Patrols, use of technology and goodwill from police helping with community projects have helped keep CAC’s campuses mostly crime-free during the past three years.
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CAC Police Chief Greg Roberts
CAC
The Central Arizona College Police Department is very active patrolling our campuses and using technology as deterrents. The department is also very involved in community projects. Every member of the department is required to work on a community project to build upon our relationships with our students, our staff and the community,”
CAC Police Chief Greg Roberts
CAC campuses, centers
The crime statistics for Central Arizona College are broken down into the following geographic areas:
• Aravaipa Campus, 80440 E. Aravaipa Road in Winkelman.
• Casa Grande Center, 1015 E. Florence Blvd. in Casa Grande. The facility closed in 2022.
• Florence Center, 800 E. Butte in Florence.
• Maricopa Campus, 17945 N. Regent Drive in Maricopa.
• San Tan Campus, 3736 E. Bella Vista Road in San Tan Valley.
• Signal Peak Campus, 8470 N. Overfield Road in Coolidge.
• Superstition Mountain Campus, 805 S. Idaho Road in Apache Junction.
Eight crimes were reported in 2022 at two of Central Arizona College’s five campuses — more than the total for 2021 and 2020, according to a federally mandated campus-security report released in September.
No crimes were reported in 2019, 2020 or 2021 at CAC’s Casa Grande Center and Florence Center.
The uptick in crimes in 2022 was because of an increase of students and people on CAC’s campuses as COVID restrictions were lifted, CAC Police Chief Greg Roberts said.
Patrols, use of technology and goodwill from police helping with community projects have helped keep CAC’s campuses mostly crime-free during the past three years.
“The Central Arizona College Police Department is very active patrolling our campuses and using technology as deterrents. The department is also very involved in community projects. Every member of the department is required to work on a community project to build upon our relationships with our students, our staff and the community,” Chief Roberts said. “Some examples of community projects completed by the police department over the past couple of years include soliciting donations for personal hygiene projects for students who needed assistance, the creation of a teen driving program, a community service officer program staffed by students and a CPR certification program, to name a few.”
The police department continues to work closely with Pinal County law-enforcement partners.
“It is common for Pinal County law enforcement departments to share information, assist each other and conduct training together to promote teamwork in the area,” Roberts said. He is a board member of the Pinal County Law Enforcement Association.
Total enrollment at Central Arizona College for 2020-21 was 6,317, for 2021-22 was 8,285 and for 2022-23 was 7,453. Central Arizona College has been in operation for more than 50 years. It offers associate’s degrees that transfer to all three Arizona public universities, according to centralaz.edu.
Statistics must be reported
The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, renamed The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security and Crime Statistics Act, was enacted by Congress and signed into law in November 1990. In 1992, 2000, 2008 and 2013, Congress amended the law via the Higher Education Opportunity and Violence Against Women acts, which expanded the reporting criteria.
Jeanne Clery was 19 when she was raped and murdered in her college dormitory. Her parents, Connie and Howard Clery, could not have known the danger she was in; standards for campus crime reporting did not exist in 1986, according to clerycenter.org, the website for the nonprofit Clery Center.
“The Clery Act requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to disseminate a public annual security report to employees and students every Oct. 1. This ASR must include statistics of campus crime for the preceding three calendar years, plus details about efforts taken to improve campus safety,” according to the website.
Crimes that are required to be listed by the colleges are, according to the report:
Murder/non-negligent manslaughter;
Negligent manslaughter;
Rape;
Fondling;
Incest;
Statutory rape;
Robbery;
Aggravated assault;
Burglary;
Motor vehicle theft;
Arson;
Domestic violence;
Dating violence;
Stalking.
It also includes crimes handled by local police, such as liquor, drug and weapon violations; and hate crimes.
The report was posted Sept. 27 to CAC’s website. An email was sent to all enrolled students on Sept. 28 to advise students. A direct link to the report was provided, Roberts said.
Students, parents and local residents can obtain a copy of Central Arizona College’s annual security and fire safety report by calling the CAC Police Department at 520-494-5445 or going to centralaz.edu/police.
