Ajo Sheriff's Log

On August 22, 2015 you received a radio transmission from a Deputy advising that a United States Border Patrol (USBP) Agent had been in an ATV accident was was severely injured (PCSD Case #150822248). You immediately contacted a supervisor from the USBP and ensured that they were aware of the situation. While simultaneously dealing with numerous transmissions on the radio, you remained calm and took direction from the on duty supervisor who requested that you make numerous notifications including coordinating and finding out the quickest air assets available to respond to the remote desert location.

By remaining calm, as well as quickly and efficiently completing all these tasks, you made to jobs of the on duty supervisor and other deputies much easier. The rescue of the USBP Agent was ultimately  a success due in large part to your actions.

                                                                   CHRIS NANOS, Sheriff of Pima County

                                                                   Captain DAVID THEEL, Commander Patrol Division

A dispatcher's view of law enforcement in the Ajo area.

A man in South Florida was talking to his girlfriend in Ajo. She sent him a photograph of a pile of pills and told him she was going to take them. He contacted the dispatcher in Ajo, who sent deputies to check her welfare. She had already swallowed the pills. An ambulance was dispatched, which transported her to meet Air Evac, which took her to a hospital in Phoenix for treatment.

A man called the Sheriff's Department when bees invaded his yard and stung him three times, once near his eye. He wanted to find a beekeeper who would remove the bees so that he could get back to work. The dispatcher determined that he wasn't having a bad reaction to the stings and gave him a phone number. He called back to say that he couldn't reach the beekeeper. The dispatcher again checked his welfare. Later the man's son called from Phoenix and said that he was having a bad reaction to the bee stings. Please send help. The dispatcher paged out the ambulance and sent deputies to check the man's welfare, warning each that there were still lots of bees in the area. The man was okay and did not need further medical care. When night fell the bees disappeared.

There was a 911 hang-up. The dispatcher heard quite a commotion in the background before the connection was lost, but no one spoke. He entered a call to send a deputy to check the home, but before the deputy was dispatched 911 rang again from the same location. The caller requested an ambulance for a broken arm. The dispatcher sent the ambulance, but also sent deputies because of the commotion. As soon as deputies reached the scene they detained a man who was later booked for assault. The victim was transported to Phoenix for treatment.

Three suspicious fires in late April and early May of 2013 had the community mystified.  All three occurred in the early evening in vacant structures and were thought to be arson.  A $3,000 reward from local residents was offered for solving the crimes. No one was ever arrested in these cases. In late April of 2014 another fire burned a vacant building in the same part of town. This occurred near midnight. Arson investigators from Tucson returned. The inquiry continues.

Wild burros have been a continuing problem south of Ajo.  They have even come into town and crossed city streets.  Three burros kept crisscrossing the highway just south of Ajo.  The local rancher who helps herd the burros to safety was out of state and not available.  Eventually four deputies were required to get the burros through a gate in the fence away from traffic, but not before a property damage motor vehicle accident occurred in that area.  A week later, at 1:45 am there was another car versus wild burro accident, again with no injuries to the driver.

A German tourist went hiking in Organ Pipe National Monument. He reached his goal, Victoria Mine, and suddenly realized he had no idea which way he needed to go. He immediately dialed 911 on his cell phone and asked for help. He told the dispatcher he had plenty of water and felt fine, but he didn't want to wait until he was in trouble to call. The dispatcher contacted the Bureau of Land Management which dispatched a ranger who happened to be only fifteen minutes away from the tourist. The next day the tourist came to Ajo, sought out the dispatcher, and sincerely thanked her.

"River rescue" and Ajo aren't often spoken in the same sentence. However, heavy rains in the Gunsight area south of Ajo flooded the Gunsight Wash. A driver unwisely entered the wash after midnight and got in immediate trouble. His passenger dialed 911 for help but couldn't even tell the dispatcher where he was. The dispatcher knew that the heaviest rain had been south of Ajo. The caller mentioned Why, so she had two possibilities. She dispatched deputies to both. Meanwhile, she also advised Border Patrol. A Border Patrol agent heard the driver and passenger calling for help and advised the dispatcher of the location. When deputies got on the scene at Arizona 85 milepost 55 the truck was totally under water and the victims were clinging to tree limbs. There were rescued, but the driver was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. He spent the rest of the night in jail.

What's right with America?  Consider this incident in Ajo.  A child was reported missing.  All three deputies on duty responded to the area to help look.  Seven additional deputies who were doing a special operation took time out from the operation to join the search.  Border Patrol was asked for air support.  The helicopter pilot immediately called to get the information.  Fortunately, he wasn't needed.  The child had already been found safe and sound.  The rapid response and search testified to the dispatcher on duty (your humble author) that in this case the priorities of all law enforcement involved were correct.  Save the child first and do your other duties later.