Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is directing $1 million in existing state funds toward expanded overtime pay for Department of Public Safety troopers — a move she says will immediately boost patrol coverage across the state’s highways without requiring a single dollar in new legislative appropriations.
The reallocation, drawn from operational savings already within DPS’s budget, is expected to generate up to 14,000 additional hours of trooper time on the road for the remainder of the current fiscal year. The funding will support general patrol coverage as well as Arrive Alive Arizona, the department’s statewide highway safety initiative covering more than 6,800 miles of roadway.
Hobbs framed the decision as a practical response to an immediate staffing need — one that could be acted on quickly precisely because it didn’t require going through the legislature. DPS Director Colonel Jeffrey Glover welcomed the support, saying it gives the department the resources needed to protect life and property across Arizona.
The Arizona State Troopers Association also praised the move. Association president Jeff Hawkins said the additional coverage addresses a pressing need that has long been felt by troopers working the state’s vast highway system, and expressed optimism about continued collaboration with the governor’s office on broader DPS staffing challenges.
The announcement comes as Hobbs has been actively looking for ways to redirect existing state dollars toward public safety and infrastructure priorities — part of a wider efficiency push she unveiled earlier this week with the launch of the ACE government streamlining initiative.
