by Staff Reporter | Jan 20, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Arizona cities reported increased murder rates that outpaced declines, per preliminary crime statistics.
The following cities reported murder rate increases per the Real-Time Crime Index, whose data goes through October: Gilbert (600 percent), Scottsdale (400 percent), Yuma (300 percent), Peoria (300 percent), Chandler (100 percent), Mesa (33 percent), and Tempe (25 percent).
The Real-Time Crime Index, which collects crime data from over 500 law enforcement agencies across the nation, comes from AH Datalytics.
Other cities reported decreases in murders: Buckeye (100 percent), Casa Grande (100 percent), Flagstaff (100 percent), Marana (100 percent), Prescott Valley (100 percent), Avondale (66 percent), Peoria (55 percent), Glendale (43 percent), Phoenix (24 percent), and Tucson (22 percent).
Pima, Pinal, and Yavapai Counties all reported decreases in crime (55, 100, and 100 percent, respectively).
This occurred despite the predictions of 2025 crime to have dropped to the lowest levels since 1960. The cause behind the disparity remains unknown. One theory speculates underreporting by major cities; another speculates actions by the current administration to address rising crime.
AH Datalytics’ cofounder, Jeff Asher, said in an interview with ABC News that even conservative estimates of the preliminary data reflect the largest one-year drop in crime statistic recordkeeping dating back to 1960. Prior to cofounding the company, Asher was a crime analyst for the CIA.
Asher clarified that a major influence on the significant crime drop manifested in major cities notorious for their high levels of violent crime. Some of these cities are anticipated to have crime rates better than those seen over 60 years ago — some by over 80 years, said Asher.
“You’ve got places like Detroit, Philadelphia and Baltimore that are on track to have the fewest murders since the 1960s. New Orleans, in spite of the terrorist attack on January 1, is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1970,” said Asher. “San Francisco is on track to see the fewest number of murders since 1940.”
The preliminary review across the nation reflected a 20 percent decrease in murders, eight percent decrease in aggravated assault, and over 20 percent decrease in car theft.
The findings confirm early analysis published in July by the Council on Criminal Justice. These analyses are only preliminary estimates — the FBI hasn’t yet released its official annual crime report.
Some have attributed the decline to actions taken by President Donald Trump, but crime rates have been dropping since 2022.
2024 reflected a 15 percent decline in murders; 2023 reflected a 13 percent decrease; and 2022 reflected a six percent decrease.
It wasn’t until this past June that Trump began deploying National Guard troops and other federal forces into major cities. Trump first directed troops to Los Angeles, California, followed by Washington, D.C. in August, then Memphis, Tennessee in October.
Those sorts of actions have come to an end, for now. Trump responded this week to a Supreme Court ruling from last week with an announcement that he would no longer deploy the National Guard to major cities. Specifically, he ordered troops pulled back from Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and Portland, Oregon.
The president also had his eye on New York, San Francisco and Oakland in California, and Baltimore, Maryland.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Nov 2, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
A new national poll reveals a broad, cross-partisan consensus among Americans for accountability-driven reforms to address rising crime, homelessness, and judicial leniency.
With violent crime perceived as increasing by 75% of respondents, majorities support stricter sentencing, enhanced monitoring technologies, federal oversight of repeat offender states, and responsibility requirements in public assistance programs. The Cicero Institute National Crime Poll surveyed a representative sample of 2,102 U.S. voters, showing a unified public mandate that compassion must be paired with consequences to restore safety and order in communities nationwide.
“Americans are crying out for accountability,” said Stefani E. Buhajla, Senior Director of Communications at the Cicero Institute. “Across the nation, families are watching their neighborhoods decline under the weight of unchecked crime, drug abuse, and untreated mental illness. Homelessness has exploded into public view, violent criminals cycle endlessly through the courts, and too many judges seem more interested in appeasing activists than protecting the people they serve. The result is predictable: citizens feel less safe, less secure, and less confident in the institutions charged with delivering justice.”
Crime and Public Safety
- 63% support increasing criminal penalties for drug trafficking around homelessness charity facilities, recognizing the exploitation of vulnerable individuals battling addictions.
- 75% support providing law enforcement with better technology to track transient sex offenders.
- 75% support electronic monitoring of transient sex offenders’ whereabouts, with 68% more likely to support if informed that over half of transients are registered sex offenders.
