Monica Prieto: Behind the Badge, Beyond the Job. A Boulder Crest Foundation Story.

(Story via Boulder Crest Foundation , opens in a new tab)

Monica Prieto didn’t grow up dreaming of a badge. Raised in Tucson, Arizona, she loved crime shows, but law enforcement never felt like a career option. That changed when a female officer visited her college class during her final semester. “I just figured I’d try it,” Monica said. “And I liked the idea of being a detective.”

That decision would mark the start of a 25-year career that led her from patrol to detective and from sergeant to Deputy Chief of the Tucson Police Department (TPD). It would take her through child and adult sexual assault cases, into the aftermath of George Floyd and staffing shortages, through moments of doubt and disconnection, and eventually into a role where she would help shift the culture of one of the largest departments in Arizona.

What ultimately changed everything wasn’t another policy. It wasn’t another promotion. It was a program called Struggle Well.

Before that, Monica carried the weight of her work the only way she knew how: quietly. When she started at TPD in 1999, the culture was clear. You signed up for this, and you dealt with it. In her early years as a detective, she handled cases most people would struggle to hear about, much less investigate day after day. The trauma was real, but talking about it wasn’t an option.

Read Monica’s Full Story -> Monica Prieto: Behind the Badge, Beyond the Job. , opens in a new tab

Boulder Crest Foundation is a pioneering nonprofit organization focused on the development of Posttraumatic Growth-based training solutions to times of struggle, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Their non-pharmacological, peer-delivered, PTG-based programs – Warrior PATHH & Struggle Well – help service members, veterans, and the first responder community to transform their struggle into strength, and live great lives in the aftermath of trauma. Since its founding, Boulder Crest has served more than 180,000 individuals nationwide. Learn more at BoulderCrest.org , opens in a new tab.

About Haas Factory Team:
Haas Factory Team is a NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series program owned by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. New in 2026, Haas Factory will align with Chevrolet. As part of the manufacturer switch, HFT will have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, which will include using Hendrick-built engines across both series. The team will feature Cole Custer driving the No. 41 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer take on the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in the No. 00 and No. 41 Chevrolet Camaros, respectively. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Haas Factory Team reflects a commitment to performance and engineering excellence, carrying forward Gene Haas’s commitment to motorsports.