Drop in property crime leads to reduced overall crime count in Phoenix

Sep 8, 2015, 6:00 AM

(KTAR File Photo)

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Police Department has achieved its goal of maintaining overall crime numbers below a three-year average.

“We are very pleased with where the overall crime count is with the city,” Phoenix Police Sergeant Trent Crump said.

One of the largest impacts on the decrease in overall crime has been a sharp drop in property crimes.

Property crimes hit record lows ending 2014 and continued to decline at the end of the fiscal year dropping nearly four percent.

“With what we have seen in such a downward spiral in property crimes has helped us to stay below a three-year average which was part of our goal,” Crump said.

Violent crimes, however, have recently increased by approximately three percent.

“(That is) being driven by armed robberies and aggravated assaults primarily in the southwest region of Phoenix and so we have got some programs that are going to try to curtail those,” he said.

There were 2,000 fewer crime victims in Phoenix during 2014 than the previous year.

Phoenix Police continue to ask for the public’s help in preventing crime by reporting suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.

Additional crime statistics and criminal activity in Phoenix neighborhoods can be found at www.raidsonline.com