Gov. Katie Hobbs announces $41M for border county law enforcement, $8M for broadband access

SIERRA VISTA — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced more than $41 million in funding for Cochise County law enforcement agencies to help them pursue border-related crimes during a visit to Sierra Vista on Wednesday.

Hobbs met with Cochise County law enforcement and elected officials at Cochise College’s Sierra Vista Campus to announce the funding, which included an additional $8 million for broadband access in the county.

Nearly $36 million of the funds will go to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, according to figures provided by Hobbs’ office. Police departments, including Bisbee and Tombstone, will receive over $5.5 million of the funding.

Hobbs emphasized the importance of using the funds to meet the needs of each community and not utilizing them for “political stunts.”

“Our rural communities have been strained and are frequently expected to perform tasks without being provided the necessary tools,” Hobbs said. "Specifically on the border, every single city deals with the residual effects of thousands of migrants that come through every day.”

Cochise County officials previously raised concerns about high-speed vehicle pursuits, resulting from human smuggling events, that traverse the county and endanger residents. In the past, Cochise College officials voiced concerns about migrants crossing through campus after they cross the border that is just over 22 miles away.

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The funding for the Sheriff’s Office will go toward incarceration, equipment and personnel costs, according to Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels.  The announcement in Sierra Vista is the latest round of funding that Hobbs has allocated toward the state’s rural border communities in recent weeks.

The money comes from the state’s $544 million Border Security Fund, which was created by lawmakers and former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in 2022. The majority of the fund, $335 million, was earmarked for the construction and maintenance of a physical border fence alongside the installation of border security technology.

The money for the Bisbee, Tombstone, Sierra Vista and Huachuca City police departments comes from the prosecution and imprisonment portion of the security fund, according to Hobbs’ office. The money allocated for the Benson, Douglas and Willcox police departments and the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office comes from the border fence and technology fund.

The funds will support the Southeastern Arizona Border Region Enforcement Team, which focuses on disrupting border-related crimes, such as drug trafficking.

Hobbs announced over $1.5 million for the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office and the Prescott Valley Police Department on June 30. Earlier that month, Hobbs allocated $25 million to three southern Arizona communities and the Cocopah Indian Tribe for technology, vehicles and personnel related to border security.

$25M border investment: Gov. Hobbs gives 3 communities, tribe in southern Arizona $25M for border security efforts

The funds were slated to be split among Somerton, Wellton, Yuma and the Cocopah Indian Tribe.

On May 8, Hobbs announced a slew of state-run bus routes meant to transport migrants from rural border communities to Tucson and Phoenix. The routes were announced days before the Title 42 border restriction was set to end, worrying officials of a potential uptick in migrant arrivals.

The money for all of the funding announcements came from the Border Security Fund.

Hobbs’ visit on Wednesday is the second time that she’s met with Cochise County law enforcement officials in Sierra Vista. Hobbs visited the county to meet with Dannels ahead of the lifting of Title 42 in May.

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Dannels thanked Hobbs for the funds and her visit that underscored the importance of state and county collaboration, he said.

“We must work together at all levels of government as our southern border is not just Arizona's challenge, but America's challenge,” Dannels said.

Dannels previously met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during his first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border as a Republican presidential hopeful in Sierra Vista on June 7.

During the meeting, DeSantis slammed President Joe Biden’s immigration policies and announced a nationwide coalition of “like-minded” sheriffs and governors to help replicate Florida’s response to unauthorized immigration.

Dannels and Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse joined DeSantis’ coalition.

Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gov. Hobbs allocates $41M for border county law enforcement agencies