The AZDOHS provides strategic direction for enhancing regional capability and capacity to prevent terrorist attacks, enhance border security, reduce Arizona's vulnerability to all threats and critical hazards, mitigate and minimize the impact of threats and hazards, and further develop the ability to recover from all critical hazards that affect the safety, well-being, and economic security of the citizens of Arizona.

There will be an ongoing requirement that Arizona will assure border security operations are enhanced; and that the capabilities to address threats of terrorism, illegal border crossings, human and drug trafficking along the Arizona/Mexico border, and information-sharing among law enforcement entities (local, state, Tribal, federal) to prevent adversarial attacks are sustained.

As the first to develop a statewide homeland security strategy, Arizona has been a leader on homeland security efforts since the tragic events of 9/11. To help direct homeland security efforts around the state, the Arizona Department of Homeland Security has worked in conjunction with the people and agencies involved in the joint homeland security mission to shape Arizona’s State Homeland Security Strategy.