By Steve Burns
Community Awareness Committee Chair
Desert Ridge Community Association
When it comes to crime, Desert Ridge continues to enjoy lower rates than many other areas of the Valley. Standard and off-duty police patrols, along with Neighborhood Block Watches and increased community awareness have helped to keep serious crimes and felonies out of our neighborhoods.
However, our community is not crime free. Misdemeanors such as theft, graffiti or other forms of vandalism and property crimes still happen periodically. Recently, our Community Association Manager, Terrance Smith and I met with Community Action Officer, Tim Mitten of the Phoenix Police Department. We were all surprised to find out that some incidents reported to the Community Association office had not been reported to the police.
It turns out that this isn’t as rare an occurrence as one might think. According to a recent survey, there are several reasons that people don’t report a crime to the police. Depending on the crime, some people only find it necessary to file a claim with their insurance company. Others will inform a community representative or report the incident to a school official. Some of the folks surveyed even felt that the crime wasn’t important enough to bother filing a police report.
There are a few serious problems with not reporting a crime to the police; most notably is the misallocation of resources. Both the standard and off-duty patrols need to know if there are areas that need extra attention. Another very important reason to file is that multiple misdemeanors perpetrated by an individual, or group of individuals, can become a felony when damages reach a certain level. With that latter reason, a victim not reporting even one of the misdemeanors can prevent the perpetrator(s) from being punished to the full extent of the law.
If a crime happens on your property, whether it’s as simple as mischievous vandalism, a broken window, or even a failed attempted break-in, make sure that you file a police report by calling the Phoenix Police Department Non-Emergency Number at 602-262-6151. If you prefer, you can file your report online by going to the City of Phoenix website, www.phoenix.gov and under “eServices” list on the left hand side of the page, click “File a Police Report” and follow the instructions. As always, if you see a crime in progress, dial 9-1-1.
If you see that graffiti or vandalism has occurred in any public area such as a park or on a common wall or street sign, etc., please report it to the Desert Ridge Community Association Office at 480-551-4553. They will then file a report and correct the issue.
Phoenix police officers do a fantastic job but they can’t be everywhere all the time. That is why it is so important to know and communicate with your neighbors and to keep looking for things that are out of place in your neighborhood. You can help make Desert Ridge a safer and better place to live by starting or participating in a neighborhood block watch program.
If you’re interested in learning how to start a neighborhood block watch program, please contact the Desert Ridge Community Association office at 480-551-4553 or contact Community Action Officer Tim Mitten from the Phoenix Police Department at 602-495-5238.
