SAFFORD — Five Arizona sheriffs are coming to Safford to talk about drugs coming over the southern border and the impact on their communities.
Sheriff Talk: Drugs Beyond the Border will take place Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. at the David M. Player Center for the Art.
“At this event right here, you’re going to get a third of the state’s sheriffs at this event; there’s only 15 of us in the state of Arizona,” said Graham County Sheriff PJ Allred. “These sheriffs, they all love their counties (and) they all love their citizens. We all love Arizona, we all love the Constitution, we all back the Constitution and we want the most safest possible things to happen for all of our citizens.”
Taking part will be Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, Gila County Sheriff Adam Shepherd, Greenlee County Sheriff Tim Sumner, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Allred.
“We’re a pass-through county,” Lamb said. “So basically everything that comes across the southern border of Arizona — which, by the way, 50 percent of all illegal drugs in America, they estimate come through Arizona’s borders — all of that has to eventually make its way through Pinal County to get to Phoenix.”
Sumner said the activity on the border goes beyond the state.
“It flows through,” Sumner said. “We’ve had some loads that come through and, honestly, they weren’t destined for Greenlee County. They weren’t going to Duncan, Clifton or Morenci; they were passing through and they were destined to further locations outside Arizona and across the nation.”
The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions during this non-political event. To submit a question, go to Sheriff Talk – Questions for the Sheriffs (google.com).
The event will also be live-streamed on the Safford Bulldog News Network YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person.
Sheriff Talk is sponsored by the Graham County Substance Abuse Coalition and the Greenlee County Substance Abuse Coalition, with funding from One Arizona Plan through the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
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