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Dever speaks to county Farm Bureau
By Carol Broeder/Arizona Range News
"You have to watch out for yourself and your neighbors. The personalities and nature of people has changed - many are the same, many are very different and dangerous."
That's the advice Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever gave the members of the Cochise County Farm Bureau at their annual meeting last Friday.
Before speaking on border issues, Dever told the audience he has been with the Sheriff's Office since 1976 - during the floods, and the trouble at Miracle Valley. He started the SWAT team and Search and Rescue.
"Border immigration and the mess we are dealing with has consumed my time," said Dever, adding that Oliver North had spent time the day before, east of Douglas and down by Bisbee, gathering information for his show, "War stories with Oliver North."
Dever recalled having a sense of the storm brewing south of the border, and about one year later, "the flood of illegal immigrants started coming through here."
He said he feels that happened as a result of "Operation Gate Keeper" in San Diego and "Operation Hold the Line" in El Paso.
Dever said that INS Commissioner Doris Meissner had called this an "unintended consequence."
He did some research and found that part of their plan was really to send them through a more hostile environment.
"It is criminal to let the people coming across believe that they can make it across," he told attendees at the Farm Bureau meeting.
"The suffering will continue until we can plant in their minds that we will stop them."
Dever said that while SB 1070 was good, "some things got stripped out."
While it stopped sanctuary policies in Phoenix, San Francisco is also a sanctuary city and "these sanctuary policies invite people in," he said.
Dever said that half the illegal entrants as well as half the marijuana come across the Arizona border.
"The reason for this is easy to understand," he said. "You cannot sustain a smuggling enterprise without supporting people on both sides. We have that here."
"Our border is a diverse landscape. A double layer fence will work, single layer does not stop them," said Dever, explaining that a double layer fence will only work if there are people to watch it.
"There are repair crews on the fence every day. Most of it is barrier fence to stop cars, not people," he said. "There are not enough people (border security). The prosecution element is also lacking in Arizona."
"The federal government is using statistics that add up to zero to Susan Krentz (widow of slain rancher Robert Krentz) and the Hunts who were tied up in their home," said Dever, adding, "Seventeen percent of illegal immigrants who are caught in this country have serious criminal records."
"Crime statistics say the crime rate is down on the border, but it is way up from 1980, and down from 2005," said Dever, adding that it is still "way up from where it should be."
"Until we stop the people from coming here, the crime statistics are going to stay," he added.
Dever also talked about the issues of racial profiling and law enforcement officers getting out of control.
"Police are trained on reasonable suspicion and probable cause from the very beginning of training," he said. "The only people who should fear (SB) 1070 are the people who are violating it."
Dever said he feels the lawsuits are helping because they are opening the conversation on border issues.
"There is no place for any politician or elected official to hide," he told the audience. "They must make decisions and decide where they stand."
"Comprehensive immigration is amnesty or it is just a cloudy overview," Dever said. "The legal immigration process needs to be fixed."
"There are about 200 different visas available on the border," said Dever, adding that is too many in his opinion.
"We have to take a stand on this issue," he said.
Dever talked about the Rose Law Group in Scottsdale, who is representing Dever in the ACLU suit. He described them as "really great."
"We can take it on and fight, or we can sit back and see what happens," said Dever, adding that it is his opinion that "time and money have been invested and we must fight."
County Farm Bureau members asked his advice concerning these issues, and Dever said, "You are not dealing with the same people you were used to dealing with."
Dever said he was told by some of his friends in law enforcement in Mexico not to go there anymore because "the law enforcement is not what it used to be."
"You have to watch out for yourself and your neighbors," he told the Cochise County Farm Bureau.
"The personalities and nature of the people has changed - many are the same, but many are very different and dangerous."
Speaking after Dever, Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers said that people want to understand how border issues affect Cochise County.
He said he looked at an Arizona Game and Fish map recently, there is a dotted line on the maps that says, "Your hunt south of this line could be impaired by illegal activities."
"This is not an immigration issue - this is a life and death issue," Rogers said.
"It is not right for it to be a safety issue," he said
"Securing the border is the biggest leg on the three-legged stool of immigration right now."
Rogers explained that the state farm bureau takes the county leadership to Washington, DC twice a year.
"We see every Congressman or woman to make sure they understand what we are doing, and what we are dealing with on the border," he said.
"We are doing our best to make sure something is done."
(Editor's note: Information in this article was obtained from the Cochise County Farm Bureau.)
That's the advice Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever gave the members of the Cochise County Farm Bureau at their annual meeting last Friday.
Before speaking on border issues, Dever told the audience he has been with the Sheriff's Office since 1976 - during the floods, and the trouble at Miracle Valley. He started the SWAT team and Search and Rescue.
"Border immigration and the mess we are dealing with has consumed my time," said Dever, adding that Oliver North had spent time the day before, east of Douglas and down by Bisbee, gathering information for his show, "War stories with Oliver North."
Dever recalled having a sense of the storm brewing south of the border, and about one year later, "the flood of illegal immigrants started coming through here."
He said he feels that happened as a result of "Operation Gate Keeper" in San Diego and "Operation Hold the Line" in El Paso.
Dever said that INS Commissioner Doris Meissner had called this an "unintended consequence."
