Public Safety Stories
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| (Hava Herzog/Courier) |
Headline: PVPD Youth Police Academy gives teens inside look at law enforcement
Published July 9, 2026, in The Daily Courier
Word Count: 680
A group of high school students got a firsthand look at the split-second decisions, physical demands and behind-the-scenes work of law enforcement last week during the Prescott Valley Police Department’s Youth Police Academy.
Fifteen local students ages 15-18 participated in the program from Monday, July 6, through Thursday, July 9.
During the first two days of the academy, students spoke with field training officers, or FTOs; members of the Special Victims Unit, or SVU, about sextortion; Homeland Security representatives about federal law enforcement; and criminal investigators.
Students visited the SWAT range, where they learned how to breach a door and fire pepper-ball rounds. They also watched a K-9 demonstration, toured the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office jail, and received CPR training and certifications.
On day three of the academy, Wednesday, July 8, students gathered at the Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy, or NARTA, at Yavapai College.
Students stepped into NARTA’s VirTra immersive simulator, which is used to test recruits’ decision-making, de-escalation and use-of-force skills in realistic situations. The simulator can run more than 300 different scenarios, including DUI stops, shootings and mental health crises.
The simulator features five screens arranged in a hexagon, with scenarios projected on the screens to create an immersive environment. Students used simulated firearms, modified with compressed air and laser technology, for safe training exercises.
Fifteen-year-old Samantha H. of Bradshaw High School tried three different scenarios on the simulator.
In the first scenario, she responded to what appeared to be a drunk-driving incident but turned out to involve an armed man experiencing a diabetes-related medical emergency. The second scenario involved a man yelling to himself while trespassing. Samantha determined he was experiencing a schizophrenic episode.
Her final scenario involved an armed man who had just been fired from his job. The man appeared suicidal before pulling a gun and opening fire. Samantha used a simulated firearm to return fire.
Samantha said one of her favorite parts of the academy was using the simulator.
“My favorite part so far has definitely been either the jail tour, coming over here and doing the wall and the running and doing the simulation,” she said. “That was pretty cool. But obviously, everything else is really cool too.”
Samantha said she was surprised by what she learned about the jail and had expected it to be scarier than it was.
“Obviously the inmates are in there for a reason, but it seems like everything has a strict routine,” she said. “Everyone respects the officers as well, which also surprised me.”
Overall, Samantha said the academy changed her perspective on law enforcement and strengthened her interest in pursuing a career in the field.
“It showed me how it could be a good thing and how it can help you mentally and physically,” she said. “Then, it showed me how much other stuff is inputted into being a police officer or helping out in the jail.”
Samantha said PVPD’s Youth Police Academy is something more people should consider trying.
“There’s so many hands-on activities that you definitely learn and that you definitely don’t get to do every day,” she said.
Students also completed part of NARTA’s original Peace Officer Physical Aptitude Test, or POPAT. They sprinted, jumped a hurdle, and attempted to scale a 6-foot wall and chain-link fence. NARTA recruits now must pass a newer version of the test called the Physical Ability Test, or PAT.
Several students noted that scaling the wall was much harder than it looked.
Students also attempted to play Jenga, walk in a straight line and complete a word search while wearing impairment goggles designed to simulate a 0.08 blood alcohol concentration.
Later in the day, students joined PVPD’s Traffic Division on Lakeshore Drive and Skoog Boulevard and used radar guns to monitor vehicle speeds.
On the final day of the academy, students will investigate a mock crime scene and interview sworn and civilian staff members posing as suspects.
After completing the four-day program, students will graduate with new skills and a better understanding of how law enforcement works.
Headline: AI-powered tool helps officers spend less time on reports, more time on streets
Published June 17, 2026, in The Daily Courier
Word Count: 757
Instead of spending hours typing reports, many Prescott Police Department (PPD) officers now use an AI-powered tool that can turn body camera footage, interviews, and dictated notes into draft narratives in minutes.
Axon Draft One is a generative AI tool that converts audio from body camera footage and other recorded conversations into draft police reports, which officers then review and finalize.
Draft One was launched by Axon in April 2024. That same year, PPD began to use the technology. PPD Public Information Officer Lt. Gary Novak said PPD started off with a few officers testing it, now, most officers are using it.
How many reports an officer writes a day depends on the incident, Novak said. If there is a burglary, that could be one report for the whole day, he said, adding that some officers can write up to six or seven informational reports a day.
