GOVERNMENT
Yes, crime is up in Maricopa Crime exploded across the nation in the ‘70s and ‘80s, peaking in 1991 with an estimated 5,897 crimes reported per 100,000 people, according to the Disaster Center. Since then, crime steadily declined. By 2019, the national crime rate was 2,489 crimes per 100,000 people, a 57% decrease in less than 30 years. Arizona also saw crime rates erupt during those decades, peaking in 1995 with 8,213
Law and disorder Maricopa voters help oust ‘soft on crime’ county attorney
That year, the city saw reports of violent crime increase 42%. Property crime increased 37%, auto theft increased 14% and assaults on officers were up a whopping 288%. Most arrests in Maricopa were for shoplifting, drug violations, disorderly conduct and assault. Too many of these arrests ended in dropped charges or softball sentences like probation or community service, say dozens of residents who made their dissatisfaction known at the ballot box. Defendants were worthy of mercy. Was the prosecutor not? people as people, not just a crime, not just a piece of paper,” Volkmer said. “We need to instead look at them as human beings worthy of love and worthy of mercy, but who also still need to be held accountable.” He spent his early career as both a prosecutor and defense attorney at a Casa Grande law firm, which allowed him to see how both sides are affected by the justice system, but also Whether a defendant was in their right mind during the commission of a crime is a crucial detail in Volkmer’s eyes. “We need to look at these
— with clearly defined monsters, victims and saviors — does it also work for the justice system? “I will tell you, 25,000 people certainly believe that,” Volkmer said in an August interview at the Pinal County Attorney’s Office in Florence. Just a week after the primary election, the sting of conceding a two-term incumbent’s seat to a largely unknown attorney was still raw for Volkmer. Sitting in his office decorated with family photos, county insignia and other mementos, Volkmer reflected on his tenure and final months in the post. “When you have people that are very busy, who just don’t have time for the B.S. of politicians, I think a really short, simplified message resonates,” he said. “I think Mr. Miller did a very good job of having that.” He did. Miller’s campaign website communicates trusty conservative talking points with a smattering of buzzwords: George Soros defunding the police, “anti-American indoctrination” and “extreme leftist ideologies.” According to the language on his website, there is no time for nuance nor civic discourse when the county’s lifeway is endangered.
BY MONICA D. SPENCER
driver’s side of their white sedan and left Maria with 23 broken ribs, collapsed and punctured lungs, multiple fractures, broken bones and she was left struggling to breathe with a respirator. Four months later, she succumbed to those injuries. “My mother was killed by a repeat drunk driver who admitted to drinking and driving, and Kent Volkmer charged him with a misdemeanor,” Black said in a May video essay titled, “Is Pinal County Soft on Crime?” The echoes of Black’s frustration and rage staccato over soft piano music — how victim services advocates allegedly took 10 months to reach out to the family, how Marshall was ultimately “blamed” for the drunk driver hitting the car and how the country is seeing an “escalating crime rate, chaos and lawlessness.” For her, it culminated with an easily digestible message: Choose someone who will be tough on crime amid chaos and tragedy. Choose Brad Miller. It’s Miller time! Black has long been vocal in her goal to oust Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer in favor of the prosecutor from Florence, Miller. Both are Republicans. She spoke of her support for Miller in a campaign ad, flying in from Chicago to attend his fundraisers and using her “Justice for Maria Black and other victims of DUI fatalities” Facebook group as a platform for his election. And it worked. Miller handily won the July 30 primary by a 9-point margin, with more than 25,000 Pinal County Republicans choosing his tough-on-crime platform. “My mission was to oust this monster from office so that he could not harm any other victims,” Black said. “Pinal County is finally in safe hands with Brad Miller.” His messaging signals urgency and patriotism. The former Marine promises immediate action with an American flag billowing behind him. But how much was Pinal County at risk of becoming the unrecognizable, lawless landscape he describes? And while painting crime as a black-and-white issue works well for storytelling
reported crimes per 100,000 people. By 2019, reported crime dropped by two-thirds. The pandemic brought a slight uptick in crime overall but has steadily decreased around the state, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Last year, the state’s reported crimes dropped more than 15% from 2022.
But Pinal County experienced a negligible dip in 2022, not even 2%, and 7% last year. Most crimes in the county were assault, larceny and drug violations. And in Maricopa, crimes have steadily increased since 2019, spiking up more than 31% in 2023.
$ 25 OFF Jiffy Lube Signature Service ® Oil Change Service includes up to 5 quarts of Pennzoil Motor Oil and multi point inspection. Most vehicles. Shop fees apply. Not valid with any other offer or discount. Coupon required. Valid at all Phoenix Metro Valley locations. Exp. 10/31/2024 CODE: CG25PZL
Outgoing Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer poses for a portrait at his office in Florence.
42100 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Hwy. (520) 635-6257 JiffyLube.com No Appointment Necessary! Call for hours of operation.
I
driver on State Route 77 on their way home to Saddlebrooke. Her father, Marshall, sustained serious although non-life-threatening injuries. But her mother, Maria, was “catastrophically” injured. The impact from the crash caved in the front
T IS PROBABLY SAFE TO SAY May 17, 2023, was the worst day of Nandia Black’s life. On that Wednesday, just
hours after visiting them before returning to Chicago, Black’s parents were hit by a drunken
All Phoenix Metro Jiffy Lubes are locally owned by the Bové family. Jiffy Lube, the Jiffy Lube design mark and Jiffy Lube Signature Service ® are registered trademarks of Jiffy Lube International, Inc. ©2024 Jiffy Lube International, Inc.
InMaricopa.com | October 2024
October 2024 | InMaricopa.com
32
33
Powered by FlippingBook