TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The union representing more than 700 Tucson Police Department employees is calling on the city to allocate more funding for officers, pay and equipment after the failure of Proposition 414 last month.
With the proposition — which would have raised the city’s minimum wage and addressed some public safety funding — defeated by voters, the Tucson Police Officers Association says it’s now up to the city’s general fund to meet the department’s growing needs.
“It’s cops, compensation and equipment,” said Sgt. Darrell Hussman, president of the Tucson Police Officers Association.
Hussman said the department is under severe strain and operating with outdated resources.
“The public will not realize that we are understaffed, that we don’t have proper equipment, that we are driving around in Crown Vics that are back from the early 2000s,” he said.
Staffing remains one of the department’s most critical challenges. Hussman noted that TPD has fewer officers on patrol now than it did over a decade ago.
“Our staffing levels are at a critical level,” he said. “Fifteen years ago, we had more officers patrolling streets than today.”
Adding to the strain, a wave of potential retirements looms on the horizon.
“Almost 200 could retire today,” Hussman said. “If they all were to turn in their paperwork, we would have to look at completely, drastically changing the calls for service that police go to.”
According to the department’s website, Tucson police face roughly $40 million in unfunded needs for fiscal year 2025, including costs related to recruitment, training, and modernizing equipment.
“We’re at a critical level and a critical time where we need to get proper funding now so we can better serve the community,” Hussman said.
Contract negotiations between the city and the police union are currently underway, with officer compensation expected to be a central issue in talks.
The Tucson Police Officers Association is urging city leaders to act swiftly, warning that failure to invest in the department now could lead to longer response times and reduced public safety services.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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