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Welcome to Maryvale Precinct! We have a large, diverse community that is located in the southwest portion of the City of Phoenix.  Currently, there are over 265,000 people who reside in Maryvale in a geographic area of 54.4 square miles. Please take the time to read our vision statement as well as the resources available to you in our precinct. We want to make Maryvale a vibrant and safe community for all to enjoy.

Community Based Policing is a philosophy that requires all participants to become accountable and responsible for actions in their sphere of control.  

The philosophy behind the operational programs within Maryvale Precinct is simple, but effective, and will include accountability to the residents of Maryvale and require accountability by the residents of Maryvale.  We are all equally engaged in the process of revitalization and restoration for the geographical area known as Maryvale Precinct.   

There are three components of our philosophy:

·ENFORCEMENT
·EDUCATION
·TREATMENT

ENFORCEMENT:

We will concentrate on five categories of enforcement within Maryvale Precinct.  Each category will have an assigned liaison officer who will act as a bridge of information to specialty bureaus and our precinct.  These liaisons will be responsible for collecting all data regarding their specialty and provide monthly reports on the number of occurrences, police reports, arrests, field interrogations, and recovery of property or contraband, including dollar amounts of items recovered/seized.  The Resource Lieutenant will provide a monthly report on the activities of the Crime Suppression Unit including all crime suppression programs implemented in the precinct and the results of these programs, including all recap from each of the five assigned squads.  This report will also include all programs implemented in the Weed & Seed Site.     

The five categories of specialized enforcement will be:

Robbery
Auto Theft
Burglary
Prostitution/Drugs
Gangs

These categories of specialized enforcement have been documented as crime issues within the precinct that require immediate reduction.  All crime suppression programs will be directed towards these goals and will include daily proactive intervention.  Crime suppression managers will provide plans and directives to actively engage these habitual offenders and targeted offenses in a proactive manner. 

Crime Analysis:

JULY 2008 THROUGH APRIL 2009

The following statistical analysis is from the Crime Analysis Research Unit (CARU) and provides information regarding Maryvale Precinct for the last eight months (July 2008–April 2009) and comparing it to the same months last year.    The listed information is from their report: 

Violent Crime:

Homicide - Reduced - 15.2 %
Rape - Reduced - 29.7 %
Robbery - Reduced - 18.4 %    
Aggravated Assaults - Reduced - 11.9%
Total Violent Crimes - Reduced - 16.0 %
Violent Crime Rate - Reduced - 18.2 %

Property Crime:

Burglary - Reduced - 10.6%
Theft - Reduced - 11.0 %
Auto Theft - Reduced - 34.6%

Total Property Crimes  Reduced- 17.4 %

Property Crime Rate  Reduced- 19.6%

Calls for Service:

3.8% Reduction in Priority 1 calls
8.5 % Reduction in Priority 2 calls
0.9%Reduction in Priority 3 calls
5.6% Reduction of Total Dispatched Calls

Arrests:

11.4% increase in adult/juvenile bookings/detentions
72 % increase in Citations in lieu of Detention

Traffic Enforcement:

30% increase of Total Citation Charges
38,755 citation from July 2008 to April 2009

Miscellaneous Information:

Adult bookings were increased by 11.4%

38.5 % Reduction of Non-Injury Collisions
28.6 % Reduction of Total Collisions
45.5 % Reduction of Pursuits
24.3 % Reduction in Police Equipment Accidents

Crime Suppression Programs:

Maryvale Precinct has diligently implemented numerous proactive crime suppression programs that continue to produce positive results throughout the precinct and specifically to the Weed and Seed Site location.  These programs are designed to include enforcement, education, and treatment while targeting systemic root causes.  Philosophically, reducing or suppressing crime is inherently different than responding to or reacting to crime.  Proactive and reactive responses are two different mindsets that require different strategies, goals, and outcomes. 

Prostitution 

Statistics have proven that violent crime increases 40-60% when prostitution is allowed to exist within a community.  Maryvale Precinct has proactively addressed this issue since January 2008 by implementing numerous programs on a weekly basis targeting prostitutes and “Johns.”  One Neighborhood Enforcement Team Squad and one patrol squad has been tasked with this assignment.  Maryvale has also worked with vice on a number of operations to reduce prostitution.  As a result, more than 800 prostitutes, “Johns,” and pimps have been arrested since January 2008. 

Crime Free Multi-Housing/Hotel Motel

Maryvale Precinct is currently working proactively with 103 multi housing properties.  The issues being addressed are: management of properties, background checks, section eight, rights of management and tenants, security, zoning compliance, criminal violations, parking and a host of other topics.  Maryvale Precinct facilitates discussions with each property and their management, security, legal, and maintenance teams with our City Legal Department, Neighborhood Services, Abatement Detectives, and officers assigned to their property.  The result has been the reduction of calls for service from 40-75% since February 2008.   Presently, there are an additional 22 properties in various phases of CFMH certification.  This program has been remarkably successful in crime suppression.   

In regard to abatement, it is our protocol to immediately serve a notice of pre-abatement to all drop houses, homes where search warrants and knock and talks have been served, and all properties that continue to be a criminal nuisance in a neighborhood.  During December 2008, Maryvale Precinct served 19 properties with a pre-abatement letter.     

