Red Sands crowds for July 4 prompt extra sheriff patrols in Far East El Paso desert

Red Sands is expected to be one of El Paso County’s busier Fourth of July gathering spots on Saturday, with officials preparing for large crowds, heavy vehicle traffic and off-roading in the far East El Paso desert.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said it will have extra patrols out through the holiday weekend. Sheriff Oscar Ugarte said the department is looking at about 60 to 70 additional deputies out on the streets for its Fourth of July operation, including deputies assigned to the Red Sands area.

“Most of the El Paso community does travel to the Red Sands area to celebrate,” Ugarte said. “So in partnership with the ESD, we will be inside patrolling the Red Sands area in ATVs and 4×4 vehicles just to make sure that everybody is safe.”

Red Sands is a popular destination for fireworks, gathering with family and friends, and off-roading. Dominic, an employee at an ATV shop in the Red Sands area, described the scene as busy, saying, “There’s fireworks everywhere. Everyone’s driving around.” He added, “You see people chilling with family… friends.”

With ATVs and other off-road vehicles expected to be part of the holiday activity, employees at a local ATV shop in the Red Sands area urged people to take precautions before heading out. Dominic advised riders to “look both ways” and “make sure to do maintenence.” He also warned, “Its always very easy to do one wrong move and you flip.”

Ugarte said the focus of the increased patrols is safety, not arrests.

“Our goal is not to take people to jail. Our goal is for everybody to make it back home safe, but we want everybody to celebrate,” Ugarte said.

County officials also asked visitors to clean up after themselves. Crews and volunteers are expected to be out after the holiday in areas like Red Sands, but officials said people can help by not leaving trash behind.

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