police
Phoenix Crime Declined In 2024, Yet Violence Against Police On The Rise

January 14, 2025

By Staff Reporter |

The city of Phoenix reported an overall decline in crime for 2024 but noted a marked rise in violence against police.

Notably, the city reported a “significant decrease” in homicides: around 28 percent. Overall crime declined by four percent. Yet, the incidents of violence perpetrated against police officers continues to increase (only officer-involved shootings declined). The Phoenix Police Department reported 14 incidents in which officers were on the receiving end of gunfire. One of those incidents resulted in the death of an officer.

“These incidents represent a complete disregard for law enforcement, the important role officers play in our community and the sanctity of life,” stated the department. “We have trained our officers well and will continue to take the next steps in advanced training to minimize the risk to our community members and officers as they put their lives on the line every day and night to keep our community safe.”

Phoenix police attributed part of the reduction in homicides to its 2024 Crime Reduction Plan released last June. That plan dedicated the department to prioritizing crackdowns on violent offenders, active areas of crime, prohibited gun possessors, and those with warrants. Police reported the number of juveniles arrested for homicide dropped from 23 in 2023 to seven last year; the number of juvenile homicide victims dropped from 23 in 2023 to 15 last year. 

The city’s police attributed the overall reduction in crime to its coordinated investigations of syndicated crime and repeat offenders. These included Operation Makeup Breakup to investigate organized retail theft, Operation Full Court Press to investigate certain violent offenders, an FBI partnership investigating a hotel operating as a brothel, and Operation Night Owl to investigate a drug and money laundering network.

“The Phoenix Police Department will continue to strive to be a self-assessing and self-correcting agency while looking for additional ways to increase accountability and transparency,” said the department.

Phoenix police reported that staffing continued to be a challenge last year. The department took in just under 2,300 applications for sworn police officers, and about 160 started the Phoenix Police Academy (in 2023, there were about 150 recruits).

The top sources for applicants, in order, were the department website, a friend or family member, Indeed, employee referral, and then social media. However, the top sources for hired recruits came, in order, from a friend or family, an employee referral, social media, the website, and then billboards.

The department remains understaffed. The city has budgeted for about 3,000 officers; total sworn officers as of last November amounted to just over 2,500.

During last Tuesday’s meeting for the Public Safety and Justice subcommittee, Phoenix police also reported that their hiring total reduced from 167 officers in 2023 (150 men, 17 women) to 144 officers in 2024 (124 men, 20 women).

In order to improve its numbers, the police department said that it has continued traditional advertisement forms in TV, radio, print, and digital media as well as creating recruitment opportunities with Arizona Christian University, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona State University, and Grand Canyon University. 

AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.

Get FREE News Delivered to Your Inbox!

Corporate media seeks stories that serve its own interests. But you deserve to know what’s really going on in your community. Stay up to date on the latest in Arizona by signing up to get FREE news delivered to your inbox.

You May Also Like …

Connect with us!

ABOUT  |  NEWS  |  OPINION  |  ECONOMY  |  EDUCATION  |  CONTACT

A project of the Arizona Freedom Foundation  |  All Rights Reserved 2025  |  Code of Ethics  |  Privacy Policy

Share This