Nogales Mayor Garino challenges Chaffetz crime claims

Nogales Mayor, Arturo Garino, is challenging crime statistics cited by Congressman Jason Chaffetz in a Congressional hearing regarding safety in the City of Nogales. Chaffetz said he got the statistics from the Coty’s website.

On July 19, Chaffetz, cited crime statistics that came from the City of Nogales Police Department during a hearing of the House Committee on the Judiciary. During the hearing, Representative Chaffetz cited that five crime statistics were on the rise from 2009-2010.

However, Garino says that “those statistics declined in the cited time period, and most of them further declined in the following year.” Mayor Garino stated, “The trend over the past two years has seen a further decrease in these crimes, contrary to Congressman Chaffetz’ comments. These misstatements need to be corrected. We are committed to the safety of our residents and all our visitors.”

Frequent visitors to the border town say they enjoy the community and have no fears. Nogales businesses have been struggling under the wieght of the public’s and politicians misperceptions and mischaracterizations.

In a letter addressed to Representative Lamar Smith of Texas (R-TX), the Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, Mayor Garino not only sets the record straight about the crime statistics, but calls for all parties to subdue the rhetoric surrounding Nogales, Arizona.

“As a small community with limited resources, it is nearly impossible to combat the negative fallout of these false claims, and scores of others, that are accepted as doctrine from the media and the honorable representatives of our nation,” said Mayor Garino. “The record must be set straight, and the sensationalized political rhetoric surrounding our community must be subdued in order to protect our local and national economic wellbeing.”

“This harmful perception negatively impacts not only Nogales, but the states of Arizona, Utah, Texas, and the entire nation. The people, manufactured goods, and fresh produce that move through the ports of entry at Nogales are vitally important to Americans’ quality of life and economic vitality,” added Garino.

In his letter, Garino invites Mr. Chaffetz and the entire House Committee on the Judiciary to Nogales to see for themselves the safe environment and rich cultural diversity that make Nogales a great place to live, work, and play.

“We are taking this fight to Phoenix and Washington, D.C., and we are talking to everyone that will listen,” commented Garino. “We hosted an Ad Hoc Congressional Committee Hearing in our City Hall a few months ago, and we are willing to do so again to set the record straight that Nogales is a safe community. We’ll go to Washington, D.C. to testify before Congress if that is needed.”

A copy of the letter was sent to President Obama, Governor Brewer, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Representative Ron Barber (D-AZ), Representative Jason Chaffetz, Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), ranking minority member on the House Committee on the Judiciary, and members of the Nogales City Council.

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