In Line With National Trend, Murder And Crime Rates Drop In Phoenix

Phoenix is following national trends with the decline of murder and overall crime rates.

In 2018 compared to 2017, the city had 17.8 percent fewer murders, and 6.4 percent less crime, according to an NYU School of Law report.

“Improving economic conditions were a lot of the reason, and more police officers are on the street,” said Ames Grawert, senior counsel at the university’s Brennan Center for Justice and co-author of the report.


The nation’s 30 biggest cities had the lowest crime rates in 30 years, according to the report.

Grawert said the Phoenix Police Department shares more data more readily.

“There are a lot of cities where you have to file an open records request, and you hope they get back to you, and that doesn’t always happen,” Grawert said.

Data was also gathered from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report and Grawert wants it to produce evidence-based solutions to stopping crime.

A Phoenix Police spokesman declined to comment due to the not having finalized its own 2018 data and being unable to check the accuracy of the report.