PHOENIX — Three years after launching its Community Safety Plans (CSPs), the City of Phoenix is reporting substantial declines in crime and improved perceptions of safety in targeted neighborhoods.
Approved in 2022 by the mayor and city council, the CSPs focus on areas along the I-17 corridor, including parts of 19th and 27th avenues and Hatcher Road in West Sunnyslope. The effort combines coordinated work across city departments, technology-driven policing, and community-based resources.
An Arizona State University review found that each CSP area recorded measurable crime reductions — from shoplifting and trespassing to aggravated assaults and drug-related offenses. Residents also reported seeing less graffiti and neighborhood blight, with surveys showing a marked rise in the number of people who feel “safe” or “very safe.”
Highlights from the CSP zones include:
27th Avenue corridor: Violent crime down 40%, trespassing down 30%, and a motel linked to drug and prostitution activity permanently closed.
Bell Road area: Shoplifting down 80% and a more than 40% jump in residents who report feeling safe.
Hatcher Road: Drug-related crimes reduced by 68% and more than 250 people experiencing homelessness connected to shelter or services.
Metro area: Shoplifting down nearly 70%, burglaries cut by over half.
19th Avenue corridor: Overall crime down 17% and graffiti concerns notably lower.
Two Real Time Operations Centers — equipped with surveillance cameras, license plate readers, and gunshot detection technology — have also been credited with supporting thousands of arrests, investigations, and recoveries of stolen property.
City officials say the ASU study’s findings will be presented to the council in September, along with recommendations for next steps. Leaders plan to continue building on the program’s results, aiming to further cut crime and strengthen community trust.
