Governor Janet Napolitano & Sonoran Governor Eduardo Bours Castelo signed 8 agreements addressing drug & weapon trafficking, felony fugitives, emergency response & border infrastructure in the Arizona-Sonora region at the Arizona-Mexico Commission’s (AMC) 2008 Summer Plenary Session.
"As neighbors, collaboration is essential to our success in combating issues affecting the region," said Governor Napolitano. “Not only will partnerships advance our global competitiveness, but more importantly it will improve the quality of life for Arizonans and Sonorans.”
To expand cooperation between Arizona & Sonora, Governors Bours & Napolitano signed the following agreements:
· Expansion of eTrace - Provides a secure Web based method to effectively & efficiently trace firearms recovered in crimes & reduce the number of illegal weapons moving through Arizona. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) will provide training to Sonoran police on how to identify guns, ammunition & explosives; recover obliterated serial numbers on guns; & record the information.
· Expansion of State Fugitive and Felony Detail - Builds upon the directive from Governor Napolitano to the Arizona Department of Public Safety to develop a task force to identify & catch fugitives in Arizona. Now the mission includes fugitives in both states with intelligence sharing & training between Arizona & Sonora law enforcement. The agreement also addresses the extradition issues to enhance the return of criminals to the appropriate state for prosecution.
· Illegal Narcotics Agreement - Shares intelligence between officials in both states regarding drug trafficking organizations that use Arizona as a gateway into the U.S. This program will allow the U.S. to prosecute Mexican nationals arrested on American soil for smuggling narcotics.
· AZ3D Agreement - Spurs the exploration of sharing cross-border geospatial information among first responders, homeland security personnel & emergency managers during a crisis.
· Border Emergency Agreement - Allows for the closest response team to provide help to citizens on either side of the border in emergency situations.
· 2015 Border Infrastructure Plan - Supports full cross-border coordination & cooperation for all Port of Entry projects & will educate stakeholders about the growth in commercial traffic at border entry points.
· Health Highways Agreement - Increases community awareness of the public health problem & better protect the residents of this region by coordinating the sharing of educational information regarding highway safety & promoting the coordination of education campaigns.
· Tri-National Emergency Response Plan - Provides emergency notification & communication, routine emergency planning & cross-border emergency planning, coordinated between the states of Arizona & Sonora & the Tohono O’odham Nation.
During this year’s plenary, Professional Medical Transportation (PMT) Ambulance donated an ambulance to Puerto Penasco, Sonora. Additionally, the city of Hermosillo, Sonora received a van equipped to help the disabled as part of a joint donation effort between Phoenix Sister Cities & Veolia Transportation.
The AMC Plenary Session united approx. 500 people. Governors Napolitano & Bours met with public & private sector business leaders, legislators, policy influencers & community leaders from Arizona & Mexico to connect communities, change business & affect state policy to enhance the economy & quality of life in the Arizona-Sonora region.