Tempe Police reported a decrease in the city’s violent and property crimes from 2001 to 2011 as a result of better technology and increased communication among law enforcement agencies, Tempe Police Sgt. Jeffrey Glover said.
“We have experienced a slight decline (in crime), with the exception of last year,” Glover said.
According to the Tempe Police crime districts map for 2011, one of the biggest pockets of crime occurred in north Tempe, close to ASU.
Tempe Vice Mayor Joel Navarro said ASU and Tempe Police departments have done a good job educating university students to deter obsessive partying and alcohol violations.
“I don’t think there’s a stigma (around Tempe). We’re a college town and there’s going to be parties,” Navarro said.
Safety education, diversion programs and increased police enforcement during the holidays and beginning of the fall semesters have contributed to the overall decrease in crime, Glover said.
He also said placing more officers in historically high-crime areas, such as sections of Apache Boulevard near ASU, has produced positive results.
“The deployment of officers in those specific areas to deter the crimes observed has helped,” Glover said.
Glover said theft crimes are the most underreported, specifically bicycles.
An average of 36 bikes per month were stolen between July 2010 and June 2011, according to ASU Police crime logs.
“(People) won’t report theft because they feel nothing will get done or they won’t get it back,” Glover said.
Unreported thefts prevent police from being able to return found bikes to owners, Glover said.
“It’s hard to be able to pinpoint whether that bike is stolen or not if you don’t have the accurate information,” he said.
Reports of rape and motor vehicle thefts decreased the most, according to the Crime Analysis Unit[CS2] , which produces an analysis conducted yearly by the Tempe Police Department.
From 2001 to 2011, rapes decreased by 38 percent and vehicle thefts declined by 81 percent, according to the report.
The unit reported that hate crimes in Tempe have decreased by about 82 percent. Two reports were made in 2011 compared to 11 in 2001.
There has been a noticeable decrease in Tempe Police reports, said Frankie Valenzuela, training coordinator for Tempe Municipal Court.
Driving under the influence citations in the city decreased by about 12 percent between 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, according to Tempe Supreme Court Statistics report.
The number of DUI cases closed, or terminated, in this time period has decreased by 9 percent, according to statistics from the Tempe Supreme Court.
A termination often occurs because of court transfers, dismissals, plea bargains, judgments or acquittals, Valenzuela said.
“Something’s happened to (the cases) where they were either dismissed, the person paid it or they didn’t come in,” Valenzuela said.
Tempe Supreme Court statistics show DUI terminations have decreased by 9 percent between fiscal years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.
Citations of serious violations, such as leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving and drag racing, have decreased by 41 percent during that same time period, Valenzuela said.
Terminations of these crimes have decreased by 5 percent, according to the statistics.
Navarro said the City of Tempe has increased its communication efforts with community members in an effort to help deter crime and to clean up the city.
“It’s citizen involvement and making sure our areas are clean,” Navarro said. “It’s a communication factor.”
Reach the reporter at sraymund@asu.edu
