SAHUARITA, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Sahuarita Police Department (SPD) may soon receive vital upgrades, thanks to a proposed spending bill that aims to address their pressing communication challenges.
$810,000 for SPD was included in the House Appropriations Committee’s package for Commerce, Justice, and Science for 2025. The funds, requested by Representative Juan Ciscomani, are intended to purchase 70 new radios for the department.
The package was approved on July 9 by the House Appropriations Committee, of which Rep. Ciscomani is the only Arizona member.
During a recent visit to Sahuarita Police Headquarters, Rep. Ciscomani emphasized the importance of the bill, which is currently being marked up.
In policing, communication is important, especially in potentially dangerous situations. However, the aging technology currently used by the Sahuarita Police Department has made effective communication increasingly difficult, with potentially tragic consequences.
Many of the department’s radios are ten years old, according to officers, with some being even older.
Recognizing the need for new equipment, the department requested federal funds.
“Radios are very expensive and Sahuarita is not necessarily the biggest place so it takes a lot of money,” said Commander Renee Carlson of SPD. “Essentially, we put in to get about $800,000 so that we can fully replace the entire fleet of handheld radios that our officers are carrying out on the streets right now.”
The issue became particularly evident at the local Walmart Supercenter, where officers often struggle with unreliable radio signals.
"Ever since I came in, it was like ‘hey if you’re going to be in Walmart, be sure to have a phone on you because the radios aren’t gonna work that good," said SPD Officer Collins.
Officer Joseph Rivera elaborated on the issue, stating that the communication problems also occur at Walden Grove High School, Circle K locations and some restaurants in the town.
"The signal gets blocked,” he said. “Therefore we can’t communicate—not only with the officers, but our dispatch system."
The radio funding was one of 15 projects chosen to include in the bill out of about 60 requests. Rep. Ciscomani says projects are chosen based on need, along with what will help the bill ultimately pass through Congress.
He expressed hope that the appropriations bill will be passed by the end of the year, before a new Congress and president take office in 2025.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