He did some research and found that part of their plan was really to send them through a more hostile environment.
"It is criminal to let the people coming across believe that they can make it across," he told attendees at the Farm Bureau meeting.
"The suffering will continue until we can plant in their minds that we will stop them."
Dever said that while SB 1070 was good, "some things got stripped out."
While it stopped sanctuary policies in Phoenix, San Francisco is also a sanctuary city and "these sanctuary policies invite people in," he said.
Dever said that half the illegal entrants as well as half the marijuana come across the Arizona border.
"The reason for this is easy to understand," he said. "You cannot sustain a smuggling enterprise without supporting people on both sides. We have that here."
"Our border is a diverse landscape. A double layer fence will work, single layer does not stop them," said Dever, explaining that a double layer fence will only work if there are people to watch it.
"There are repair crews on the fence every day. Most of it is barrier fence to stop cars, not people," he said. "There are not enough people (border security). The prosecution element is also lacking in Arizona."
"The federal government is using statistics that add up to zero to Susan Krentz (widow of slain rancher Robert Krentz) and the Hunts who were tied up in their home," said Dever, adding, "Seventeen percent of illegal immigrants who are caught in this country have serious criminal records."
"Crime statistics say the crime rate is down on the border, but it is way up from 1980, and down from 2005," said Dever, adding that it is still "way up from where it should be."
"Until we stop the people from coming here, the crime statistics are going to stay," he added.
Dever also talked about the issues of racial profiling and law enforcement officers getting out of control.
"Police are trained on reasonable suspicion and probable cause from the very beginning of training," he said. "The only people who should fear (SB) 1070 are the people who are violating it."
Dever said he feels the lawsuits are helping because they are opening the conversation on border issues.
"There is no place for any politician or elected official to hide," he told the audience. "They must make decisions and decide where they stand."
"Comprehensive immigration is amnesty or it is just a cloudy overview," Dever said. "The legal immigration process needs to be fixed."
"There are about 200 different visas available on the border," said Dever, adding that is too many in his opinion.
"We have to take a stand on this issue," he said.
Dever talked about the Rose Law Group in Scottsdale, who is representing Dever in the ACLU suit. He described them as "really great."
"We can take it on and fight, or we can sit back and see what happens," said Dever, adding that it is his opinion that "time and money have been invested and we must fight."
County Farm Bureau members asked his advice concerning these issues, and Dever said, "You are not dealing with the same people you were used to dealing with."
Dever said he was told by some of his friends in law enforcement in Mexico not to go there anymore because "the law enforcement is not what it used to be."
"You have to watch out for yourself and your neighbors," he told the Cochise County Farm Bureau.
"The personalities and nature of the people has changed - many are the same, but many are very different and dangerous."
Speaking after Dever, Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers said that people want to understand how border issues affect Cochise County.
He said he looked at an Arizona Game and Fish map recently, there is a dotted line on the maps that says, "Your hunt south of this line could be impaired by illegal activities."
"This is not an immigration issue - this is a life and death issue," Rogers said.
"It is not right for it to be a safety issue," he said
"Securing the border is the biggest leg on the three-legged stool of immigration right now."
Rogers explained that the state farm bureau takes the county leadership to Washington, DC twice a year.
"We see every Congressman or woman to make sure they understand what we are doing, and what we are dealing with on the border," he said.
"We are doing our best to make sure something is done."
(Editor's note: Information in this article was obtained from the Cochise County Farm Bureau.)
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of willcoxrangenews.com.
Al Renteria wrote on Sep 9, 2010 1:35 PM:
" Since it appears that very close to 100l% of Sheriff Dever's time is dedicated to immigration issues, perhaps consideration should be given to making the sheriff's departmant an auxilliary sub unit of ICE? "
Al Renteria wrote on Sep 13, 2010 10:21 AM:
" Don, we are all immigrants, plain and simple. Was trying to decipher and make sense of your remark, but to no avail. "
david wrote on Sep 14, 2010 9:17 PM:
" Al:
Trust me- Dever applies his deputies well, and it's true, a lot of hours is spent on illegals. But?
They also apply themselves to a much broader application of the law; a significant part? Is making those vital contacts with the everyday citizen, about their concerns, and their need for intervention of all types.
I'd hate to think of this fine department becoming subject to any other, lesser, more distant leadership.
We could lend a hand by insisting money wasted on non-essential and money- losing county departments be funneled instead to the Sheriff's Department where it is badly needed.. Abolishing the useless Building , Planning, and Zoning department would be a big step in doing that. So write and call your supervisor. "
Trust me- Dever applies his deputies well, and it's true, a lot of hours is spent on illegals. But?
They also apply themselves to a much broader application of the law; a significant part? Is making those vital contacts with the everyday citizen, about their concerns, and their need for intervention of all types.
I'd hate to think of this fine department becoming subject to any other, lesser, more distant leadership.
We could lend a hand by insisting money wasted on non-essential and money- losing county departments be funneled instead to the Sheriff's Department where it is badly needed.. Abolishing the useless Building , Planning, and Zoning department would be a big step in doing that. So write and call your supervisor. "
billy s. pierce wrote on Sep 8, 2010 11:51 PM: