SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Arizona has spent millions of dollars trying to make sure schools and police can talk to each other quickly during an emergency.
Since 2019, the state has put about $26 million into the School Safety Interoperability Fund. The money is meant to help law enforcement agencies buy communication systems that connect directly with schools.
But the Auditor General’s report found those systems are only connected to about 20% of Arizona’s public schools. Auditors also found some agencies used the money to connect private or tribal schools, something that is not allowed under current state law.
Cochise County is one of the agencies examined in the audit and took a different approach than most. While three vendors were used statewide, Cochise County was the only one to choose a company called Navigate360.
“There were three vendors, so the educators, we picked it,” said Cochise County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jacqueline Clay.
“They needed prevention, response, and recovery. Teachers need to know that they can keep their kids safe, and the kids need to know that they are safe,” she says.
She said close coordination with law enforcement is a key part of that preparation, so everyone is on the same page when minutes matter.
“When we respond to a bad situation, we're all on the same level. We pull up, we know exactly what we're doing. Once we get out of the car, we know what we're looking for. Hopefully we know where they're at, the offender, so that we can isolate that person and get in there,” Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels says.
One of the system’s main features is detailed digital mapping of school buildings. Cynthia Meyers, the outreach manager for the Cochise County Superintendent of Schools, said Navigate360 used 3D cameras to map the inside of schools.
“Law enforcement and first responders have access to those maps. You can literally tap on the classroom where the alarm went off, open up the technology, and you can see a 360 degree view inside that classroom where the windows are, which way the windows open, where the doors are” Meyers says.
The audit noted agencies could not view live security camera footage during emergency testing.
“Live camera feeds come with their own issues because you're filming live inside a school with children. You can't be sharing those live camera feeds outside certain jurisdictions without permission,” she says.
Being in a rural county also presents challenges. Limited infrastructure can affect how much technology schools and agencies are able to rely on.
The audit also raises questions about the future of the program. State funding is not guaranteed to continue, which means districts may have to find other ways to keep these systems running.
“Can we take the infrastructure we've already put in place and absorb that with our natural budgets, our general funded budgets? If not, we go back out and we seek other grants. This is how government works,” Dannels explains.
The report also looked at the Tucson Police Department’s involvement. Auditors found the department canceled its contract with a vendor in December 2024 and never fully implemented a system. TPD reported they are now developing their own communications platform.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
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