ (KOLD) - Three border Mayors sent Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu a letter asking him to tone down his tough talk on the border, but Babeu does not plan on changing anything.

"The violence that has ruled the day in Mexico. That violence and this is what I'm most concerned with is spilling over into Arizona and America," Babeu told KOLD News 13 on Saturday.

It's interviews like these that brought Nogales Mayor Arturo Garino, San Luis Mayor Juan Escamilla and Douglas Mayor Dr. Michael Gomez together to write the letter to Sheriff Paul Babeu, asking him to watch what he's saying.

Babeu responded, "Why are people saying, hey Sheriff Paul, you know stop saying these things. Wait a minute, I'm talking about the threat and concern trying to do my job to protect our families."

But in doing his job, in a county that doesn't border Mexico, Nogales Mayor Arturo Garino says it's hurting his border city.

"We need to put that out just to see if there was a possibility that he does his job over there and we do our job over here," Garino told KOLD.

Mayor Garino says that Sheriff Babeu's words are having a negative effect on his community. He says tourism is down here on the streets of Nogales and they're even having trouble recruiting doctors to the area.

Babeu, though not on the border, argues a majority of illegal immigrants and drugs are funneled directly into his county. He says that makes his county the number one pass through for illegal traffic.

"To the mayors of those three communities, they can have their opinion, but the reality is far different," Babeu said. "The border is unsecure."

Mayor Garino agrees. He believes there is a lot of work still to do at the border, but he worries that Babeu is painting a picture to Americans that the violence they see in Mexico is happening in Arizona.

"We just need to stop the cultivation of fear," Garino said.

Babeu's office responded to the letter from the Mayors, saying quote, "If you speak to your law enforcement agencies in your area, you will find they have a far different view point then you have expressed in your letter and are very supportive of our efforts."

"I'm supportive of what the mayors are saying. I do believe the message they are sending out is the right one," Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said.

Sheriff Estrada's County does share a border with Mexico. He says the violence that Babeu claims is spilling over the border isn't happening in his county where statistics show crime is down. He said, "We do have a challenge, but we have more resources than we've ever had before, more Border Patrol agents, more technology, more cooperation, more funding coming to local authorities. I don't know what else we can do other than seal the border and that is impossible, it will never happen."

Garino added, "If he feels that maybe it's not safe over there, maybe they should move to Santa Cruz County, this is a safe community."

The response letter from the Pinal County Sheriff's Office was written by Public Information Officer Tim Gaffney. In closing he writes, "Tonight, when you go to bed and have "sweet dreams of tourism dancing in your head," please say a prayer for the men and women of the Pinal County Sheriff's Office who are involved nightly with vehicle and foot pursuits involving cartel members responsible for drug and human trafficking."

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=14064864