One report can take anywhere from half an hour to over an hour to write, depending on if there were arrests, how much evidence needs to be logged, and other factors.
“It’s helping a ton keeping officers on the street, especially when we’re still trying to beef up our patrol bureau with more officers,” Novak said. “Having them out on the street and less time report writing is fantastic.”
Novak said officers use Draft One in several ways and that it is the officer’s choice how they use it, if at all.
Draft One can be used to transcribe audio from body camera footage, phone calls, and interviews. Novak said Draft One can even parse different voices and list them in the report. It can also transcribe information that officers dictate into their body-worn cameras, including notes they have written down.
Later, Draft One utilizes the transcripts to generate a report using generative AI. According to Axon’s website, Draft One “analyzes the transcript from the camera and then summarizes all of the dialogue in the form of a police narrative report.”
“It just saves them a bunch of time having to type it all out,” he said. “You look at the video, then you type a few lines, look at the video, type a few lines. This will give you the whole transcript.”
Novak said generates neat, professional, and chronological reports.
Axon’s website states that Draft One transcriptions are developed using AI models from OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT.
There are various types of police reports, Novak said. Offense reports record crimes and miscellaneous incident reports record information. Novak said an example of a miscellaneous report is a suspicious person looking into homes, but no crimes has been reported yet.
Some officers choose not to use Draft One for certain types of reports, such as DUIs.
“If it’s a DUI report, the DUI report is very visual, especially when it comes to [field sobriety tests],” Novak said. “You’re going to see that more on the camera.”
After a report is generated, officers then must “fill in the blanks” by providing more context or fixing errors. Novak said officers have to go through the entire report and proofread it before submitting it. Axon stated the model was “calibrated by the Axon team to remove creativity or embellishments — often referred to as ‘hallucinations’ — that may be more common in consumer-grade AI solutions.”
“There’s a statement at the end of it saying, ‘This report was generated by AI assistance and everything in here is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge,’” Novak said.
After a report is submitted, sergeants have to read and approve reports too. If there is any issues with the report, it gets “kicked back” to the officer, Novak said.
When asked about concerns of laziness with reports, Novak said he believes it has the opposite effect.
“When you’re typing a report you get tired and sometimes you forget things, you don’t put as much detail as you should, but with this system, if you just talk into the camera… it puts in all the details for you,” he said. “It kind of has that reverse effect, officers are putting in more detail.”
The Prescott Valley Police Department and the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office use Axon’s AI services only for transcribing conversations. YCSO said it also uses AI investigative platforms to “assist in research across various aspects of [its] daily operations.” The Chino Valley Police Department does not utilize any AI tools at all.
To learn more about Axon’s Draft One, visit axon.com.
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| (Courtesy) |
Headline: For local first responders, service didn't end with the military
Published July 3, 2026 in The Daily Courier
Word Count: 1,395
For some who put on a uniform, service does not end when one chapter closes.
For many local veterans, the sense of mission, discipline and camaraderie that guided them in serving their country continues through service to their communities.
Whether responding to emergency calls, patrolling neighborhoods or mentoring the next generation of first responders, many veterans find themselves drawn to careers that allow them to continue helping others. While the uniforms and responsibilities may change, the values instilled through military service often remain the same.
Concepts such as teamwork, sacrifice, accountability and dedication to a cause larger than oneself continue to shape how veterans approach their work long after their military careers end.
A commitment to service has become a common thread in the lives and careers of several local first responders.
PVPD Officer Ari Quinonez
Ari Quinonez is a patrol officer, SWAT team member and field training officer with the Prescott Valley Police Department. He also serves in the U.S. Army National Guard as an indirect-fire infantryman, also known as a mortarman.
“I am currently a sergeant and served two overseas deployments,” Quinonez said. “The first one was to Afghanistan from 2018 to 2019, and the second deployment was more recent, from 2023 to 2024, to Iraq and Jordan.”
He joined the Army National Guard in 2015 and, after completing his initial six-year contract, decided to reenlist for another six years.
“I originally joined the military mainly as a life dream from childhood,” he said. “During my time in the service, I ended up developing a duty to serve and continue my service.”
Quinonez said his decision to enter law enforcement stemmed from his first deployment.
“I wanted to start a career where I could continue to serve my community, my country,” he said.
He said law enforcement also was a childhood dream. After reading the job description — “to protect and serve” — Quinonez said it aligned with his goal of serving and helping others.
Overall, Quinonez said law enforcement is very similar to military service.
