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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
appropriation; law enforcement; recruitment
Purpose
Appropriates $2,000,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2026 to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to acquire coaching resource providers and administer the Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Grant Program (Program).
Background
DPS is responsible for creating and coordinating services for use by local law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in protecting the public safety and for formulating plans with a view to establish modern services for prevention of crime, apprehension of violators, training of law enforcement personnel and the promotion of public safety. DPS consists of: 1) the Arizona Highway Patrol Division; 2) the Narcotics Enforcement and Criminal Investigation Division; 3) the Scientific Criminal Analysis Division; 4) the Training and Education Division; and 5) the Major Incident Division (A.R.S. ยงยง 41-1711 and 41-1712).
S.B. 1369 appropriates $2,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2026 to DPS for law enforcement officer recruitment and retention resources.
Provisions
1. Appropriates $2,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2026 to DPS for law enforcement officer recruitment and retention resources.
2. Requires $500,000 of the appropriation to be used to acquire coaching resources with an emphasis on improved retention and development of law enforcement professional at DPS.
3. Requires a resource provider to:
a) have coaches with backgrounds in law enforcement who have been trained in coaching with the best practices for law enforcement coaching from current or former Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy instructors;
b) provide coaching services on an online platform that allows law enforcement professionals to choose a coach that fits their desired area of improvement; and
c) offer a wide array of subject areas and have analytics to measure impacts specific to improvement, including officer retention.
4. Requires $1,500,000 of the appropriation to be use for a Program to provide matching grants to county, city and town LEAs for the purposes of acquiring coaching resources with a special emphasis on improved retention and development of law enforcement professionals at the county, city and town LEAs.
5. Requires, to receive a Program grant, LEAs in:
a) Maricopa and Pima Counties to provide a 50 percent match; and
b) a county other than Maricopa and Pima Counties to provide a 25 percent match.
6. Requires, to receive a Program grant, LEAs in:
a) the Cities of Phoenix and Tucson to provide a 50 percent match; and
b) a city other than the Cities of Phoenix and Tucson to provide a 25 percent match.
7. Instructs a county, city or town LEA that receives Program grant monies to use the monies to obtain recruitment and retention resources and services.
8. Requires DPS to establish procedures for applying for Program grants.
9. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 10, 2025
KJA/NRG/ci