Prescott, Arizona (Dec. 4, 2025) – Former City of Prescott Police Chief and current Yavapai College Program Director for Administration of Justice Studies (AJS) Jerald Monahan dedicated most of his professional life to public safety.
Monahan’s father, after retiring from the military, took a job with the Arizona State Prison system, which inspired his son to follow a similar path, where Monahan started as a correctional service officer in Florence, AZ in 1978. A year later, he was hired as a police officer in Casa Grande.
“I was with Casa Grande for 23 years and had a number of assignments during that time: detective, crime scene technician, sergeant, and commander over criminal investigations” Monahan said. “And during that time, I also worked at the Central Arizona Regional Law Officers Training Academy at Central Arizona College. I was there for 10 years as an advisor and a trainer for police officers that went through that academy.”
Monahan said that Professor George Fridel of the AJS program at Central Arizona College encouraged him to pursue some academic degrees. While there, he obtained his two-year degree in AJS. He then took the position of Captain with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. While in that role, he secured a bachelor’s degree in public safety through Grand Canyon University.
During the six years Monahan served with the Sheriff’s Office, he finished his master’s degree and was offered the job of police chief of Apache Junction. He continued there for five years until he was offered the position of Police Chief in Prescott in 2016.
Monahan was then hired to serve as Yavapai College Police Department Chief. In 2021, he switched roles and worked as the Program Director for AJS at the college. He also serves as the Director of the Yavapai College Justice Institute.
Having taught in the AJS field in various capacities and at various locations since 1996, Monahan worked at Yavapai College as an adjunct professor in AJS, while still serving as Prescott Police Chief, under then-director Mike Davis.
“I think one of the things I love the most about Yavapai College is the support from not only leadership, but just from all the co-workers,” Monahan said. “You know, police sometimes, in some academic settings, are viewed as a necessary evil. But we were embraced as a positive addition to the campus community. And I loved it. It just felt like you were really a part of something big, something important.”
Employment opportunities are wide open in the field of public safety, Monahan said, noting that the Sheriff’s Office is always sending people to the Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy (NARTA), located on the Yavapai College Prescott campus.
“There are plenty of opportunities for each of the agencies, Prescott Valley, Prescott, Cottonwood, and even the tribal agencies hire from time to time,” Monahan said. “Chino Valley has emerged as a very professional and well-run department. Chuck Wynn was a wonderful chief there, and Josh McIntire now is the chief, and they have built a really solid reputation as a quality department.”
Monahan gave an example of how every department at Yavapai College works to provide quality education and cost savings to its students. His AJS 101 course is an introductory one, and Yavapai College librarian Carolyn Meakins Farnsworth found a 350-page OER (open educational resources) textbook of the material that is free of charge to students.
“That for me is the biggest reward, and at the same time, the biggest challenge,” Monahan said. “And in my program, I have adult learners. I have adults that are working. I have single moms that tell me about their childcare challenges. How do I support those students that are struggling? We have so many resources to help them finish their educational goals, even though they may be struggling.”
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, four baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about Yavapai College, visit www.yc.edu.
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