Backing the Badge, Protecting Kids: Senator Farnsworth Advances Plan to Support Law Enforcement and Safeguard Runaway Youth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 19, 2026
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senator David Farnsworth, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations, Transportation, & Technology Committee, is advancing crucial legislation to strengthen law enforcement and protect vulnerable Arizona children, particularly runaway and at-risk youth. These initiatives invest in local police, enhance investigations, and improve oversight in the child welfare system to ensure that children in state care are prioritized and protected.
SB 1550 appropriates $1,255,500 to the Town of Queen Creek to assist the Queen Creek Police Department in launching a three-year pilot program. This program aims to help officers prevent runaway youth incidents, protect at-risk children from exploitation, and enhance investigations involving vulnerable minors. It will also improve coordination with care providers and state agencies, creating a model that can be replicated statewide to help keep kids safe.
SB 1821 improves oversight and accountability in the Department of Child Safety (DCS) by allowing independent audits of DCS's case management system, supporting unannounced visits to foster and kinship placements, prioritizing placing children with parents or relatives when safe, and requiring new child safety workers to complete at least one year of supervised training. SB 1821 enhances tracking, oversight, standards, and placements without additional costs to taxpayers.
"Protecting children is not a partisan issue; it is a moral obligation," said Senator Farnsworth. "When a child runs away or is placed into state care, every second matters. It is important that law enforcement has the tools, training, and resources to intervene before exploitation occurs. At the same time, our child safety system must be transparent, accountable, and focused on placing children in safe, stable environments, preferably with family whenever possible. These bills support the officers who put on the badge every day, strengthen collaboration between agencies, and demand the utmost care from the systems entrusted with our most vulnerable kids. Arizona's children deserve protection, accountability, and leaders who will act. Protecting children and supporting law enforcement are vital priorities. I look forward to working with my colleagues to maintain this focus."
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus