By the Numbers: Scottsdale violent crimes reported

By Melissa Rosequist
Twitter: @mrosequist_

Evaluating crime rates can paint a dark picture for any hometown. In Scottsdale, cases of rape exceeds 100 per year; while more than 4,000 cases of theft took place in 2017 and 2018.

While the numbers may appear startling, local police say Scottsdale is considered a safe city when population and types of crimes are taken into account.

Looking at the eight Part I crimes --- including homicide, arson and assault --- provides an illustration of the criminal activity that takes place day-in, and day-out in Scottsdale.

A public records request for Part I violent crimes for 2017, 2018, and 2019 in Scottsdale shows rates of theft, homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson.

While no municipality is safe from crime, Scottsdale Police Department officials say, The West’s Most Western Town’s rate at which it clears a crime exceeds other local jurisdictions.

When a case takes place, it is then considered “clear” by an arrest or an exception, SPD Public Information Officer Ben Hoster said.

The records received from the local police department show:

2017

• Criminal homicide: 5 cases, 3 cleared
• Forcible rape: 103 cases, 12 cleared
• Robbery: 100 cases, 42 cleared
• Aggravated assault: 188 cases, 118 cleared
• Burglary: 878 cases, 155 cleared
• Theft: 4,346 cases, 928 cleared
• Motor vehicle theft: 246 cases, 72 cleared
• Arson: 23 cases, 5 cleared

2018

• Criminal homicide: 7 cases, 10 cleared
• Forcible rape: 122 cases, 20 cleared
• Robbery: 87 cases, 35 cleared
• Aggravated assault: 206 cases, 131 cleared
• Burglary: 711 cases, 168 cleared
• Theft: 4,700 cases, 1,213 cleared
• Motor vehicle theft: 272 cases, 66 cleared
• Arson: 17 cases, 3 cleared

January-October 2019

• Criminal homicide: 3 cases, 3 cleared
• Forcible rape: 113 cases, 16 cleared
• Robbery: 87 cases, 26 cleared
• Aggravated assault: 147 cases, 86 cleared
• Burglary: 588 cases, 100 cleared
• Theft: 3,520 cases, 834 cleared
• Motor vehicle theft: 214 cases, 41 cleared
• Arson: 13 cases, 2 cleared

The police department reports its Part I crime rate is the second lowest level in the history of the department, at 25.2 per 1,000 residents.

“The SPD clearance rate for all Part I crimes in 2018 was 26.9% exceeding the state and national average,” Mr. Hoster said. “The state average for 2018 was 20.4% and the national average was 21.6%. When looking at violent crime, our clearance rate was 46.4% and 25.4% for property, specifically.”

In addition, Mr. Hoster says SPD exceeds national and state averages for clearing crimes.

“Due to the number of crimes reported on an annual basis, the City of Scottsdale is regularly reported as one of the safest cities on various lists when taking into account a variety of factors such as population and types of crimes reported,” he said.

What is crime?

A crime is counted when it’s reported.

“For instance, if a burglary is reported in October (the victim calls the police and makes a report) we report that burglary to the FBI in October,” Mr. Hoster explained.

“The investigation may take place over several months and an arrest may be made at a later date. When the arrest is made, the crime is considered cleared and that clearance is reported at that time.”

In the case of a crime such as a homicide, it may go unsolved for months or years, Mr. Hoster says, and the department reports the clearance at the time of the arrest.

“The 2018 homicide clearance total reflects a case that occurred in November of 2017 but wasn’t cleared until May 2018 once the investigation was completed and a correct clearance could be determined for (the three victims),” Mr. Hoster said.

“Since the clearance occurred in May of 2018 the three victims make up the extra three victim clearance total (7 homicides occurred and cleared in calendar year 2018 and 3 homicide victims from November 2017 cleared in 2018.)”

Mr. Hoster says a case may be cleared by the arrest of one person, or the arrest of many persons may clear only one crime. “For instance, if you have a string of burglaries completed by the same person that is identified and arrested, all of the crimes that person [committed] can be cleared by that one arrest,” Mr. Hoster said.

In forcible rape cases, there were instances where the incident was reported, but not counted in official numbers, Mr. Hoster said.

“In 2014, the FBI changed the definition of reported for forcible rapes which also contributed to more rapes being reported on an annual basis that in the past,” he said. “Our Special Victims Unit reviews and follows up on all cases involving sexual offenses however, not all of those investigations result in a ‘clearance’ by the definition included above.”

Prior to 2014, Mr. Hoster says, in an incident where a victim has no physical evidence of the sexual assault, or actual memory of the assault, but they believed they were drugged and sexually assaulted, those reports were not officially counted.

A simple Google search can provide a wealth of information on how to stay safe and prevent crime, Mr. Hoster says.

Some examples include:

• Lock your car doors, lock the doors to your home, and close your garage.
• Don’t leave valuables in open-view in your car.
• Install an alarm system.
• Be careful using the internet.
• Don’t allow strangers into your home.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• If you see something out of place, tell authorities.

Lastly, Mr. Hoster recommends residents join the neighborhood watch program at scottsdaleaz.gov/citizen-service/neighborhood-watch.