Police, college team up to fight crime near campus
Jul 6, 2012, 7:09 AM | Updated: 7:09 am
Higher education is taking on high crime rates in one West Valley neighborhood.
Grand Canyon University and the Phoenix Police Department have a new, unique partnership. Each is pledging $100,000 per year for five years to make neighborhoods around the campus safer.
Grand Canyon CEO Brian Mueller said the university will have 7,000 students this fall and 15,000 by 2015.
“With 1,000 faculty members and a couple thousand staff members, there’ll be restaurants and theaters and those kinds of things,” he said.
“That can help drive jobs and bring prosperity to the community but we have to make it safe first.”
Phoenix police said their $100,000 per year contribution will come as manpower and overtime hours, as well as court awards.
The new neighborhood safety initiative will create a stronger police presence from 43rd Avenue to Interstate 17 between Bethany Home and Indian School roads.
The Grand Canyon campus is at 33rd Avenue and Camelback Road.