Violent Crime and Mental Health
- 75% believe violent crime is increasing or staying the same.
- 61% support court-ordered treatment and stabilization for repeat criminals with mental illness.
- 64% support making it easier to commit individuals with violent tendencies to mental health facilities.
- In cases of aggravated murder by mentally ill offenders, 82% back life in prison, the death penalty, or both (46% life in prison, 18% death penalty, 18% both).
- 60% favor an automatic federal investigation into states with histories of releasing repeat violent criminals.
- 63% support removing judges with patterns of leniency toward repeat violent criminals.
Homelessness
- 64% say homeless individuals should be required to participate in addiction, mental health treatment, and job training as a condition of taxpayer-funded housing.
- 64% oppose allowing homeless individuals to camp on public property.
- 75% view moving homeless individuals to shelters as more compassionate than unrestricted camping.
- 70% support temporary structured camping areas with water, sanitation, and police services—located away from residential and business zones—when shelters are unavailable.
Juvenile Justice
- 73% support shorter probation terms for low-risk juvenile offenders who complete education or job training.
- 66% support reduced probation for those pursuing mental health counseling or drug treatment programs.
“What we see here is not a thirst for cruelty, but a yearning for justice,” added Buhajla. “Americans want accountability because they know compassion without order collapses into chaos. They understand that responsibility and opportunity must go hand in hand. And they are calling on leaders to have the courage to enforce laws, protect communities, and demand more from the very institutions that too often excuse failure.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 15, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
In a departure from the “soft on crime” approach, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero announced she will allow law enforcement to address crime.
Romero called the city’s approach the “Safe City Initiative.” The mayor announced the initiative on Sunday following months of community outcry over the ever-worsening levels of homelessness and crime in the city.
Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar said felony arrests increased by 50 percent and misdemeanor arrests increased by 100 percent over the last five years. Kasmar told KGUN9 that fentanyl’s rise is largely to blame; per the chief, 80 percent of addicts on the streets will refuse treatment because they know there are no consequences for breaking the law.
“It’s the reality that they know, if they only get caught with a lower level of possession, that they’re likely to have those charges dismissed during initial appearance, and they think, well, I’ll just be out. I’ll just be out in six or eight hours,” said Kasmar. “It’s not a big deal [to them].”
One Tucson native since 1999 described it this way in a Reddit post last November:
“The nightly shootings, open drug use and dealing, street prostitution, and gang activity is unlike anything I’ve seen here,” said the user. “It used to be the case that there were a half dozen bad intersections. Now it seems like every intersection is bad. Half of the bus stops have people slumped over or doing drugs. It feels like Gotham in a Batman movie.”
When a Tucson resident pointed out the Tucson Police Department’s reported crimes data site shows a slight decline in recent years, another native pointed out that Tucson residents don’t see the point in reporting the crimes anymore.
“Have you tried to report a crime lately? No officer shows up except for certain felony crimes. You have to make an online report that may as well be routed to some computer’s trash bin,” said the native. “Crime is ‘declining’ because people no longer see the point in reporting it, much like the declining unemployment rate that resulted because people simply stopped looking for work. An opinion column isn’t necessarily the best unbiased source for this info.”
The council may also pass an ordinance making drug possession a misdemeanor in order to work around the unwillingness of the Superior Court to prosecute drug offenses, even though those are felony offenses. With such an ordinance, the city could prosecute drug cases in the Municipal Court.
“Everyone deserves to be safe — in your neighborhood, at work, and in our public spaces,” said Romero. “We hear your current concerns about safety in our community loud and clear, and we share them. That is why we are launching the Safe City Initiative.”
As a precursor to the initiative, Romero defended the many social services aimed at the homeless population including the “low barrier” shelters, Violence Interruption Vitalization Action, Community Safety Health and Wellness, and Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Teams. And yet, Romero said these many services don’t stymie the major source of crimes: the homeless individuals with mental illnesses and/or drug addiction.
Romero said the city would continue investment in those programs. Additional investing will come from the opioid settlement funds to establish a Sobering Alternative Facility for Recovery Center, said Romero.
The Safe City Initiative will create a task force under the city manager, Tim Thomure, to help shape ordinances and policies that combine law enforcement action and drug addiction treatment. It will also increase police presence on public transit and in other high-crime areas, and social service outreach presence in areas with high levels of homelessness.