“They both share similar tactics, training, structures and values,” he said. “The biggest one for me is the camaraderie between members of both the military and law enforcement. Since both professions share unique experiences, it brings members closer together.”
Quinonez said his infantry experience has given him tactical and teamwork skills he applies to policing, including the ability to rely on fellow service members, or “battle buddies,” during difficult situations.
For many service members and veterans, Quinonez said, service becomes a lifelong commitment because it often grows into an identity rather than simply a job.
“Military life emphasizes responsibility, sacrifice and putting the mission above personal interests,” he said. “Those values continue to shape how veterans approach their families, careers and communities long after they leave the military.”
PVPD Lt. Dan Hays
Dan Hays is a lieutenant and public information officer with the Prescott Valley Police Department.
Hays served in the U.S. Army for 10 years, including four years as an enlisted soldier.
He served from 1988 to 1992 as a public affairs specialist, officially titled journalist. During that time, he served in two combat zones: Panama during the U.S. invasion to capture military dictator Manuel Noriega and Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
The Army later gave him the opportunity to attend college on a scholarship. Hays attended the University of Georgia and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1995. He then served for six years in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps and left as a captain in 2001.
Before joining the military, Hays said, he was struggling in school and uncertain about his future. Recognizing he needed discipline, he decided to enlist.
“It was the best thing that ever happened for me because it taught me discipline and the ability to work as a team. I didn’t know any of that stuff,” he said.
After leaving the Military Police Corps, Hays worked in sales but found himself unhappy. He missed the esprit de corps and having a job that felt meaningful.
Hays joined the Prescott Valley Police Department in 2007.
For veterans interested in public service careers, Hays said law enforcement and the fire service offer many of the same elements that attract people to the military, including structure, teamwork and discipline.
He said policing can be easier than military service in some ways and harder in others.
“When you’re in the military, you know when you’re being deployed you could be in positions of danger,” he said. “As a police officer, we can go from standing on a street corner talking to a kid to being in a position where we have to run into a burning house and help somebody, or dealing with someone who has really bad intentions, with no notice whatsoever.”
Hays said the department employs 22 police officers and five professional staff members who are current or former service members.
CAFMA Capt. Adam Wagner
Adam Wagner is a captain with the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority and is in his 20th year with CAFMA and its predecessor agency, the Chino Valley Fire District.
He also served in the Army National Guard as an engineer. Wagner served for nearly a decade, deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan in 2019, and left the service as a first lieutenant.
Wagner’s career in the fire service began before he joined the National Guard.
“I worked for Chino Valley Fire District for about seven years, and I decided I wanted to make a change,” Wagner said. “I had always wanted to serve in the military.”
Wagner attended Officer Candidate School and became an officer.
“The leadership stuff that I learned through OCS and my time as a company commander, platoon leader and executive officer really has helped me in the fire service by giving me the ability to look at the bigger picture,” he said.
Wagner said his initial plan was to attend school full time and serve in the Army full time, but when those plans changed, he returned to firefighting.
“I still had all my certifications as a firefighter and a paramedic, and at that time, Central Yavapai was hiring for paramedics,” he said.
In 2014, Wagner was hired back into the fire service.
Wagner said the National Guard and the fire service are similar in their day-to-day operations and rank structures.
“The fire service is very paramilitary, so it’s very similar,” Wagner said. “The camaraderie is there as well. You’re doing hard things together, and I think that bonds people more than anything.”
Wagner said the logistics, supply and administrative experience he gained as an executive officer, or “XO,” has helped him work effectively with personnel throughout the organization.
“I see that with some of our other guys that have come from the service — they’re just very well rounded,” he said.
Wagner said many veterans are drawn to work that serves a purpose larger than themselves.
“I don’t want to call it an addiction, but it’s just something that you feel very passionate about,” he said. “You don’t want to let that go.”
Continuing the mission
Military veterans remain a visible part of public safety agencies across the Quad Cities, serving as police officers, firefighters, paramedics and leaders within their organizations. Their experiences span overseas deployments, combat zones and years of military training, but their focus today is much closer to home.
At the Prescott Valley Police Department and the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, veterans bring skills that extend beyond tactics and leadership. They also bring an understanding of teamwork, accountability and the importance of relying on others during difficult situations. Those qualities help strengthen the agencies they serve and the communities that depend on them.
For Quinonez, Hays and Wagner, public service has provided a way to continue answering a call that began long before their current careers. While their military service helped shape who they are, each has found a new purpose in protecting and assisting residents throughout the region.
