Courtesy Photo | On March 24, 2022, then-Arizona Governor Douglas Ducey signed a bill authorizing...... read more read more
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In 2022, then-Arizona Governor Douglas Ducey signed a bill authorizing concurrent criminal jurisdiction on U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG).
The law brought YPG into alignment with most other military installations within the continental United States.
Until the change, YPG Police only had the authority to issue DD Form 1408s, which have no penalty or deterrence associated with them for individuals who are unaffiliated with the Department of Defense. Now, the YPG Police are empowered to issue Central Violations Bureau (CVB) citations, which have financial penalties associated with them.
After a grace period in which YPG Police continued to issue DD Form 1408s, CVB citations are slated to begin May 31, 2025, which will mean additional consequences for people cited for speeding, illegal dumping, trespassing or other violations on YPG.
Individuals cited for a traffic infraction on post still face the possibility of their on-post driving privileges being suspended or revoked by the YPG commander in addition to facing the financial penalties associated with the citation.
There are two other significant differences with CVB citations in addition to the financial penalty.
“Unlike with 1408s, if you get a Central Violations Bureau citation it will be reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles and your auto insurance company,” said Donnie Lucas, YPG Police Chief.
The change will also increase penalties for trespassing on YPG’s test ranges.
“If some person is riding and inadvertently crosses within YPG’s boundaries without an intent to do so and we’ve never written that person a ticket before, we will issue a warning citation,” said Lucas. “If it’s a case of multiple violations, we will cite the individual and they will have to pay a fine or plead their case to a federal magistrate. It gives some teeth to the bark to try to deter people from trespassing and speeding.”
Similarly, illegal dumping on YPG’s ranges will also be subject to citations with financial penalties associated with them, albeit without the initial warning citation.
The YPG Police are interested purely in the deterrent effect of the financial penalties and have no further motivation to collect fines.
“The fines are primarily set by the Central Violations Bureau with some leeway from the local command,” said Lucas. “YPG receives none of the money associated with the fines.”
Lucas says the concurrent jurisdiction arrangement is a welcomed force multiplier for ensuring YPG’s security and safety. A variety of federal law enforcement agencies issue CVB citations: If Arizona Department of Public Safety or Yuma County Sheriff Office personnel observe suspicious activity on YPG land while patrolling Highway 95, for instance, the officer is now empowered to issue a trespassing or speeding citation that would be adjudicated by the federal magistrate.
“That allows Bureau of Land Management or Arizona Department of Game and Fish Rangers to come on this installation and write citations for us,” said Lucas. “The YPG Police’s jurisdiction does not extend beyond the boundaries of YPG, but these other agencies’ jurisdiction does. It allows us to work hand-in-glove with our other partners and gives us resources we didn’t have before.”
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2025 09:45 |
| Story ID: | 495788 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING GROUND, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 2,180 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Full enforcement of concurrent jurisdiction begins soon at Yuma Proving Ground, by Mark Schauer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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