/ Modified jun 15, 2020 8:57 a.m.

Daily News Roundup: Policing in Tucson, fire evacuation order lifted

Recent coverage impacting Southern Arizona, June 12.

Tucson fire evacuation order lifted, residents advised to stay alert

AZPM

Hundreds of Tucson residents were given the go ahead Friday afternoon to return to their homes after spending their second day in evacuation, due to the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains. The evacuation order was issued Thursday morning.

More homes in the eastern Tucson foothills and parts of Oro Valley remain in "set" mode, meaning residents are standing by to move out if the evacuation order is given.

The fire grew to more than 7,000 acres by Friday morning. Thursday's intense efforts by hotshot crews aided by multiple aircraft dropping water and retardant held the fire in check on the slopes facing expensive foothills homes.

The success of the effort was reflected in a smaller smoke plume from the mountains, as well as improving air quality in the valley. The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality says shifting winds over the weekend will produce clearer skies for much of the Tucson metro area.


Firefighters grapple with triple-digit heat against wildfire

AP

Hundreds of people were under an evacuation order and 1,200 more were to prepare to go Friday as firefighters worked to keep a wildfire from moving downhill from canyons and ridges in mountains in a national forest on the outskirts of Tucson.

Fire officials said Friday the fire’s growth slowed overnight but that it remained a threat. Over 400 firefighters aided by aircraft dropping water and retardant battled the week-old lightning-sparked fire that as of Friday had burned 11 square miles of mostly brush and tall grass. Authorities have said dry, hot weather and the steep, rocky topography have been the main challenges.

Learn more here.


Tucson Police Department policies draw scrutiny amid calls for change

AZPM Feature

Even in a city with a self-styled “progressive police department,” officers are still routinely dispatched to respond to issues that arise from mental health emergencies, drug addiction and homelessness. Groups advocating for defunding the Tucson Police Department argue the department’s reforms are, at best, damage reduction.

Learn more and listen to today's feature here.


The Buzz: Protests force community to reconsider the role of police

In the last couple weeks, protests sparked by the death of George Floyd have captured the nation's attention.

The protests are about more than one man's wrongful death — they are challenging the nation's deep history of racism and the police's disproportionate violence toward people of color. In Arizona, protests have occurred in Tucson, Phoenix and Flagstaff. On this week's episode of The Buzz, we bring this national discussion down to the local level.


Phoenix police union leader denounces defund movement

AP

PHOENIX — The leader of Phoenix’s police union said the movement to defund or reduce funding for law enforcement agencies is based on the erroneous belief that all officers are violent and racist.

Britt London expressed frustration over the scrutiny officers across the nation face from George Floyd’s death while in Minneapolis police custody. London said he understands the pain people feel over Floyd’s death, but said upstanding officers shouldn’t have to face assumptions that they’re racist.

Joel Cornejo, a police critic in Tempe who thinks law enforcement agencies should be abolished, says people don’t have time to wait for police culture to change.


Navajo residents urged to stay the course, keep curve flat

AP

WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Nation health officials are reporting 125 new coronavirus cases and five new related deaths on the reservation. The death toll is approaching 300 and reservation-wide cases totaled 6,275 as of Wednesday.

Tribal officials said preliminary reports from 11 health care facilities indicate nearly 3,000 people have recovered from COVID-19 with more reports pending. Navajo officials are cautioning tribal members about letting up their guard too soon while the pandemic remains a serious threat throughout U.S. In Arizona, health care officials are reporting spikes in new cases and hospitals have been told to prepare for the worst.

Read more here.


More virus cases in Phoenix jails than state prisons

AP

PHOENIX — The number of jail inmates in metro Phoenix testing positive for the coronavirus has surpassed the total among state prisoners.

Officials say 313 of Maricopa County’s 4,400 inmates tested positive as of Friday morning. That compares to 252 confirmed cases among the nearly 41,000 inmates in Arizona’s prisons. The sharp case growth in the county’s jails has been attributed to more testing and contact tracing within the jails.

Officials are considering whether to test all jail inmates. Arizona is among states seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases after stay-home orders were lifted. The state hit a new daily high Friday with 1,654 new cases reported.

Learn more here.


Audit: Instead of migrant care, Border Patrol spent millions on equipment

Fronteras Desk

Customs and Border Protection used money intended for food and medicine for immigrants in custody on ATVs, dirt bikes and speaker systems, a new audit has found.

CBP received $112 million in emergency funds that was meant to be used on migrants during last year’s surge of asylum seekers at the border.

It was money provided by Congress to ensure migrants in custody were being given adequate care, especially after several people died in custody. The money was supposed to go, for example, toward medicine, food and hygiene supplies.

The Government Accountability Office found portions of the money was instead spent on speakers, surveillance systems, motorcycles, dirt bikes and boats.

In a rare rebuke, the GAO reported the agency broke the law with how it managed its budget.

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