Today, their mission is measured less by deployments and military assignments and more by the people they serve each day — responding to emergencies, supporting their neighbors and helping ensure the safety of their communities. For them, service remains not just a profession, but a lifelong commitment.
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| (Hava Herzog/Courier) |
Headline: Axon, Prescott Valley first responders help kids build confidence in emergencies
Published June 25, 2026, in The Daily Courier
Word Count: 642
When an emergency happens, a child’s small hands may be the ones that make the biggest call — dialing 9-1-1 for help.
Elementary and middle school aged children gathered in the gym at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Arizona in Prescott Valley to learn about 9-1-1.
Representatives from Axon Enterprise, the Prescott Valley Police Department (PVPD), Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (CAFMA), and the Prescott Regional Communications Center (PRCC) talked to them about when to call 9-1-1, and what information dispatchers need.
PRCC Dispatch Administrative Supervisor Steven Steinke told the children they need to be able to describe the place or address where an emergency is occurring, their phone number, and what the emergency is. He told them never to be afraid to call 9-1-1.
In his time in dispatch, Steinke said the majority of the 9-1-1 calls from children are accidental, though he has seen serious calls coming from young kids before.
Typically, out of all the information dispatch needs, he said addresses tend to be the most difficult for young children. “Thankfully, with our 9-1-1 systems, as long as we’re calling on a cellphone, that helps us narrow it down, as long as we get a good tower hit,” Steinke said. “I started years and years ago as a police officer, and the way 9-1-1 has changed with being able to narrow down where somebody is — is amazing.”
He said PRCC dispatchers can figure out an address by a phone number or name too. For kids, they will also ask questions about things near the home such as parks or big streets to triangulate a location.
Steinke recommends parents have one-on-one conversations with their children at home about 9-1-1, even taking them to see the police department and fire station.
Axon Events and Marketing Specialist Jessica ‘Jess’ Miceli said Axon has been hosting “When to Call 9-1-1” presentations for a year.
The Prescott Valley Boys & Girls Club is Axon’s fourth location. Through conversations with dispatchers, Miceli said Axon has discovered kids do not know their parents’ names or addresses.
“It just seems like information that I think parents think they’re learning at school and school thinks they’re learning at home,” she said. “So we’re trying to bridge that gap a little bit more from that younger age group.”
Another challenge is smartphones with lock screens and passcodes, she said.
“A lot of 5-year-olds, when they’re playing games, they probably don’t know how to navigate a lock screen and it’s already been unlocked for them,” Miceli said.
She said talking to kids about a smartphone’s lock screen is the biggest takeaway.
“If you don’t remember the code, there’s this emergency button on the front that you can swipe back on, and you can call,” she said.
If a child calls accidentally, best thing they can do is stay on the line and hand the phone to a parent, she said.
Beyond teaching kids 9-1-1 basics the event also exposes them to firefighters, dispatchers and police officers. In a scenario where a child must interact with emergency personnel, it will not be their first time.
For PVPD Patrol Commander Officer Joe McCamish, having officers show up for calls for service is important. “It helps community building and it helps the kids kind of understand how things really work,” McCamish said. “When they have questions, we can give them honest answers.”
McCamish said when officers come to events such as “When to Call 9-1-1,” they see officers in an environment where they’re not having to respond and secure a scene.
Miceli said she thinks the education should expand to schools and other programs, even if it is not facilitating it.
She said Axon is “working down the agency list” to teach kids about 9-1-1 in other Arizona communities too.
Headline: YCSO Property and Evidence: Over 65,000 items and decades of cases
Published May 7, 2026, in The Daily Courier
Word Count: 949
Behind locked doors at a Prescott Valley facility, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) stores more than 65,000 pieces of property and evidence connected to crimes, cold cases and investigations dating back to 1965.
From biological evidence requiring refrigeration to firearms, fentanyl-contaminated items and even fake gold bars, the county’s Property and Evidence division is responsible for preserving, tracking and securing nearly anything deputies collect.
YCSO’s Property and Evidence building is located at 7100 North County Fair Trail, Building C in Prescott Valley.
YCSO Property and Evidence Supervisor Susan Moore said Property and Evidence is responsible for all incoming items from YCSO and from Partners Against Narcotics Trafficking (PANT). The division has seven employees tasked with various responsibilities.
“We house all that evidence, we’re responsible for maintaining the custody of it, and then for disposal at the end or disbursement at the end,” Moore said. “In additional to that, we provide crime scene investigation service to the entire county.”
