SIERRA VISTA — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced on Wednesday more than $41 million in funding to help Cochise County law enforcement investigate border-related crimes during a visit to Sierra Vista.
Mr. Hobbes met with Cochise County law enforcement and elected officials from Cochise University’s Sierra Vista campus to announce funding that includes an additional $8 million for broadband access throughout the county.
Nearly $36 million of the funds will go to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, according to figures provided by Hobbes’ office. Police departments such as the Bisbee Police and Tombstone Police will receive more than $5.5 million of this funding.
Hobbes emphasized the importance of using the funds to meet the needs of each community rather than using them for “political stunts.”
“Our rural communities are tense and are often called upon to carry out missions without being provided with the necessary tools,” Hobbes said. “Every city is dealing with the residual impact of the thousands of migrants that flow in every day, especially near borders.”
Cochise County officials have previously expressed concern about the pursuit of high-speed vehicles crossing the county and endangering residents due to human smuggling incidents. Officials at Cochise University have expressed concern in the past about immigrants crossing the border, just over 35 miles away, passing through the campus.
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Cochise County Sheriff Mark Danells said the sheriff’s office’s funding will go toward incarceration costs, equipment costs and personnel costs. The Sierra Vista announcement is the latest funding round Hobbes has allocated to rural areas along the state’s borders in recent weeks.
The funding comes from the state’s $544 million Border Patrol Fund, which was created in 2022 by lawmakers and former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. The bulk of the fund, $335 million, went toward building and maintaining a physical border fence in parallel with the deployment of border security technology.
The funding for the Bisbee, Tombstone, Sierra Vista and Huachuca police departments comes from the prosecution and incarceration portion of the Security Fund, according to Hobbes’ office. Funding allocated to the Benson, Douglas and Wilcox Police Departments and the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office comes from the Border Fences and Technology Fund.
The funds will support Arizona’s Southeastern Border Area Enforcement Team, which focuses on stopping border-related crimes such as drug trafficking.
Hobbes & Co. announced on June 30 that it has allocated more than $1.5 million to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office and the Prescott Valley Police Department. Earlier that month, Hobbes allocated $25 million to three communities in southern Arizona and the Cocopa Indian Tribe for technology, vehicles and personnel related to border security.
$25 million border investment:Governor Hobbes Donates $25 Million to Border Patrol Efforts for Three Communities and Tribes in Southern Arizona
The funds were to be distributed among the Summerton, Welton, Yuma, and Cocopa Indian tribes.
On May 8, Hobbes announced a number of national bus routes intended to transport immigrants from rural border communities to Tucson and Phoenix. The routes were announced days before Title 42 border restrictions were to end, prompting officials to fear they could increase migrant arrivals.
Funding for all funding announcements came from the Border Protection Fund.
Hobbes’ visit Wednesday was the second time he has met with Cochise County law enforcement officials in Sierra Vista. Mr. Hobbes traveled to the county to meet with Mr. Dunnels ahead of the opening of Title 42 in May.
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Danells said he thanked Hobbes for the funding and for her visit, which emphasized the importance of state and county cooperation.
“The southern border is not just an Arizona issue, it’s an issue for the entire United States, so all levels of government must work together,” said Danells.
Danells previously met in Sierra Vista with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who became the first Republican presidential candidate to visit the U.S.-Mexico border on June 7.
During the meeting, Mr. DeSantis denounced President Joe Biden’s immigration policies and announced a national coalition of “like-minded” sheriffs and governors to replicate Florida’s response to illegal immigration.
Mr. Dunnells and Navajo County Sheriff David Close joined Mr. DeSantis’ coalition.
Got news tips or story ideas about the border and its communities? josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com Or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda.
