BISBEE — The director of Cochise Border Civil Defense Corps learned lessons from a border watch that the group hosted for the first time for non-members.

A total of nearly 80 people turned out for the event that ran from Dec. 4 through Sunday, said Bill Davis, who is also the founder of the organization.

The aim of the effort was to stand watch at posts in Cochise County and report illegal immigrant crossings to authorities. The majority of the participants were serious. In particular, he was pleased with the work of some people from places like Colorado and New Jersey.

But, Davis added, others were “phonies” and their laziness jeopardized the safety of the rest of the volunteers.

“These subversives ruin it for the other people because it leaves me shorthanded,” he said. “If I don’t have enough people out there to cover the other guy’s back, it isn’t fair to the honest patriots that are out there.”

The “deadbeats” did not stand on watch. Instead, they “just walked around in camo with a gun plotting where they could go sightsee next,” he said. Others simply drank alcohol and barbecued. One man had Davis reserve a cabin for him, but never showed up.

Davis said he intends to hold another border rally in March and then subsequent ones about every eight weeks.

But, as a result of last week’s problems, he plans to handle things differently in the future.

“Due to the recent subversive activity during this past ‘Rally on the Border,’ I’m going to be thinning my 4,900 member e-mail master list down to about 300,” he says in a message he sent to the group’s mailing list on Sunday.

He said he will require volunteers to pay a $10 registration fee. The money will help cover any financial loses. He said the donations from last week’s effort only covered about one-third of the amount that was spent.

The last rally ran for just six days. but the upcoming rally will last all March.

“They can come and go as they please during the whole month. If someone wants to come for the first week or the fourth week, fine. If they want to stay for the whole month, they can,” he said. “But I am going to let them handle their own reservations from now on.”

According to Davis, Cochise Borders Civil Defense Corps consists of about 250 members. They stand watch on the border to help stop illegal immigration. Last week’s event was meant to give non-members a chance to help protect the country.

Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of ACLU Arizona, said groups like Cochise Borders Civil Defense Corps have a right to express their discontent, have a right to engage in peaceful protest and have a right to organize.

“Our concern is when they cross the line and detain individuals based on their own idea of who is in this country without lawful immigration status,” she said. “In doing so, they take on that dangerous role of law enforcement and threaten the lives and civil liberties of people whom they choose to target.”