Services for other agencies in the county could range from use of equipment or processing an entire crime scene, Moore said.
As for the items held in the facility, Moore said they may have “quite literally anything.”
She said if Property and Evidence currently does not have a certain type of item, they have had it in the past.
“Things from trash to scraps of paper, cans, to jewelry, gold bars, fake gold bars, wheelchairs, skis,” Moore listed. “Anything you can think of.”
The adjacent impound yard stores vehicles, bicycles, and storage containers, and most of the building is dedicated to property and evidence storage.
Certain types of items require special storage and handling, including biological evidence. Moore said biological evidence requires refrigeration or freezing. If a vehicle or an item is going to be tested, they have to make sure it is packaged in accordance with crime lab standards.
In addition to preservation standards, Property and Evidence is also responsible for preventing contamination of evidence and preventing mistakes in chain of custody.
“When an item comes into our possession, that is our main priority,” Moore said. “We’re making sure that it’s packaged correctly so we don’t have any concerns of contamination. In addition to that, once we receive it into our custody, into our possession from deputies, we then make sure that it’s documented.”
Moore said officers document the item and Property and Evidence employees enter the information into a computer system. After that, the item is housed in the facility until it is needed.
Moore said chain of custody is documented every single time an item is moved from its location. Evidence items may be pulled to be sent to the crime lab or to be used in court.
Crime scene investigations and evidence storage have evolved over the years.
“I think in the past, the volume was different. They didn’t have the amount that we have here today,” Moore said.
She said at YCSO, property and evidence were stored at two locations and now it is centralized in one building. Moore said the more locations there are, the more complicated things get.
Technology has progressed as well, allowing crime labs to parse through mixtures of DNA left on items, something that was not possible at least five years ago, Moore said.
Though the facility preserves over 65,000 items, not all of them are stored forever. Moore said the county attorney’s office will send Property and Evidence a “disposal letter” approving an item’s destruction. Moore said they then check with the officer on the case to confirm, a process completed through another “letter.”
Moore said from there, they look at all the items on the case to see what is available to release back to the victims or suspects, what needs to be held, and what needs to be disposed.
YCSO Public Affairs Officer Shayleen ‘Shay’ Elenz said some items cannot be released back.
“For example, if we have a child exploitation case and there’s a DVD with child exploitation material and the case is done, those are not getting released back,” Elenz said. “Anything that would cause another charge or another felony to be added to somebody, those don’t get released, those are automatically destroyed.”
Elenz said if a cellphone had child exploitation material on it, it would be destroyed. Moore said such pieces of evidence are considered “contraband.”
“In addition to that, anything with drugs on it, anything with drug residue on it, is also going to be the same way,” Moore said. “We’re not allowed to give back phones covered in fentanyl powder.”
Moore said they do give back firearms and other weapons after a background check and it is determined the person is the owner. If an item is used in a homicide or a sex offense, Property and Evidence is required to store it for 99 years.
The proper storage of evidence is particularly useful in cold cases. Moore said she works very closely with cold case investigators.
“In the past, with newer technology coming out, there has been a need to go through some of the older cases to see if there’s any other evidence that’s out there that could be tested,” Moore said.
Property not tied to a crime, or lost and found items, are also held at the facility. Items are only able to be released by appointment and identification, and ownership must be provided at time of pick up to retrieve or claim property.
For the latest list of found property, visit ycsoaz.gov under “Latest News.” To make an appointment for lost property, call (928) 777-7425 to schedule an appointment.
Headline: How license plate readers are changing policing in the Tri-City area
Published Jan. 28, 2026 in The Daily Courier (Co-authored by Brodie Greene)
Word Count: 1,072
As automated license plate readers continue to spark debates across Arizona, police leaders defended the technology’s use in the Tri-City area, citing crime-solving successes.
Prescott Police Department (PPD), Prescott Valley Police Department (PVPD), and Chino Valley Police Department (CVPD), all utilize Flock Safety's automated license plate readers (ALPRs) within their jurisdictions.
Flock Safety sells drones, ALPRs, live view cameras and software to law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Prescott Police Chief Amy Bonney and Director of Public Affairs for Flock Safety Trevor Chandler gave a presentation on the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) at a city council study session on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the request of council.
