With horror and disbelief, we learned of the tragic death of Redington resident Paul Clifford, who was acting as a Good Samaritan trying to aid what he was told was a stranded motorist. Last Christmas Eve, in the early morning hours, Mr. Clifford responded to a knock on his door in a remote rural area in the San Pedro River Valley. The Clifford’s home is so far out in the northeastern tip of Pima County that in the distance of a mile or so you can literally cross three different county lines. Mr. Clifford agreed to go with the stranger to help restart his vehicle and didn’t return home. Instead, he was found a mile or two from his house, murdered, and left next to a burning vehicle. Frantically, his family called 911 and due to the remoteness of the area, responders arrived in what seemed like an eternity to Mr. Clifford’s loved ones. There are areas of our Southeast Region that are similarly distant and remote.
Obviously, this is not just a District 4 issue, as there are many areas throughout Pima County that face those same response times and safety needs. Our Southeast Region is fortunate to have a fully operational Fire District and a new Sheriff’s substation at the Pima County Fair Grounds. However, it is acknowledged that vast areas of rural Pima County suffer from inadequate emergency coverage.
Mr. Clifford’s widow, Christine came before the Board of Supervisors during a recent meeting and bravely and eloquently conveyed this tragedy and similar frightening challenges that Redington residents face in emergency and other situations.
In March, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved your District 4 Office’s request of the County Administrator to develop a Remote Community Public Safety Plan, working with the Office of Emergency Management, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, and others. We asked that this group explore additional tools and options, such as call boxes, drone patrols, additional deputies and community watch groups. A plan draft is due to the Board in June.
Our initiative is gaining momentum. On March 22, a community meeting was organized by and held in a longtime Redington resident’s home. The large group heard from representatives of the Pinal and Cochise Counties Sheriff’s Departments, as well as Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, and representatives from Pima County’s Health and Transportation Departments and the local Fire District. Topics of discussion ranged from the issues first responders face in remote areas to infrastructure needs such as expanded cell phone service and navigable roads.
Additionally, in Green Valley on March 27, a Santa Rita Valley-wide wildfire prevention meeting dovetailed public safety with our other initiative, the Wildfire Danger Mitigation Plan.
We have encouraged the South East Area Council and the Greater Vail Chamber of Commerce to be active participants and contributors to both the Remote Community Public Safety Plan and the Wildfire Danger Mitigation Plan, and they have assured us they will.
Neighbors helping neighbors. That is the District 4 spirit – caring for our community.
Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy, District 4
33 N. Stone Avenue, Floor 11
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-724-8094
district4@pima.gov
