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Earlier this week, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu released what could be considered a “frightening and disturbing” account of what he thinks is going on at Sycamore Canyon Academy. Let me emphasize the word “thinks.”
Let me hand it to the Sheriff, he can spin a yarn with the best of them. He took a little truth here and there and then added a falsehood here and there – the next thing you know, we have a press release intended to frighten and mislead our residents.
As you might remember, Sycamore Canyon Academy is a state licensed group home outside of Oracle, Arizona. This facility takes in children who are lacking focus, along with discipline, and gives them the tools needed to be successful in their home life and in their schooling. They do a remarkable job. Board of Supervisors Chairman Anthony Smith and myself took a lengthy tour of the grounds earlier this year. We were both impressed at what the staff does for these children in their care.
In June, Sycamore Canyon Academy also became a shelter for unaccompanied minors from Central America. These children are not detainees, nor are they inmates. They are temporarily housed at the facility until their next of kin are found in the United States, and the federal courts render a decision on their case. These children are not long-term residents of the facility.
You may also recall the protests along the road to Pepper Sauce Canyon. This became a media circus, thanks to some advanced and erroneous publicity by an Oracle resident who did not fully understand the unaccompanied minor process.
As for the Sheriff’s latest press release, the truth is YES, there has been a spike in 911 calls from Sycamore Canyon Academy. However, many of these 911 calls were the result of power interruptions and outages at the facility that triggered the 911 frequency. These calls to the dispatcher are recorded as hang-ups. Arizona did have a pretty active monsoon season this year and power interruptions in the rural mountain area are not uncommon.
Our deputies have been sent to the facility to check out these 911 hang ups. I was informed by the staff at Sycamore Canyon Academy that they will escort the officer through the campus to assure them that no crimes had been perpetrated.
What is particularly troubling about the Sheriff’s press release is his account of an incident that happened at the facility.
As a former Child Protective Services Specialist, I can tell you that it is not acceptable to publicly release the name of a youth or ward in your care. What Sheriff Babeu did in his press release was inexcusable and may be in violation of ARS § 8-542, a class 2 misdemeanor . Sycamore Canyon Academy is mandated by State and Federal confidentiality laws not to confirm nor deny the name of a minor individual in their care.
This incident that the Sheriff points to in an effort to make his case about unaccompanied minors, actually involved a minor that is a U.S. citizen, in the care of the facility. The facts are considerably different from the story the Sheriff relayed to the mass media. Although no one should condone any physical confrontations with staff, I am glad to hear that this particular staffer was not seriously hurt.
The Sheriff’s role is to maintain the peace, serve and protect the people of Pinal County. His attempt in this case to play on people’s fears and emotions over the immigration debacle is unacceptable. To intentionally attempt to mislead and frighten people based on inaccurate and false information is unforgivable.
I would expect much more from a Constitutionally Elected officer, like the Sheriff.
Sincerely,
Pete Rios
Pinal County Supervisor, District 1
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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