Crime Reduction Plan for 2024 released by Phoenix Police, targets violent criminals
PHOENIX - Phoenix Police are very pleased with the job they did in 2023, reducing violent crime and property crimes.
Based on their latest Crime Reduction Plan, the department believes they can bring those numbers down further by targeting the most violent criminals in the most dangerous places.
Critics, however, are saying this could lead to over-policing in black and brown communities.
Ed DeCastro, assistant chief of investigations at the Phoenix Police Department, emphasized their approach: "We’re policing smarter."
Smarter, not harder is the Phoenix Police Department's motto for 2024, especially as the force faces a shortage of 600 deputies.
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With just 2,500 officers, the department says it has managed to bring down the number of homicides, robberies, and aggravated assaults by 4 percent, and property crimes down by 13 percent.
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"We’ve opened up a real-time operations center so the technology we’re starting to get within the city is tremendous," DeCastro said.
The department says this year they’re increasing technology tools, like a hot spot map.
The map is built by collecting data on the number of calls for service, arrest numbers, and community complaints, allowing them to identify the areas that need the most attention.
What are the critics saying?
Isabel García, a community safety strategist at Poder in Action, criticized the approach.
"We know that Phoenix Police has a well-documented and long history of discrimination and violence against people of color," she said.
Poder in Action argues that the police department's 2024 crime reduction plan aims to reduce crime by arresting people while neglecting the systemic causes behind it.
"Flooding poor and working-class communities of color with more police may temporarily dislocate the issues the neighborhood is facing but won’t provide a long-lasting solution," García said.
Police respond to criticism:
Phoenix Police pointed out that every precinct is assigned a hot spot and in every precinct, officers will be seeking the most violent, active offenders.
"I think in the past we would kind of target all of our resources in one area. This time we’re spreading it out so that citywide, everybody has a chance to live in a safe community," DeCastro says.
The department also created what they call a Summer Squad to help keep troublesome areas protected.
Its only job is to deal with party calls and juveniles, in an effort to prevent shootings and violence before they start.