From Concept to Command Center: How One Arizona City Is Building Surveillance From Scratch

From red lights to recess, State 48 News takes a look at the creation of real-time crime centers on Arizona roads and inside schools.

Goodyear, one of America’s fastest-growing cities, is closing in on a bold step: building its Real-Time Crime Center, the Goodyear Real-Time Intelligence and Tactical (GRIT) Center, from scratch. Tonight, city leaders will get a pivotal update on the police department’s push for a phased, 4-year rollout designed to supercharge emergency response and crime-fighting as the population surges. After scouting operations in Arizona and California, Goodyear PD is mapping out the staff, tech, and infrastructure needed for a round-the-clock surveillance hub. The big-ticket budget request lands in FY2026.

One year ago, State 48 News senior investigative journalist Jennifer Barber exposed Goodyear’s quiet expansion into high-powered surveillance. In April 2024, city lawmakers were blindsided to learn license plate readers had already been installed across the All-America City. While officials pitched them as simple traffic tools, Barber’s reporting uncovered far more advanced technology capable o…