TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) has launched an operation to stop illegal gunfire and unauthorized off-road vehicle use near a westside Tucson neighborhood.
The operation, called Operation Desert Silence, targets activity on Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) property behind Eagle Point Estates, near Valencia and Valhalla. The state land department recently banned recreational use of the desert in that area, and PCSD is now enforcing the ban.
From May 2 to May 31, PCSD says it conducted 12 deployments resulting in 177 contacts, 63 written warnings, 52 traffic stops, six arrests and three towed vehicles.
According to PCSD, 47 of those contacts were made on Memorial Day.
Sgt. Gabriel Maynes, PCSD Special Enforcement Team supervisor, said the arrests stem from trespassing and unlawful flight.
"The arrests themselves though, those have come from either trespassing. Somebody has already been on the land and they've been warned, so now they're trespassed," Sgt. Maynes said. "Some of those arrests have also been for unlawful flight. So a UTV doesn't stop and then deputies are able to apprehend them and charge them with felonies for fleeing from law enforcement."
Sgt. Maynes says the next step is to continue deployments, not only on those big holidays but also sporadically.
"It could be middle of the week, we'll be there weekends as well, so we'll keep our weekend deployments. What we're also doing is working in conjunction with the Arizona State Trust Land. We're working on securing off-duty funding," Sgt. Maynes said.
"But then also we're working on more signage with Pima County and Arizona State Trust Land. So creating that partnership, I think is gonna be vital and it looks like it's working so far. I think we're doing a pretty good job."
READ MORE: Dodging bullets: Westside neighbors call for action after gunfire hits homes
Neighbors in the Eagle Point Estates area brought concerns about the illegal gunfire to KGUN 9's attention in March 2026. They say since the meeting with state and local agencies on April 30, they've seen a much bigger law enforcement presence and haven't heard any gunshots. Carlos Sam says they are happy they can enjoy their backyards without worrying about stray bullets coming through.
"We're just so thankful that they were able to be out there with their families now in their backyards enjoying it. The families, one of them was gonna cancel a first birthday party and now they're gonna have it, so it's great," Sam said.
Sam said there was a follow-up virtual meeting on June 4 where residents gave feedback to local leaders.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: No gunshots no problems: Westside neighbors happy with PCSD patrols
"We're hoping that they keep it up, that they keep their presence out here, which they assured us that they would. And they're following up on our calls, so when we call them, they are coming out, which is great," Sam said.
"They put up more signage throughout the whole area that they closed down and then they're working also on the barricades and how they're gonna go about doing that. So there's been progress definitely."
According to District 5 Supervisor Andrés Cano's office, 11 new signs went up in April and since the closure, three were damaged or removed.
MORE DETAILS: Pima County addresses desert gunfire hitting Westside homes
Sam says the neighbors, KGUN 9, Pima County, PCSD, and ASLD have become a team and hope to see the continued success of this operation to ensure everyone stays safe.
He says the neighbors will be celebrating the momentum this weekend.
“We're gonna be in someone's backyard and we're all gonna be together and it's gonna be great to be able to be out there and just enjoy the backyard and enjoy what we've accomplished together with you as well, Vanessa," Sam said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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