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Goodyear police report higher traffic citations, plan patrol increase to 84 officers

Goodyear City Council (work session) · April 14, 2026

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Summary

Police presented enforcement statistics showing a 23.4% rise in traffic-related citations and a nearly 31% drop in criminal-speed citations; the department plans to expand patrol staffing from the low 50s to 84 officers by September.

The Goodyear Police Department told the city council on April 13 that traffic-related citations rose 23.4% from 2024 to 2025 even as criminal-speed citations fell by about 30.9%, a trend the department credited to increased patrol presence and enforcement education.

Chief Brian Issett said the department is emphasizing hands-free and distracted-driving enforcement; hands-free citations increased by nearly 24% and accounted for roughly 8'8.5% of recorded traffic citations. "Our officers are afforded discretion...the whole point of a traffic stop and traffic enforcement is either education, through a warning or education through a citation," Issett said.

Issett also described patrol staffing changes: when he arrived in August 2024, about 52 officers were on patrol on a typical shift (with actual numbers sometimes lower because of leave); staffing will expand to a patrol model of 84 officers by September, a projected 62% increase. The chief said the department uses unmarked cars and a dedicated traffic bureau for targeted enforcement and that video pulled from engineering is used for major collisions and reconstructions but the city does not use automated photo-radar enforcement.

Why it matters: staffing and enforcement approaches determine how quickly problem corridors receive additional enforcement and whether deterrence objectives (reducing high-speed criminal behavior) are met. Council members asked for follow-up about where extra patrols will be deployed and how the department prioritizes schools and community requests.

Next steps: the police chief said the department will phase in the increased patrol model and keep council informed about deployment and outcomes.