Police seek renewal of Operation Stone Garden grant; staff lists interdiction results and reimbursement details

Chief Heiser asked council to approve the next iteration of the Operation Stone Garden grant, which funds overtime deployments focused on interdiction along regional corridors. He said the grant will reimburse overtime ($113,580 reported) and employee-related expenses ($61,163 reported), and include mileage reimbursement up to $18,760; staff reported the total grant amount as $193,503 after those components.

Heiser described operational results from the previous year tied to the program: 272 Stone Garden deployments, 732 traffic stops, 301 citations, 99 criminal prosecutions, 30 vehicles seized, two firearms seized, $340 in currency seized, 9.8 grams of fentanyl and 91.14 grams of methamphetamine seized. He said deployments are coordinated with Cochise County Sheriff's Office and highway patrol and that the grant has provided both enforcement and traffic-safety benefits in corridor areas south of town.

Council members asked about how the grant is budgeted when it spans fiscal years, whether reserve or volunteer officers are eligible for reimbursement, and whether spontaneous pursuits qualify. Staff responded that deployments must be pre-planned to qualify for grant reimbursement and that the grant amount varies year to year; staff also said reserves in that jurisdiction are unpaid volunteers and therefore not reimbursed under the grant structure.

The item will be considered at the regular council meeting; staff said the grant renewal is typical but the award amount changes annually.