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Cochise County sheriff warns of reduced monsoon totals, stresses border partnerships and cautions on impersonation scams
Summary
Sheriff Mark Dannels described recent low monsoon rainfall, praised coordinated state-local-federal border work, recounted a lifesaving CPR incident, and warned residents about phone scams impersonating deputies.
Sheriff Mark Dannels told listeners Cochise County’s monsoon season is running well below normal and described local impacts on ranchers and public safety.
“We’re 50% — 50% less than what we normally are at this time of year,” Dannels said, summarizing a rancher’s report that the county had seen roughly four inches of rain compared with an average near eight inches. He warned that low seasonal totals do not eliminate the risk of localized flooding: “You could see flooding in one specific watershed or one specific wash,” he said earlier in the program.
Dannels praised cooperation among state, local and federal partners on border operations, saying federal agents are “reemployed” and that multi‑agency cases are yielding results. He described ongoing outreach meetings with Mexican officials and said visits from state candidates or officials provide opportunities to show border operations and partnerships.
The sheriff also warned residents about telephone scams that impersonate law‑enforcement personnel. He described a recurring fraud in which callers claim to be deputies and provide a callback number that plays a recording identifying “Lieutenant Michael” of the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office. “We don’t have a lieutenant Michael,” Dannels said. He advised residents to call official dispatch numbers rather than returning numbers given by suspicious callers.
Dannels described being certified in emergency medical training and recounted a recent incident in which he and another responder performed CPR and the person survived. He used that account to underscore the value of bystander training and first‑aid readiness among rural first responders.
He also urged motorists to follow traffic signals and avoid distracted driving, relating repeated stops for drivers making illegal right turns on red and drivers using phones in their laps. Separately, he expressed condolences over a child‑involved vehicle strike underway with the Sierra Vista Police Department investigation and asked the public to remain vigilant around schools and bus routes.
Dannels encouraged residents to call dispatch at (520) 432‑9500 for official information or to report suspected scams, and he noted the sheriff’s office posts links and updates on its Facebook page and website.