Curfew

Maryvale Precinct is committed to proactive curfew enforcement believing that removing unsupervised juveniles from the streets will result in less crime and victimization.  Since June 2008, Maryvale has detained approximately 1,600 juveniles for curfew and minor liquor violations.  The result is an alarming reduction in auto theft, criminal damage, assaults, aggravated assaults, and graffiti.  Enforcement includes City and County programs for diversion, drug/alcohol treatment/prevention. 

Drug Crime Enforcement

This proactive program utilizes the talent of our Drug Crime Liaison (7 years prior experience as an undercover detective with DEB) and our Abatement Detective to address drug crimes through “knock and talks”, follow up on narcotic complaints, and search warrants.  Since June 2008, this team has served or conducted over 210 search warrants and knock and talks, arrested over 400 known drug dealers, and seized over 70 vehicles.  

Proactive Robbery Enforcement

Working with an assigned robbery detective in Maryvale, Robbery Liaison Detectives work continuously to identify and locate suspects within the precinct committing these crimes.  These officers have identified and arrested several robbery stringer groups responsible for multiple robberies.  The success is directly related to the immediate attention (follow up within 24-48 hours of the incident) given to these robberies by the assigned detectives and liaison officers.  In the Weed and Seed site, robbery is down 17.5% and the precinct has experienced a large reduction in overall robberies since March 2008.  Maryvale has had a reduction in robberies by -18% since July 2008. 

Party Crew / Loud Party Enforcement

Officers from Maryvale are assigned to proactively investigate party crews and loud parties occurring within the precinct.  As a result, these calls for service have been reduced by over 60 percent.  The philosophy is to close these parties down before they become chaotic and uncontrollable.  In the past, Maryvale had numerous homicides and shootings occur at these parties; however, since the implementation of this program, Maryvale has not had one homicide from a party call since January 2008.  It is believed this program has directly impacted the reduction of homicides and shootings.  During the last ten months, the Weed and Seed site has experienced a 29% reduction in aggravated assaults and a 33.5% reduction in homicides.  In addition, Maryvale officers continue to serve loud party notices equally half of all notices served throughout Phoenix. 

Proactive Auto Theft/ Burglary / Metal Theft Programs

These programs are a concerted effort to regularly bring together appropriate resources, both internal and external, to identify, arrest and prosecute those criminals who are responsible for a high number of incidents of property crimes within Maryvale Precinct.  The major premise on which the pilot program was based upon is:

“A small number of criminals are committing a large number of the property crimes.  Identification, arrest and incarceration of those individuals will lead to a reduction in the burglary rate. “

Five strategies were identified and implemented in the creation of these programs which are:

Training
Improve the quality of the investigations
Prevention
Identification of suspects
Prosecution

The goals of the program are:

Target known burglary offenders
Conduct surveillance on known suspects
Create liaison with patrol, Street Crimes Unit, Property Crimes Bureau, Probation and Parole
Share information with burglary detectives in metropolitan area
Create a joint task force with adjoining police departments

Graffiti Enforcement

Two officers have been assigned to graffiti enforcement since May 2008.  As a result, over 60 arrests have been made and 16 search warrants authored as a result of graffiti enforcement.  The investigations revealed a strong tie to gangs and that these suspects were also suspects of homicide, aggravated assaults, home invasions, weapons violations, sexual misconduct, and auto thefts.  There has been a remarkable decrease in graffiti activity.  On September 18th, five concurrent search warrants will be served by numerous SAU teams, authored by our Graffiti Liaison Officers, on numerous suspects for 42 counts of gang threats.

Parking Enforcement

Maryvale Precinct officers have partnered with the parking detail in conducting parking enforcement on a weekly basis.  This program addresses the many blight issues that have plagued Maryvale.  The result has been compliance by the community in regard to parking, vehicles for sale, and parking on dirt yards.  Since January 2008, multiple thousands of tickets have been issues, fictitious plates removed, and hundreds of vehicles towed.  The community of Maryvale has embraced this program and has praised the officers for the positive results of this program. 

Park Enforcement

This proactive program partners Maryvale Precinct with the Parks Department and provides specific enforcement at both Sueno and Falcon Parks.  In the past, these parks were controlled by gang members who utilized the parks for drug transactions and gang activity; denying access by the general public.  Now, these parks are enjoyed by the surrounding residents and are being use as they were originally intended to be used.

Gang Unit

Maryvale Precinct has partnered with the VCB Gang Unit effective January 26, 2009.  Maryvale officers have been trained by the Gang Squad over the last several months and will implement a proactive program to identify and arrest known offenders involved in crimes.  Historically, Maryvale has been known as an area saturated with gang members and it is our responsibility to eliminate this threat from our community.     

Conclusion

Proactive enforcement deals with systemic foundations and the underlining social conditions that stimulate disruptive behavior.  Proactive policing requires an interactive collaboration of internal and external providers to effectively deal with substantive crime issues through a sustained unified process.  More importantly, time and resources must be allocated by precincts to effectively deal with these issues and precinct commanders must have the resources necessary to commit to these programs.  It is believed that the success of Maryvale Precinct is directly related to the increase of manpower, implementation of proactive crime suppression programs, and the sustained allocation of personnel to engage in proactive policing.      

Success is not a coincidence; it is a planned event!