(The Center Square) – An Arizona bill attempts to address the police shortage throughout the state.
Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, introduced Senate Bill 1107, which would provide a pathway for honorably discharged veterans and former military police officers to become peace officers.
The Senate Public Safety Committee unanimously passed SB 1107 to advance to a full Senate vote.
Arizona’s police shortage is “bad enough that people feel it when they call for help,” Petersen said, answering The Center Square’s questions by email.
“When departments are short hundreds of officers, calls take longer to answer, response times stretch out, and officers are pulled in too many directions. In some situations, those delays can mean the difference between life and death,” he said.
During the 2025 holiday season, the state had a 41% decrease in police officers participating in traffic enforcement compared to the 2024 holiday season, according to Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
Police departments “stretch limited staff across more calls, shifts and responsibilities than they were ever meant to handle,” Petersen noted.
He said when agencies overwork their police officers, it leads to “fewer patrols, fewer proactive stops and less time for community policing because officers are constantly reacting instead of preventing.”
With the new pathway opening up to veterans and former military police, success will be determined by “real-world results, including how many officers are certified, hired and retained by Arizona agencies, not just how fast applications move,” Petersen said.
“This approach is supported by the Arizona Police Association, the state’s largest police organization, which has publicly endorsed the bill,” he told The Center Square.
If someone becomes a police officer through this program and is later found to be unprepared, Petersen said, the “same oversight and accountability mechanisms apply to these officers as to any other certified peace officer in Arizona.”
“If an officer is unprepared or violates standards, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board can review the case and take action, including additional training requirements, suspension, or revocation of certification, and lawmakers can adjust the program if problems emerge,” he said.
Petersen noted the new alternative program does not lower standards for police officers in Arizona. He added that the bill “simply cuts bureaucratic delays so already-qualified officers aren’t stuck waiting on paperwork.”
The Senate president added he’s confident Gov. Katie Hobbs would sign SB 1107 into law.
