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Arizona Edition: Community Conversation with Police and Fire Chiefs in San Luis

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San Luis, Arizona is often defined from the outside.

Politicians lament a crisis in border communities, highlighting the strain on local law enforcement and city services.

The town also has a reputation as one of the fastest growing communities in the country based on census numbers and as the safest city in Arizona, based on crime tracking by some agencies.

The community has grown over 137 percent since 2000 and that kind of growth changes how a community operates and what its priorities are.

So, what is life in San Luis like from the perspective of the leaders of two of its most vital city services?

Victor Calderon sat down withSan Luis Police Chief Nigel Reynoso and Fire Chief Angel Ramirez about life in San Luis, how growth is shaping change, and the outside forces that sometimes make that difficult.

San Luis Police Chief Nigel Reynoso, left, and San Luis Fire Chief Angel Ramirez visited the KAWC studios in Yuma.
Victor Calderón/KAWC
San Luis Police Chief Nigel Reynoso, left, and San Luis Fire Chief Angel Ramirez visited the KAWC studios in Yuma.

Victor is originally from West Sacramento, California and has lived in Arizona for more than five years. He began his print journalism career in 2004 following his graduation from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Victor has been a reporter for the following daily newspapers: The Monterey County Herald, The Salinas Californian and the Reno Gazette-Journal, where he covered stories including agriculture, education and Latino community news. Victor has also served as a local editor for Patch, a national news organization with hyperlocal websites, in Carmichael, California in the Sacramento area. He also served as the editor for The New Vision, the newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, which includes Yuma and La Paz counties. Victor lives in Somerton. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends and following most sports.
Lou grew up in Tucson and has a long family history in the state of Arizona. He began his public radio career in 1988 at KNAU in Flagstaff as a classical music DJ and has been hooked on public radio since, transitioning to news after trying his hand at several other careers in publishing and commercial broadcasting. Lou has a degree in American Studies from Arizona State University and was KAWC's Morning Edition host for two and half years before becoming News and Operations Director.
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