Phoenix — On Saturday, July 6, 2019, 26-year Arizona Department of Public Safety veteran Major Jenna Mitchell will become one of the distinguished few to hold every position from officer trainee to Lieutenant Colonel, as she assumes command of the department’s highly visible uniformed Highway Patrol Division (HPD).
Major Jenna Mitchell began her career with the department in Casa Grande in 1993 and has since held civilian, officer, supervisory, managing and executive staff assignments within the Agency Support, Criminal Investigations and Highway Patrol Divisions. Major Mitchell is well-versed in daily AZDPS operations and is prepared to lead the HPD’s 750 professional staff and sworn employees statewide.
HPD provides law enforcement services throughout the state, assuring the safety and efficiency of the highway transportation system, providing support to local and county law enforcement agencies in addition to staffing the Capitol District in both Phoenix and Tucson. The division also provides services and enforcement for commercial motor vehicles, tow trucks, student transportation, and safety programs.
Highway Patrol Division Facts
- Patrols 6,800 linear miles – which actually total 27,000 highway lane miles
- Conducts over 36,000 collision investigations annually
- Conducts ½ a million traffic stops annually
- Arrests over 4,000 people for DUI annually
- Arrests over 9,000 people for other crimes annually
“Major Jenna Mitchell has served the public for 26 years with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, excelling at every role from officer to major. In her most recent assignments as chief-of-staff for several divisions, she excelled in her leadership and responsibilities overseeing the day-to-day operations of those divisions,” said Colonel Frank Milstead, Director of the AZDPS. “We know that under her leadership the department will continue to uphold its mission.”
Lt. Colonel Mitchell is the second female Lt. Colonel in the history of the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the first to command the Highway Patrol Division.
