Why Tucson Police dropped border enforcement grants
Effectiveness, community input were factors
STONEGARDEN.
TUCSON POLICELEADERS SAY -- THEY CAN TAKEBETTER CARE OF THE COMMUNITY-- WITHOUT BEING IN ACONTROVERSIAL FEDERAL PROGRAM-- TO WORK ON BORDER SECURITY.NINE ON YOUR SIDE'S CRAIGSMITH HAS AN INTERVIEW WITHONE OF T-P-D'S SENIOR CHIEFS-- OFFERING MORE DETAIL ON WHYTHE DEPARTMENT FELT IT SHOULDSTEP AWAY FROM OPERATIONSTONEGARDEN.
CRAIG?OPERATION STONEGARDEN COVERSEQUIPMENT AND OVERTIME WHENLOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT GETSINVOLVED IN BORDER SECURITYWORK.
PIMA COUNTY IS WRESTLINGWITH HOW IT PARTICIPATES ANDWHETHER IT SHOULD STAY IN ATALL.
TUCSON POLICE HAS DECIDEDSTONEGARDEN JUST DOES NOT FITWITH TPD'S PRIORITIES FORTUCSON.ASSISTANT CHIEF KEVIN HALL/TPDFIELD OPERATIONS: "POLICINGCHANGES CASE AND THE COMMUNITYCHANGES FAST AND THEEXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMUNITYCHANGE FAST AND WHAT WE FOUNDIS THAT GRANT REALLY DIDN'TFIT WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITHOUR POLICE FORCE TODAY ANDWHAT THE COMMUNITY EXPECTED OFUS TODAY." ASSISTANT CHIEFKEVIN HALL SAYS FEDERALSTANDARDS FOR THE STONEGARDENGRANTS WANTED TO MEASURETUCSON POLICE PARTICIPATION BYTHE NUMBER OF ARRESTS AFTER ACRIME, WHILE TUCSON WANTS TOFOCUS ON CRIME PREVENTION ANDDEFLECTING PEOPLE INTOPROGRAMS DESIGNED TO KEEP THEMOUT OF TROUBLE.
YEARS AGO,TUCSON POLICE TOLD OFFICERSIMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IS NOTTPD'S RESPONSIBILITY.
IT'S FORFEDERAL OFFICERS LIKE BORDERPATROL AND ICE.
BUT THE OTHERISSUES SUCH AS DRUGTRAFFICKING HUMAN TRAFFICKINGWE DO ADDRESS, BUT WE CAN DOIT IN A MANNER THAT IS NOTRESTRICTED BY THE PARAMETERSOF THIS GRANT, AND WE CAN DOIT MORE EFFECTIVELY."ASSISTANT CHIEF HALL SAYS TPDWILL HELP, IF AN AGENCY LIKEICE OR BORDER PATROL NEEDSASSISTANCE FOR SOMETHING OTHERTHAN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENTBUT EVEN BEFORE THE DECISIONTO DROP OUT OF STONEGARDENTUCSON POLICE CONCLUDED FEARLOCAL POLICE MIGHT ENFORCEIMMIGRATION WAS DISCOURAGINGPEOPLE FROM SHARINGINFORMATION THAT HELPS POLICEFIGHT CRIME IN THE COMMUNITY.WHAT WE FOUND IS AND WHEN WASFAIRLY WELL DOCUMENTED THROUGHTHE BUREAU OF JUSTICEASSISTANCE, IS THAT 50% OFVIOLENT CRIMES ACROSS THECOUNTRY AREN'T REPORTED.
WEBELIEVE THAT COULD POSSIBLY BEHIGHER HERE BECAUSE PEOPLE'SFEAR THAT THEY COULD BEREPORTED TO BORDER PATROL."ASSISTANT CHIEF HALL SAYSSTONEGARDEN GRANTS AMOUNTED TOMAYBE ONE PERCENT OF THETUCSON POLICE BUDGET AND THESTRINGS ATTACHED TO THE MONEYCREATED ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUESLIKE OFFICERS STRUGGLING WITHOLD, HIGH MILEAGE PATROL CARSWHILE NEW VEHICLES BOUGHT WITHSTONEGARDEN MONEY HAD TO SITIDLE UNLESS THEY WERE DOINGSTONEGARDEN WORK.
HE SAYSTUCSONANS WILL NOT SEE ANYCHANGE IN THEIR PROTECTIONWITHOUT THAT FEDERAL MONEY.IN THIS WEEK'S LOOK INTO TEENADDICTIONS -- MEDICAL
