Oro Valley authorizes state‑funded trial of law‑enforcement analytics system

Oro Valley’s Town Council on Jan. 14 authorized the town to accept a one‑year grant and join a statewide investigative records and analytics platform (named in the presentation as Peregrine/Paragon), approving an intergovernmental agreement that will be executed by the chief of police.

Support Services Division Commander Mike Gracie said the system connects multiple law‑enforcement databases to help investigators identify links and contacts across jurisdictions the department can’t currently see. He said the award came from the Arizona Department of Administration and was intended to test the platform; peer agencies in the region are pursuing similar access. "This is where Paragon steps in. It's very good," Gracie said.

Lieutenant Weston Barkley told council the tool improves both investigative capability and officer safety by surfacing contacts and histories from agencies that do not share the same records management system. "Not only is it a good investigative tool, but it will increase our officer safety," Barkley said. When asked about privacy, Barkley and staff emphasized the system would be CJIS compliant and would abide by existing rules governing sensitive law‑enforcement data.

Staff said the town received a state grant to fund the first year; council members asked whether the town would commit ongoing funds if grant support ceased. Commander Gracie said staff would not automatically continue the program without funding and that further discussion would be needed before committing general‑fund resources. Council approved Resolution R26‑03 (vote recorded 6‑0).