PCSD's Operation Desert Silence in action Labor Day weekend

For residents of Eagle Point Estates, Operation Desert Silence remained highly visible over Labor Day weekend as Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputies patrolled nearby Arizona State Trust Land, where recreational use is prohibited. The operation is aimed at stopping the gunfire, off road vehicle activity and trespassing that neighbors say have repeatedly disrupted the area, especially during holiday weekends. Since the effort began in April, deputies have carried out more than 80 deployments and made 25 arrests.

The enforcement activity continued despite rain over the weekend. Sgt. Gabriel Maynes, who supervises the Sheriff’s Department Special Enforcement Team, said deputies had interactions with people on Saturday and Sunday, made arrests and encountered vehicles that fled. On the following day, the team began patrolling at 10 a.m. and had already made about six stops and one arrest. The activity was part of a broader effort involving special enforcement deputies, regular patrol officers and the San Xavier District patrol.

The operation was created after months of concern from people living near the state trust land. In March, a bullet went through a home in Eagle Point Estates, intensifying fears about the danger posed by recreational shooting in the area. Neighbors brought their concerns to Pima County Supervisor Andrés Cano on April 7. On April 30, Cano held a community meeting with the Sheriff’s Department and the Arizona State Land Department. After that meeting, the state land agency closed the trust land to recreational use, and the Sheriff’s Department began Operation Desert Silence to enforce the restriction.

The latest figures show a substantial increase in enforcement activity since the last public update. From late April through August 2026, the department said deputies contacted approximately 500 people, issued 140 citations and made 25 arrests. Earlier figures covering May 2 through July 12 showed 337 contacts, 119 citations, 81 written warnings and nine arrests. The new totals reflect continued patrols as well as a more sustained focus on the land during periods when illegal shooting and vehicle activity are more likely.

Maynes said many people stopped in the area are armed. Arizona allows open carry, so deputies approach each contact as if the person may have a weapon. When officers respond to people who are actively shooting, they secure the firearm before proceeding with the enforcement action. That approach is intended to protect deputies and others in an area where neighbors have already experienced the consequences of stray gunfire.

Physical barriers have helped reduce unauthorized access near Valencia Road and Vahalla Street, according to Maynes. However, the barriers have not ended the problem. People have cut through fences and entered from access points near Ajo Road. Deputies also identify the area around Drexel Road and Wade Road as a primary entry route. The continuing trespassing means that closing the land to recreation requires more than signs and barricades, with deputies still responding to people who ignore the restrictions.

The Special Enforcement Team has 16 members, including two sergeants, and Maynes said the team patrols every weekend, although the times change. On weekends, the team generally works until 10 p.m. After that, San Xavier District patrol officers handle the area until approximately 6 a.m. The schedule can be adjusted based on the Arizona State Land Department’s requests and the department’s available hours. Maynes said residents should call law enforcement when they hear suspected gunfire, provide a precise description of where it is coming from and record the sound or other evidence if it can be done safely. He noted that he could not speak for patrol response times because he does not work in that unit.

The operation has not eliminated all reports of gunfire. Residents said conditions improved after patrols began, and an early May report described neighbors as relieved by the absence of gunshots and other problems. By July, however, people were again reporting gunfire despite the crackdown. Pete Smith, an Eagle Point Estates resident, said he wants the department to maintain its commitment because neighbors remain concerned that bullets could again reach homes and potentially cause a fatality.

The Sheriff’s Department says the operation will remain a priority. Maynes credited the team’s work and said the concerns of residents are legitimate. He also pointed to continued support from Sheriff’s Department leadership and Supervisor Cano. The timeline so far includes the March shooting incident, the April community discussions and land closure, the launch of the operation in April, continued reports of gunfire in July and a September expression of thanks from Cano to deputies working in the area. For residents, the weekend patrols offered another sign of enforcement, but the continuing trespassing and reports of gunfire show that keeping the trust land quiet will require ongoing patrols and community reporting.