TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — TPD says its report card on crime is looking good. There are encouraging crime trends in the annual report from Tucson Police.
Naturally, being safe from crime is important to any neighborhood. Tucson Police are careful to keep precise track of their crime trends and in the latest annual report from TPD, those crime stats are looking better.
Tucson Police publish an annual report.
The latest says compared to 2022, homicides are down 21 percent, and gun crimes with injury are down 34 percent.
“That’s good for us and it’s good for the community to know this also.”
Willie Blake has led the Western Hills Neighborhood for many years. Sometimes called the Vistas, the neighborhood had a fearsome reputation for crime. Blake says building relationships with police helped clean it up.
Blake says, “Connecting the police department and the community together. Without that you can’t make it.”
Police have combined relationships and research to focus on dangers like gun crimes that ripple out to other trouble.
The report compares most stats with a five year average.
By that standard, homicides are down 9.2 percent, aggravated assaults are up 7.3 percent, sexual assaults are down almost 22 percent, robberies dropped more than 33 percent, and car thefts rose almost 19 percent. Car theft rose drastically in part from a Tik Tok fad that showed teens how to easily steal Hyundais and Kias.
Assistant City Manager Liz Morales says other city departments attack problems that contribute to crime, like poor health, and homelessness.
“We brought in new programs like our community safety, health and wellness, or Housing First, using our environmental services.”
And the city is holding onto more new officers and experienced police. More cadets are completing the academy, and fewer longtime officers are leaving the force.
