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sage 2, The Arizona Territorial, August 18, 1977 .
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By JUDY RATLIFF (everybody knows smokies tary man named Charles progress or citizens in dis-
Smokey One signed the are policemen) and a Groty with a current desire tress.
explanatory organizational rancher (doesn't G-Lazy-2 to bolster the OV police Were going to tie in
letter received in Oro Val- sound suspisciously like a department. with the police," Groty a t
Yby G-Lazy-2. he'dright. said, "But if a posse mem- "g 4k
1 brand) and be r� ht. . '+Q}, :
A sharp CBer might The rancher in case Groty hopes to establish ber ever even considers `ess that the communica- is an ex-rancher eX_ a citizen band posse in Oro takin sob il1dP1Valle .Thewould be g ° Y °
tion involved a policeman sheriff's deputy, ex-mili- Y group arrest it would be a cite- r
an arm of the CB National
- tii1cmrnm.aur
zen's arrest just like any-
Radio Posse.The organza- .' ,_
tion issues a charter to an body else. *; �x# � .-� '� - . � �
. "Posse members would g .. #
area with five or more � `�
a
carry emergency equip- -::
interested persons. went in their cars. It's
Grotyemphasizes that reallystuff anybody should '�
thegroupin no waytakes carry,bandages and things '„i‘ii
40 ',
on police duties. They do of that nature." t .
not authorize the carrying Groty said that much of ,..4`.,--
of firearms. They exist to his motivation in wanting :
assist law enforcement to see a posse started in OV
officers upon _request is made clear by the refus- Charles Groty
though their major contri- ` al of tie Pima Associa- the monitoring work. All sent to national headquar-
bution will be-to contact tion of Governments to across the States there are tersto be okayed.
police regarding crimes in provide funds for the two similar groups. Once an Oro Valley area
crime prevention vehicles "REACT consists of group is formed, Groty
requested by Police Chief people with CB base sta- said, their officers would
Fred Roof. tions, that is.a home unit review all applications
The OV police force with the receiver and the before forwarding them to
. received tentative approv- big antennas as opposed to national.
al for funds providing one auto sets. Members put in A swearing-in process is
additional vehicle. four-hour listening shifts." part of the posse accept-
Chief Roof forsees the CB Nationally., the radio ance. New members take
posse as being "eyes and posse is comprised of an oath as to the uses of
ears"for the police force. people from a variety of their membership.
Officer AI Shaffer said, professions. Available lists With membership comes
"I think it could be very of members include clergy, not only the nod to keep an
helpful, depending on the military, retired military, eye out for crimes but
people who become invol- doctors, truckers and the members receive insur-
ved, with vandalism and list goes on. ance coverage, they
accidents on the road.Res- Smokey One,president of receive regularly updated
ponse time could be short- the national posse is in manuals with information
ened." actuality Robert Ferguson, regarding equipment and
"A posse member with an active police chief from law enforcement. I.D.
an incident to report goes Ohio. cards are also issued.
through channel nine," Groty explained,"Lots of Groty said he has ex-
Grotyexplained, tapping policeman are posse mem- plained his intentions about
his cigar. "Nationwide hers. They might get wind the posse to Sgt. Ferguson�
channel nine is reserved by
of a crime when they're off of the Tucson police (no
the FCCfor emergency duty in their own car and relation to Smokey One).
broadcasting. Itsmons- need to get it reported to There too he said the feed-
tored for police, fire and somebody fast. back he got was positive.
ambulance needs. Then,
"Chief Roof is a CBer, Groty said anybody from
the messages are relayed you know." the metropolitian area is
to the proper place. In There is a screening p welcome to apply for posse
Pima County and the city cedure required for pdsse membership.- "The more
.
of Tucson a group called membership. An applies- people we have the better
REACT volunteers to do tion must be filled out and (Continued on page 3)
I
I
4
August 18, 1977, The Arizona Territorial, Page 3
_.
