A pilot program in Cochise County is helping ranchers report dangerous activity in remote areas.
The Howard G. Buffett Foundation donated $35,000 to purchase 40 Motorola hand-held radios and signs ranchers can place on their property indicating they are part of the Ranchers Network and Patrol Partnership, the Cochise County Sheriffโs Office said.
So far, 31 ranchers have been given radios with predefined frequencies to contact each other or the sheriffโs office.
โThe specific purpose of the program is to allow ranchers working in the most remote areas of Cochise County to be an extension of our eyes and ears and to be able to immediately and directly report any suspicious or unusual activity in their respective areas, most of which do not have cell service,โ the Sheriffโs Office said in a news release.
The radios also will โcut out the middle manโ during emergencies, said sheriffโs spokeswoman Carol Capas. Rather than have the sheriffโs dispatch center relay information, ranchers will be able to speak directly with helicopter pilots and direct them to the site of suspicious activity.
John Ladd, whose family ranch sits along 10 miles of the international border, said the radios will come in handy when heโs out in remote parts of his property.
Ladd said the illegal immigration landscape has changed in the past decade. He used to see hundreds of illegal border crossers on his land daily, but that number is down to nearly zero now. Instead, itโs the drug smugglers and their lookouts who travel through his ranch. His house has been burglarized repeatedly, he says.
โIf you live in the rural area, thatโs your big concern every day. You still have to realize that I canโt just walk into my house any more. I gotta look around and see whatโs going on,โ Ladd said.
Peggy Davis, a rancher about 25 miles north of the border, says activity has also significantly decreased but that itโs not uncommon for smugglers and others to cross through her familyโs cattle ranch near Tombstone.
โSometimes we donโt have cell service on areas of the ranch. I was just thrilled that we have other options,โ Davis said.
The radios are the first phase of the program. In July or August, another 71 radios will be given to public schools to be used in the event of an intruder, shooting, or other emergencies, Capas said.
The program was spurred in part by the 2010 fatal shooting of rancher Robert Krentz, the Sheriffโs Office said. His slaying remains unsolved.
โWe anticipate that this program, being one of a kind, will only strengthen the bond of trust between all law enforcement and our ranching community, and we hope to alleviate any other tragic incidents such as the Krentz homicide,โ Cochise Sheriff Mark Dannels said in the news release.
The foundation that donated the funds is run by the son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett and regularly helps out the sheriffโs office, Capas said.
The foundation did not respond to a request for comment. The foundationโs website says it supports public safety in the rural communities where it operates, including Cochise County, three counties in Illinois, and areas in Nebraska.
