Stories from Southeast Border towns? (Tucson, Sierra Vista: living in, cost of, shop)

[Dizzylucy]

OMG, My husband got a great job offer in Sierra Vista but after reading some of the stories here, I'M SCARED TO DEATH LOL Living in California all my life I don't know if I can adjust living in a small town. Any advice it will be nice.

Thanks

[jfkIII]

Buy a shotgun and learn to use it properly.

[PeaceNQuiet]

Originally Posted by i303

.
There is alot of alien and dope smuggling activity in Cochise County. Much to the oblivion to the public. Some folks are sharp and do call it it. Most are like, "Aww My Gawd!! Is that bales of marijuana". Usual response when we pull out bales of dope and the public is around.

Hi and thanks for your post. We have been looking at parcels in Cochise County because we've gone hiking there for years, and were planning to move there permanently to get away from the crime and overcrowding in the Phoenix area. But, we are now more concerned about the level of smuggling and illegal activity that might be going on there and would appreciate a reality check on just how dangerous it would be to live there full-time.

Just this weekend, we were walking around on some acreage in several parts of Portal and on one parcel, we noticed two empty backpacks and water bottles strewn around. On another parcel, we were walking across a huge wash and saw one backpack that looked like it had something in it, so we made note of where it was and reported it to a Border Patrol agent that we saw as we were returning home. His bored look made it seem like it was business as usual for him. Before leaving, we chatted with one fellow who winters on some land in one of the areas we were interested in, and he said that he was told by a Border Patrol agent that 100-200 illegal immigrants pass through the Portal area every night and that the drug traffickers have specific routes that they take to smuggle drugs into AZ.

Here, we were thinking we'd move somewhere safer and quieter and we're hearing that we'd basically be sitting right on drug-traffic highway? Is this true? I called two Border Patrol offices and they said that what that one man told us was just not accurate and it's all pretty safe there. But we saw the cut fence wires, discarded backpacks and water bottles with our own eyes (and driving over the Portal Rd. heading home at night a few weeks ago, we turned a corner and saw two water bottles roll down the hillside and saw the behinds of two people as they scrambled to hide). In doing online research, I see articles by the Border Patrol and newspapers that are mentioning sex slave, drug and illegal smuggling, as well as escalating violence. We are both familiar and comfortable with the wildlife and natural dangers of the Southwest, but we have no interest in living somewhere where illegal and violent activity is commonplace. It's one thing if people are simple farmers trying to escape from brutal poverty--I grew up in Central California, which would not even have an economy if it weren't for the cheap and hard labor performed by people trying to eke out an honest living--but that's very different from criminal activity like drug smuggling, sex slave trafficking and coming to the US to engage in destructive activities.

What is really going on in Cochise County and should we just look elsewhere to find that safe, uncrowded and peaceful land that we long for?

Thanks to anyone who can share real experiences (I am not interested in fear-mongering... just facts)!

[jfkIII]

My thinking is that you should decide based on what you directly saw yourself. Firsthand knowledge can only be more accurate than anything the media could possibly portray.

[PeaceNQuiet]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

My thinking is that you should decide based on what you directly saw yourself. Firsthand knowledge can only be more accurate than anything the media could possibly portray.

I do think that the media tends to market a lot of fear (because bad news sells), and I genuinely believe that most people are good-hearted, but one of the prior posts from a border patrol officer makes me wonder if many of the locals are totally clueless about what's going on around them, or if, on the other hand, they do not feel threatened because there just isn't anything to feel threatened about? The border patrol officer who posted here concludes that Cochise County is overall a safe place to live... so, do those backpacks represent a few instances of illegal activity or part of a flood? Not being a local, it's hard to interpret how much of a threat exists from the illegals and their activities. Would love to hear from any residents of the area!

[xwideopenskyx]

Originally Posted by PeaceNQuiet

I do think that the media tends to market a lot of fear (because bad news sells), and I genuinely believe that most people are good-hearted, but one of the prior posts from a border patrol officer makes me wonder if many of the locals are totally clueless about what's going on around them, or if, on the other hand, they do not feel threatened because there just isn't anything to feel threatened about? The border patrol officer who posted here concludes that Cochise County is overall a safe place to live... so, do those backpacks represent a few instances of illegal activity or part of a flood? Not being a local, it's hard to interpret how much of a threat exists from the illegals and their activities. Would love to hear from any residents of the area!