'Citizens to help each other'
in OV :
oro
.,
(Continued from page 2) ed. "I wasn't physically with his truck out on Oracle service the Groty's CB unit
coverage is nationwide," able to walk for help. No- Road," Groty said. "I afforded them came after a valley
he said. body would stop for me. I couldn't raise anyone on recent lightning storm in
Groty's interest in citizen just happened to have put a channel nine, we get inter- which their house was
.......!
band radio started as a jug of water in the car that ference quite a lot from Oro struck. -
matter of self preservation. morning. I usually don't Valley on up towards
Severe lung problems but that's what saved me. Phoenix, those mountains "It came in through the G c
electric wires and the annex
make strenuous activity a are in the way and skip
TN
"Finally a state vehicle phone, Groty said.
questionable effort for him. doesn't help much either.
came by, found out what "Appliances blew, the
A car breakdown during a "I switched to another
was wrong, and sent help phone went out, the CB
trip to Phoenix three years
out. I determinedthat I equipment was damaged g ro p m eets
ago convinced him of the channel and reached a man u
over on the interstate
was not going to get stuck but not so badly I couldn't
need for emergency coin- whose channel nine was
again. And, the incident broadcast for help. I asked
munication powers. clear and he reached the
made me realize the need that somebody contact the The six-member corn- ped to come up with an
"This breakdown of mine highway patrol for help."
for citizens to help each telephone company for us mittee discussing the pos- answer,"he added.
took place in the middle of
other more. This helping Skip is the CB term for and sure enough the first sible annexation of the Engle said the last of
summer," Groty explain- ,
business isn t new to me I communications which thing the next day a man Tucson National Golf Club August is the earliest date
N/ police was in an all volunteer bounce off the various was out to fix us up."
_ ambulance service in New layers of the ionosphere area to Oro Valley met considered for reconvening
Aug.9. the group to go over
Jersey until we moved out when they are broadcast. Lightning has struck
answers to their questions.
Groty before just as police
vehicle here."
They come back to earth work has occupied him Oro Valley Vice-Mayor
sometimes several hund- . Steve Engle, spokesman TNGC is barred from
Groty gratefully reports _
red miles aw-ay.- These previously.
for the group, said, "Each itself becoming a separate
sought that his own highway mis-
ed
hap has not been repeated. skips make it possible to While a civilian attachmember presented ques- town by state law prohib-
receive calls from Texas, to Ft. Huachuca security tions they wanted answers iting any incorporation.
His CB radio has been used
Although it cleared a California, even Arkansas and a part time deputy for to. Some of the areas of within a six-mile radius of
mostly in the service of
Pima Association of which are too far away to Cochise county,Groty lived concern might seem incon-
an already incorporated
other people.
Governments justice pick up via regular broad- on his ranch in Palominas. sequential, some are very area.
planning subcommittee "Just the other day a casting. Skips are random During a storm there 10 important.- TNGC is situated less
two weeks ago, an Oro young fellow I recognized and often interfere with years ago, his house was "Each Tquestion was than two miles from OV's
Valley grant request for an from over here at the town- local calls. struck by lightning and assigned to the member of southern and western
additional police vehicle houses was having trouble One important personal burned to the ground. the committee best equip- boundary lines.
still has a long way to go, ,
according to Police Chief
Fred Roof.
The next step, he said
Monday,is to get the grant
proposal before the PAG
Regional Council which
will review the applications
at its Sept. 22 meeting.
Roof said the regional
council normally agrees
with the justice planning
recommendation.
From there, the ap-
plication will be sent to the
state for approval.
The state is scheduled to
act on the application Oct.
21.
If the state approves the
application, it will then be
forwarded to the federal
Law Enforcement
Assistance Administration ,
(LEAA).
If the application is
approved at that level, Oro
Valley will probably call
for bids on the new truck
and its additional equip-
ment, such as lights and
radio gear.
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