Yuma council approves MOU allowing two YPD officers to join FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force

On May 7, 2025, the Yuma City Council adopted a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to allow Yuma Police Department officers to serve as part‑time members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

The item, listed as Resolution R2025‑5406 on the council’s consent resolutions, was approved as part of the evening’s consent business with a unanimous roll call vote. Councilmember Joe Morris made the motion and Deputy Mayor Smith seconded; the clerk recorded seven ayes and no nays.

Council and city staff said the agreement will let cleared YPD officers access FBI intelligence and technology for “early warning” of potential threats, a capability Yuma officials said is important given the city’s border location. Police Chief Tom Garrity told the council the department plans to assign two detectives as task‑force officers, expected to spend about eight hours a month on JTTF duties under normal conditions, and that officers would remain YPD employees based in Yuma.

Chief Tom Garrity said, “We will retain all of our body camera footage. All of our task force officers will be wearing a Yuma Police Department body camera. We are required to give a copy over to the FBI, but we retain all body camera footage. If we’re going to release that body camera footage, we have to get in contact with the…