What's being done to keep drivers safe on Arizona roadways - even in rural parts of the state? It's a topic we discussed recently with Arizona Department of Public Safety Colonel Jeffrey Glover.
"The state is broken up almost into three different areas," explains Col. Glover, discussing how troopers get assigned to different parts of Arizona. "We have northern, central, and southern Arizona. Part of it is the density of population and where you're at."
Currently, DPS has approximately 1,100 troopers patrolling all corners of State 48, but in most Arizona counties, you won't see DPS patrolling overnight. Currently, DPS only has 24/7 patrols in Maricopa and Pima counties.
"...DPS has never had 24/7 coverage in all 15 counties," says Col. Glover. "But what we do have is partnerships. So if you have a major incident that goes on in those counties, we have people available for call-out. They are typically living there within that county, within that jurisdiction, and they respond out within 45 minutes to a collision. Plus, we have the partnerships of our sheriffs. The sheriffs within those counties... They work with us, they let us know when there is something going on."
Last year, Arizona State Troopers Association President Jeff Hawkins did an interview with KJZZ and Lauren Gilger, raising concerns about the fact that DPS does not have 24/7 patrols in all 15 counties.
"Here's the other one I think citizens don't want to hear," said Hawkins during the August 2025 interview. "If you're outside Phoenix and Tucson, we don't work the freeways from midnight until 4 or 5 in the morning."
"For anybody who criticizes that, they also have to look at the aspect of that in some of these counties, they are not densely populated," says Col. Glover. "There is not a ton of traffic or people on the roadway, so it wouldn't make sense to staff certain areas at certain times. We are always responsive to the needs of the community. And we ensure that we have everything covered, even when they are not fully staffed...and if they have that inclination or feeling that there is not enough of that staffing, talk to the legislature. Talk about the funding aspect of what needs to come into DPS in terms of ensuring that we are fully funded so we can ensure the staffing levels are increased."
Hawkins also raised concerns about drug trafficking in that KJZZ interview, saying, "If I'm a cartel, all I have to know is that I want to get my dope on the freeways from midnight to 5 a.m. If I make it through Tucson and Phoenix, and I get onto the I-40, I can get it to the rest of the country."
"Not a good advertisement," said Col. Glover, regarding Hawkins' comments. "We've done a phenomenal job. Operation Desert Guardian is something that the Governor had initiated and allowed us to pull together a lot of resources. And it's not just DPS. DPS is not the only entity in the state. We partner with, not only our local municipal officers and county law enforcement, we also have a whole project with National Guard members down at the border. There are a lot of people doing the work of drug interdiction. That's the specific priorities of drug interdiction and ensuring that we are interdicting smuggling routes as well as human trafficking, and the numbers speak for themselves."
Hear more about Operation Desert Guardian in the video player below:
Since it was created last year, Operation Desert Guardian has seized more than 25,000 pounds of drugs and helped make more than 1,200 arrests, according to information posted on the governor's website.
To learn more, click here.
