Valley law enforcement agencies unveil campaign to improve public habits on reporting youth violence
Aug 14, 2024, 2:38 PM
PHOENIX — Valley law enforcement agencies are aiming to have better reporting of youth violence incidents that have rocked parts of the metro area over the past couple of years.
The “Report, Don’t Repost” campaign wants parents and children who witness, hear about or see videos on social media to notify authorities and keep communities safe.
Several youth violence incidents from 2022 and 2023 in the East Valley initially went unreported. Some have been solved after witnesses and others came forward after the youth violence trend was widely publicized following the death of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek in October 2023.
“There’s a trend we need to pay attention to and that’s the posting of videos of violence on social media combined with the lack of reporting the crimes to police or cooperating with police,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a press conference Wednesday.
Why are Valley law enforcement agencies pushing reporting on youth violence incidents?
Lord’s death, in which seven suspects have been indicted on first-degree murder charges, highlighted the disturbing trend of increased youth violence in the Valley.
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In Lord’s case, Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice expressed frustration in December 2023 that the investigation had been hindered at times by parents who hadn’t allowed their children to share information pertaining to the case.
The chief said those parents had “actively refused” participation in the investigation.
The campaign encourages those who witness fights to not post videos on social media, not break them up, call police and let those involved know that officers are on the way.
If videos do end up on social media or if someone shares information about a fight, there are people required by law to report the incident as someone called a “mandated reporter.” These include all guardians of minors involved in a fight and all school personnel. Those who do report a fight can’t be held liable for that action.
“Teens will often record themselves and their peers in fights, brawls and other things they shouldn’t be doing,” Mitchell said. “Many times, those videos go viral on social media and they don’t go reported to law enforcement. Even if they don’t get posted, there’s no context.
“We need somebody to testify in court that it’s an accurate video.”
"If these acts don't make it to the police we have nothing to prosecute," Mitchell says.
She also says incidents of youth violence are rising in the county. More to come on that.
— Balin Overstolz (@balin_om) August 14, 2024
Police departments from Chandler and Gilbert have notably asked for the public’s help in solving youth violence cases from videos posted on social media.
“My job as a prosecutor is to build a strong case,” Mitchell said. “Encouraging the community to report these incidents instead of sharing them online is an excellent way to do that,” Mitchell said.