Signal Peak Campus
At the Signal Peak Campus, 8470 N. Overfield Road in Coolidge, offenses were:
2022, two burglaries, one domestic-violence incident and three stalking incidents were reported on-campus including residence halls (of which one dating violence incident and two stalking incidents were on campus in residence halls); and one domestic-violence incident on public property adjacent to campus.
2021, one motor vehicle theft was reported on campus including residence halls — the stolen Central Arizona College-owned ATV was recovered.
2020, one burglary, one domestic violence incident and one dating-violence incident were reported on campus in residence halls.
For all three years in the report, no crimes were determined to be unfounded and no hate crimes were reported.
The Signal Peak Campus is the only CAC campus that has residence halls, with housing available for a maximum of 250 students.
Arrests listed were:
2022, one liquor violation and one drug violation on campus including residence halls; one liquor violation and one drug violation on campus in residence halls; and one drug violation on public property adjacent to campus.
2021, no arrests.
2020, two drug violations on campus including residence halls and one drug violation on campus in residence halls.
The numbers of disciplinary referrals with no arrest by police and campus authorities were:
2022, five liquor violations and one drug violation on campus in residence halls.
2021, one drug violation on campus including residence halls.
2020, one drug violation on campus in residence halls.
The department is working to deter burglaries, domestic violence, stalking and dating violence incidents.
“The Central Arizona College Police Department is actively patrolling campuses and using technology as a deterrent to prevent burglaries and other crimes. The Central Arizona College Police Department and Title IX coordinator take an active approach in educating our students and staff to prevent domestic violence, stalking and dating violence,” Roberts said.
The increase in alcohol- and drug-use violations was due to the larger number of students on campus in 2022 over the previous two years, he said.
“As a result, there were naturally more alcohol- and drug-related incidents. The results in higher incidents and arrest numbers are a result of on-sight arrests by officers and reports from students and staff,” Roberts said. “Central Arizona College continues to make available an alcohol and drug-free brochure and counseling is available for our students and staff if needed. The drug and alcohol incidents are low at Central Arizona College when compared to other colleges. The Central Arizona College Police Department takes a very active approach patrolling our campuses to assist with prevention measures.”
Aravaipa Campus
On the Aravaipa Campus, 80440 E. Aravaipa Road in Winkelman, there was one burglary on campus in 2022 and no crimes in 2021 or 2020.
For all three years in the report, no crimes were determined to be unfounded, no hate crimes were reported and there were no arrests or disciplinary referrals.
Superstition Mountain Campus
The Superstition Mountain Campus of Central Arizona College is at 805 S. Idaho Road in Apache Junction. (Special to Independent Newsmedia, Arianna Grainey)
Special to Independent Newsmedia, Arianna Grainey
At the Superstition Mountain Campus, 805 S. Idaho Road in Apache Junction, there were no crimes reported in 2022 or 2021; and one arson reported on-campus in 2020.
For all three years in the report, no crimes were determined to be unfounded, no hate crimes were reported and there were no arrests or disciplinary referrals.
San Tan Campus
The San Tan Campus of Central Arizona College is at 3736 E. Bella Vista Road in San Tan Valley, (Special to Independent Newsmedia, Arianna Grainey)
Special to Independent Newsmedia, Arianna Grainey
At the San Tan Campus, 3736 E. Bella Vista Road in San Tan Valley, there were no crimes reported in 2022, 2021 or 2020.
In 2021, there were two weapons violations arrests on campus and one liquor violation disciplinary referral on campus. In 2022 and 2020, there were no arrests or disciplinary referrals
For all three years there were no crimes determined to be unfounded and no hate crimes were reported.
Maricopa Campus
At the Maricopa Campus, 17945 N. Regent Drive in Maricopa, there were no offenses, no crimes determined to be unfounded, no arrests and no hate crimes reported in all three years.
There was one liquor violation disciplinary referral in 2020 on campus.
Campus outreach
The Central Arizona College Police Department takes a proactive approach to prevent crime and to solicit reporting, Roberts said.
“Besides proactive patrol, it begins with relationships. Officers do a great job getting to know our students to enhance relations and build trust. An example of another community-policing crime prevention strategy department members are involved in is making public service videos that are posted on CAC web pages and message boards around campuses. Some examples of the public service video topics are: drug prevention, LGBTQ safe-zone training, parking lot safety and wildlife safety,” Roberts said.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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