The mayor alluded to seeking greater state and regional funding and establishing more partnerships for treatments of mental and behavioral illness, and substance abuse.
The initiative also promises to expand the sessions offered by Community Court, which provides diversion programs for criminals dealing with mental illness and/or drug addictions.
Last week, the Tucson Police Department deployed officers to clear out a major homeless encampment.
Romero, first elected in 2019 and reelected in 2023, is coming up on the last leg of her second term, which ends in December 2027. The mayor may serve three consecutive four-year terms before being termed out.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Sep 9, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
While other politicians are calling for attacks on law enforcement officers, Congressman Abe Hamadeh has introduced the Protect and Respect ICE Act (PRICE Act).
This legislation aims to double criminal penalties for individuals who assault, resist, or impede U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and employees.
The PRICE Act addresses a reported 830% surge in assaults on ICE agents between January and July 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, as documented by the Department of Homeland Security.
Notable incidents include a violent attack in Portland, Oregon, where three protestors armed with an incendiary device assaulted ICE agents, and an attack in Texas, where 11 people fired shots at an ICE facility.
Hamadeh recently tweeted on the matter, saying, “If you lay a finger on our Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, you should suffer severe legal consequences. As part of his commitment to supporting law enforcement, Congressman Hamadeh proudly cosponsors the Protect and Respect ICE Act.”
“America’s courageous ICE agents put their lives on the line every day to uphold the rule of law and protect our citizens from violent, criminal illegal aliens,” said cosponsor Congresswoman Ashley Hinson. “Instead of standing with law enforcement, the radical Left sides with dangerous illegal aliens and even wants to strip ICE agents of the gear that keeps them safe. That’s unacceptable. Anyone who assaults an ICE agent must face the harshest possible punishment. That’s why I am fighting to double the federal penalty for attacks on ICE agents. We will never back down in defending our law enforcement, we will never tolerate unhinged assaults on ICE, and we will not stop until every single illegal alien is deported, and our communities are safe.”
The PRICE Act amends Title 18 of the U.S. Code to double the maximum prison term and fines for violations committed against ICE officers or employees.
Supporters say this measure reflects a broader commitment by Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration to reinforce ICE operations, including recent ICE-led raids in major U.S. cities to address rising crime and illegal immigration.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Sep 2, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) is taking action to combat crime and restore safety, both in the nation’s capital and in his home state of Arizona.
Biggs introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at reinforcing President Trump’s efforts to curb lawlessness in Washington, D.C., while reaffirming his commitment to making Arizona the safest state in the nation.
His first legislation, the Make D.C. Safe Again Act, amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to extend the emergency period during which the President can assume control over the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) from 30 days to 180 days.
This extension provides President Trump and federal authorities the necessary time to stabilize the nation’s capital, addressing the violent crime and public disorder without restrictive time constraints.
The second legislation, the Keep Offenders Off Our Streets Act, targets the practice of cashless bail in D.C., prohibiting judges from releasing criminals without requiring a secured bail bond.
By ensuring that offenders are held accountable, this bill enhances prosecutors’ ability to uphold the rule of law and maintain community safety.
“When our nation’s capital faces lawlessness, violent crime, and breakdowns in public order, the federal government has a responsibility and a constitutional duty to act decisively,” said Congressman Biggs.
“The District of Columbia is the seat of our federal government, the home of our institutions, and a symbol of American strength,” he added. “Weak leadership at the local level too often leaves D.C. vulnerable to the chaos of the radical Left. President Trump has shown time and time again his commitment to restoring law and order in D.C. and across the country. My legislation ensures that President Trump has the necessary time and authority to quell the chaos that has reigned in woke D.C.”
These legislations are cosponsored by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), and Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD).
In a recent interview with James T. Harris, Congressman Biggs was asked, “If you were the governor of the great state of Arizona, would you invite President Trump and federal troops in to help with crime in the state?”
“We are going to make this state the safest in the union,” Biggs answered. “We are not going to need the feds, because we are going to enforce the law here. People are going to be held accountable for crime, particularly violent crimes, sex assault, and trafficking of children—we’re going to hold them accountable. If we can’t get the job done and there’s an emergency situation, then maybe that happens. I believe under my administration, the prosecutors are going to prosecute. The police officers are going to be given the resources and support they need to make the arrests, and we are going to bring Arizona back to be the safest state in the country.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