How license plate readers are changing policing in the Tri-City area
Director of Public Affairs for Flock Safety Trevor Chandler, left, and PPD Chief Amy Bonney give a presentation on ALPRs at a city council study session, Jan. 27, 2026. (Brodie Greene/Courier)
The use of ALPRs has been controversial in recent years as some have raised privacy concerns about the cameras, which scan license plates and can be used by law enforcement to identify and track suspects. Notably, the Flagstaff City Council voted to end their contract with Flock Safety last December.
“These conversations have even led to agencies scaling back or even eliminating the use of these tools which have proven to be effective in solving crimes and protecting our communities. Unfortunately, much of this debate around this technology is driven by misunderstandings or incomplete information,” Bonney said.
Bonney said the ALPRs read license plates and “basic” characteristics like color, type and decals of vehicles passing through fixed locations. The sole purpose, she said, is to solve and prevent crimes. The data collected is only accessible to authorized law enforcement personnel, she said.
“So, people who have taken a state-certified test to be able to run the license plate information through the state system,” Bonney said.
The ALPRs take still photos of license plates unlike live view cameras, which some departments utilize as well.
ALPRs can be used to identify vehicles associated with crimes, such as locating stolen vehicles. They also support efforts to locate missing persons, provide leads in violent and property crime investigations, and notify the agency when a wanted plate is encountered. ALPRs can also assist in instances of DUIs, reckless drivers, dangerous crimes against children, aggravated assault, sexual assault, and even homicide suspects.
The plates are run through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, which is updated four times a day. The database is also known as a “hotlist.”
Currently, PPD operates 30 fixed ALPRs, PVPD operates 23 and CVPD operates six. As for live view cameras, PPD operates 11 and PVPD operates six. PPD has two portable ALPRs, PVPD has two ALPRs installed in its vehicles, and CVPD utilizes Axon’s Fleet 3 system LPRs in some of its vehicles.
PPD added 16 stationary ALPR cameras, two portable ALPR cameras and 11 live view cameras in fiscal year 2026 after it was approved by council vote in June 2025, according to a memo from council.
Within the next few months, PVPD plans to install 16 more cameras and two live view cameras at some of the town’s busier intersections, including at Spouse Drive and Robert Road.
In an interview with the Courier, PVPD Assistant Chief Jeremy Martin said they plan to install two ALPRs and two live view cameras to capture all four directions.
Martin said they ask for officer’s input on the best locations for cameras based on main thoroughfares and higher crime areas. He said they also focused on entry and exit into the town, so that a vehicle with a criminal element attached to it is flagged as soon as it crosses town lines.
Bonney said she spoke with Cottonwood Police Chief Brian Freudenthal, who revealed that the agency was able to resolve a missing person case last week using ALPRs.
“They were in Flagstaff and then they made a wrong turn and went through Sedona. They ended up in Cottonwood where the LPR technology hit and they were apprehended and the female victim,” Bonney said.
In Prescott Valley, the ALPRs recently helped return a stolen vehicle. A person was working out at a fitness center when they had their car keys stolen. The victim notified police, who added the car to their hotlist.
The vehicle was flagged by an ALPR camera headed out toward Interstate 17 and a Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper was able to catch the suspect before they made it to Phoenix.
“That was a perfect example of the right location for a license plate reader,” PVPD Chief Bob Ticer said in an interview with the Courier. “Back in the old days, officers would be looking all around town and waiting for that stolen car.”
In another instance, a man was stopped from potentially committing homicide at a doctor's office. PVPD was able to log the man’s license plate into the hotlist and stop him before he arrived at his location. Officers reportedly discovered him with a loaded gun in his possession.
In Prescott, there were 353 offenses charged with the assistance of ALPR data in 2024, the first full year the city had such cameras. In 2025, 874 offenses were charged using the data, according to Bonney’s presentation.
PVPD said many of the reports are citizen driven, meaning a citizen has reported a vehicle type or license plate to law enforcement.
Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley respond to calls through the Prescott Regional Communications Center (PRCC). Within the center, there were 8,898 data searches for calls for service, according to the presentation to council.
“I will tell you unequivocally in my 28 years of law enforcement, this is one of the best tools that I have come across to keep our community safe,” Bonney said.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Prescott resident Steve Hunyar took the podium to tell council he saw three of the cameras on his way to the meeting. He said the issue of the cameras is something that he expects to "snowball" into a bigger issue.
"As neighbors point them out to other neighbors and say, "Look at that." They're going to see that we're being surveilled. That's what's going to stick. And no amount of discussion from Flock Safety experts or whomever or whatever is going to change their mind," Hunyar said.
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