On April 21, 2007, Deputy Philip A. Rodriguez of the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office was killed in the line of duty in a single-vehicle collision on Interstate 40 in Kingman. Deputy Rodriguez was just 21 years old.

In keeping with tradition, Deputy Rodriguez’s name was engraved on the Arizona Peace Officers Memorial at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in front of the state capitol complex in Phoenix.

Do you know what to do if you’re involved in a minor crash on an Arizona highway?

If the incident doesn’t involve serious injuries and the vehicle(s) involved can be driven safely, you should move your vehicle out of travel lanes as soon as possible. The safest option for you and crash responders is to move your vehicle completely off the highway to a parking lot, side street or gas station. At that point, you can safely exchange information with any other drivers, take photos, and wait for law enforcement and/or a tow truck if needed.

It’s off to retirement for the last in-service Crown Victoria at the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS). After going for a special “farewell” patrol shift in Phoenix recently, this classic cop car assigned to our Agency Support Division was stripped of its police equipment and delivered to state auction to begin a life of leisure.

On Monday, January 2, 2023, AZDPS Air Rescue was requested by the Gila County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) to assist with the rescue of a motorist stranded in flood waters in Tonto Creek. GCSO reported the driver of a pickup truck drove around road barricades before getting caught in fast-moving flood waters.

Congratulations to recently retired Colonel Heston Silbert, who was named 2022 Chief of the Year by the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police (AACOP) today!

Colonel Silbert was honored during the AACOP Meeting and Luncheon held in Mesa this morning, January 27, 2023.

On Friday, March 17, 2023, Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Sergeant Tom Simon retired after 30 years of dedicated service to the State of Arizona.

Sergeant Simon’s fellow motor troopers escorted him and his family home for his final “10-7”, his last radio sign-off before retirement. That final call was received by Misty Knutson, a dispatcher in our Operational Communications Bureau and the daughter of Sergeant Simon’s close friend and fallen AZDPS Officer Douglas Knutson.

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Trooper Taron S. Maddux, #10233. Trooper Maddux passed away peacefully on April 29, 2023, following a courageous battle with cancer.

An Arizona native, Trooper Maddux was born in Douglas in 1971 and graduated from Douglas High School in 1990. He joined the United States Air Force in 1991 and went on to serve as an Air Transportation Journeyman and Security Police Officer.