I believe that the news stories are based on truth in some part and then dramatized for the public. As far, as Cochise county is concerned if you see cut fences and discarded backpacks and water bottles that is a definite sign of areas to stay away from because sooner or later you'll have issues living there. Not all areas of Cochise county fall into this category. The closer you are to I-10 and especially north of I-10 your chances of encoutering problems with illegals should decrease. I live in Pima county about 40 miles from the border in the so called "cocaine alley". There is a heavy BP presence and yes there is alot of activity with illegal aliens. But most of them cross the desert away from residential areas for fear of being reported to BP. I see busses full of illegal aliens being transported to Mexico on daily basis. No one has ever traspassed through my property or cut my fences and I don't live in fear. Overall, it is safer living here than in a major metropolitan area. Good luck to you on choosing your property. I'm sure that you will find a place where you will feel safe. Cascabel area north of Benson was my favorite place to buy a property but it wasn't feasible since the commute to work in Tucson would have been a killer. Love hiking those Chiricahuas!

[PeaceNQuiet]

Originally Posted by xwideopenskyx

I believe that the news stories are based on truth in some part and then dramatized for the public. As far, as Cochise county is concerned if you see cut fences and discarded backpacks and water bottles that is a definite sign of areas to stay away from because sooner or later you'll have issues living there.

Thanks for your response. I don't feel comfortable living right in the middle of drug trafficking and it's clear that the illegals coming through this area are not coming in to look for work--they are strictly transporting drugs. Locals own dogs and guns and get used to calling Border Patrol whenever they stumble across drug-filled backpacks or ecounter illegals. That is just not what we envisioned in our search for a quiet place to live near nature. Plus, after reading the recent article on the below website, it's not as if the drug traffickers are unarmed themselves: SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Mexico -- Athletic smugglers run drugs over U.S.-Mexico border.

We will continue our search and hope that we can still find some affordable and safe place near a wilderness area to call home. We are planning to do off-the-grid.

[jcs1956]

Sierra Vista Resident,
I also just purchased a 4 acre lot in Hereford,north side,kings ranch rd....
Could you tell me what type of fence you have ..Is it just for the dogs or high enough so people can't cross? I want to put one up,to cover the 4 acre lot.If you would be so kind as to give me an idea of price.i have no idea.
Thanks Jennifer

[xwideopenskyx]

Originally Posted by PeaceNQuiet

Thanks for your response. I don't feel comfortable living right in the middle of drug trafficking and it's clear that the illegals coming through this area are not coming in to look for work--they are strictly transporting drugs. Locals own dogs and guns and get used to calling Border Patrol whenever they stumble across drug-filled backpacks or ecounter illegals. That is just not what we envisioned in our search for a quiet place to live near nature. Plus, after reading the recent article on the below website, it's not as if the drug traffickers are unarmed themselves: SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Mexico -- Athletic smugglers run drugs over U.S.-Mexico border.

We will continue our search and hope that we can still find some affordable and safe place near a wilderness area to call home. We are planning to do off-the-grid.

Of course no sane person would feel safe living in the middle of a drug smuggling area. What I was trying to illustrate was that the media has dubbed this whole general area (Rt. 286 & Rt. 86 southwest of Tucson) the "cocaine alley". In reality, if I would have listened to the media I would have passed up on my dream house. My life is good here. I haven't had any issues, I have a couple of small dogs and no gun. I walk in the desert regularly and have never found drug filled backpacks, at least not anywhere near my house. My neighbors who have been here for years haven't had any issues either. Although, I'm sure plenty of traffiking (human, drugs) is going on all over southern Arizona, I haven't experienced it in person, or at least not yet.
But then again, I am 40 miles away from the border in a subdivision surrounded by other homes and not 5 miles from the border with neighbors far away. I'm sure that makes a big difference. So far, this location has not lived up to it's stigma and it very rarely makes it into the local news unlike Tucson or Phoenix.

Good luck in your search wherever you decide to settle.

[azhiker]

Wanted to resurrect this thread with a specific question about hiking in the Huachucas near Sierra Vista. I used to hike Ramsey Canyon by myself sometimes when I lived in Tucson 10 years ago and felt completely safe. Can you still hike Ramsey by yourself safely? Are there many illegals in the Huachucas? Seems like a silly question maybe. I wouldn't think they'd have much reason to be up in the mountains. Seems like they'd just be passing through to someplace they can get a job. Anybody have any knowledge about this?