Modern Day Arizona Rangers of Show Low
Arizona has a very unique law enforcement auxiliary consisting of approximately 500 men and women dispersed around the state into 22 separate companies of Arizona Rangers. Since most people have never heard of them, this article must begin relating their history and then explaining their current purpose. The President of the United States repeatedly refus
ed to grant it statehood, insisting that it remain a territory until it became more civilized. The main problem was lawlessness. Murders, robbers, rustlers and other criminals gravitated into Arizona as other states pressured them to leave. Arizona was sparsely populated, so there were vast tracts of land to hide in. Also, the Mexican border offered an escape that local officials could not control. County sheriffs did not have enough deputies. There was no state law enforcement agency and the U.S. Border Patrol was not formed until 1924. The Republican state legislature and governor desperately wanted Arizona to become a state. Furthermore, the very large cattle industry was tired of having herds of cattle disappear into Mexico. They decided to establish a state police force in the image of the Texas Rangers. So, in 1901, the Arizona Rangers were founded. Not only did they have state-wide jurisdiction, but trips into Mexico were approved or at least allowed. The original Rangers consisted of a captain and just 13 men. Overall, 107 men served as Rangers, but never more than 26 at any one time. Just one was shot and killed in the line of duty. However, several developments resulted in the demise of the Rangers. During the eight years of their existence, most of the large gangs of criminals were either apprehended or dispersed. Unfortunately, the Rangers were sent to quell multiple mine strikes, pushing them into political conflicts. Therefore, in 1909, the Arizona Territorial Rangers were disbanded by a Democratic legislature and governor. Arizona did not become a state until Valentine’s Day in 1912. During the 1950’s, surviving Rangers began to have reunion gatherings. In 1957, the Arizona Rangers were organized as a 501c3 not-for-profit-corporation. At first the purpose of the volunteer Rangers was to keep the “wild west” image alive, mostly through creating re-enactments and becoming parade participants. Over the decades, however, Rangers were called upon to assist the communities in which they lived. The original goal of the ranger companies evolved into its current form as a state wide law enforcement auxiliary. In 2002, the Arizona Rangers became officially recognized by the state legislature when they were included in the Arizona Revised Statues (state law) under Title 41, chapter 40. Article 41-4201 reads, in part; “The Arizona Rangers are an unpaid, noncommissioned civilian auxiliary that is available for the purposes of assistance to and support for law enforcement in this state”. Since that time, modern Rangers have developed three main functions:
1. To assist law enforcement agencies within the state in performing their duties.
2. To assist local civic organizations with community events.
3. To maintain and honor the traditions of the original Arizona Rangers. Today’s Rangers are all unpaid volunteers, who must spend a some of their personal finances to become members. We are equipped and uniformed just as any current law enforcement agency. Our handguns, ammo, pepper spray, batons, handcuffs, flashlights, etc., are all authorized for officers and deputies to carry. Rangers must even qualify with their handguns just the same as local officers and deputies. A prospective Ranger who already owns an acceptable handgun has accounted for the majority of the required expenses to join. In the White Mountain Area, The Show Low Company of Rangers provides armed personnel to assist the small, rural communities every year with parades, car shows, art festivals, gun shows, school activities and other civic events when the local police department do not have the officers to cover them. Besides these regularly scheduled occasions, Rangers are available to assist with disasters or major crimes. During the last five years, the Show Low company:
1. Secured the Round Valley High School over a weekend, 24 hours a day, until the ATF, FAA and other agencies could respond to the small plane crash site in the auditorium. The pilot, an ATF agent with his rifle & pistol, and his family all died.
2. Secured a homicide scene, a marijuana dealer’s home, 24 hours a day, while all available deputies searched for the murderer. Rangers carried AR-15s to that assignment in case the killer circled back for the marijuana or the firearms there.
3. Guarded overturned railroad cars filled with goods, 24 hours a day, until the railroad could get a giant crane on site. They had been derailed by a tornado east of Flagstaff.
4. Assisted with the evacuations of Greer, Eager and Springerville towns due to the Wallow Fire, the largest in the state’s history. Rangers worked with an officer or deputy during their entire 12 hour shifts. They donated over 600 man hours on that duty.
5. Assisted with numerous other smaller wildfires around the state every year. It should be noted that all Ranger traveling, lodging and food expenses to calls for assistance by law enforcement are paid for by the individual Rangers themselves. Finally, we contribute both time and money to charitable events such as: Shop with a Cop, Elks Scholarships, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Young Marines, The Civil Air Patrol, a Leadership Camp for Apache high school students and other requests. Arizona Rangers operate and contribute to charities solely by obtaining funds from working security at community events sponsored by a profit making entity and our annual gun raffle, which is going on now at various locations.. The Show Low Company of Arizona Rangers is always looking for new volunteers.
