Yuma Police Chief, Sergeant Discuss Safety Priorities on Local Radio Program

Chief Thomas Garrity, who arrived in Yuma in January 2023 after 32 years in law enforcement, most recently as commander of the Prince William County Police Department in Virginia, sat down with KAWC's "What's Up Yuma?" Radio on April 7 to lay out what the Yuma Police Department is prioritizing this year and, just as critically, how residents can help the department do its job.

Garrity, a U.S. Army veteran from Paxinos, Pennsylvania, appeared alongside Sgt. Lori Franklin, the department's public affairs sergeant, for a roughly 30-minute conversation hosted by Alexandra Rangel and Victor Calderón. The discussion covered four areas central to daily life in Yuma: officer recruitment and retention, community outreach, traffic and public safety campaigns, and guidance on how residents should interact with law enforcement in the field.

Franklin, whose role centers on public communication, reinforced the practical steps every Yuma resident should have ready. Life-threatening situations require 911. Non-emergency police matters, a suspicious vehicle parked on your block or a disturbance that needs an officer's attention but poses no immediate danger, should go to YPD's non-emergency dispatch at 928-783-4421. Tips on criminal activity can be submitted anonymously through 78-CRIME at 782-7463, a joint program connecting residents, local media, and law enforcement without requiring the caller to identify themselves. Property crimes no longer in progress can also be reported online through the city's portal. Residents seeking additional patrol presence in a specific neighborhood can make that request through the non-emergency line or through the department's public affairs office directly.

Recruitment and retention emerged as a theme with direct consequences for Yuma streets. Officer staffing levels shape everything from response times to whether community policing programs can be sustained. The department currently lists multiple open positions, a sign that filling the ranks remains a live operational concern heading into the summer months.

The three areas Garrity and Franklin addressed on Monday, staffing, traffic enforcement, and community engagement, establish a clear benchmark for the rest of the year. Ninety days from now, residents can measure progress against each: whether recruitment numbers improve, whether traffic safety campaigns produce visible results on Yuma's busiest corridors, and whether public forums like Monday's radio appearance continue on a regular schedule. The full 30-minute conversation is archived on KAWC's website and streaming platforms, giving any resident a verbatim record of the department's stated priorities at the start of the year's second quarter.