Stunning Reductions in Gun Violence in PNI Study Areas
A strategy TPD implemented in three chronically violent neighborhoods reduced gun violence between 75% and 80% in each!
Tucson is one of six jurisdictions nationally to implement PNI, or Place Network Investigations, as part of a National Policing Institute Study. PNI targets street gun violence by disrupting the infrastructure that supports it.
TPD selected three hotspots for this approach, each encompassing roughly 500 meters in any direction from the center points listed below.
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Center Point
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TPD Division
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Percent Reduction in Gun Violence
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6200 S. Campbell Ave.
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Operations Division South
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80%
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Grant & Alvernon
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Operations Division Midtown
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75%
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22nd & Prudence
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Operations Division East
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77%
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PNI takes a holistic approach, looking at property management practices and available community resources as well as targeting criminal networks. A multi-department, multi-agency PNI Board was created that includes business, school, nonprofit, and community members to address underlying conditions conducive to crime. Many projects were undertaken, ranging from improving Parks facilities to using Code Enforcement to address health and safety violations at several apartment complexes.
TPD's enforcement efforts gathered intelligence on criminal networks operating in these areas, often linked to narcotics. One PNI investigation into a supply house seized approximately 8 pounds of meth, 53,000 fentanyl pills, over 1,000 counterfeit Xanax pills, a half pound of heroin, $65,000 in cash, and 15 firearms, including 3 shotguns and an AK-47.
Property management also plays a huge role in contributing to community safety—or its opposite. During the study, analysis revealed that multiple properties owned by the same person—which comprise just 0.58% of the City of Tucson by landmass—were the location of 7.8% of shootings and 4.5% of gun-related calls for service citywide. Several City departments are engaged with this owner in an effort to have him improve conditions at his properties.
The tremendous amount of effort that has gone into implementing PNI has yielded great results, including increased collaboration that's having a real, positive impact on quality of life in these areas.
POPP Presence Yields Firearm Arrest
A related gun violence reduction strategy is POPP, or Problem-Oriented Precision Policing, which includes having increased officer presence in the area.
On August 29th, Officer Miller was in Operations Division East's POPP location when she observed the occupant of a passing vehicle discharge a handgun into the air. Officers from ODE and the Air Support Unit worked to locate the vehicle and contact the occupants. The vehicle was located and it briefly stopped for officers before fleeing westbound on Golf Links toward Aviation. A short time later, the vehicle crashed into a light pole and the passenger fled from the vehicle. Officers from Operations Division Midtown and the K9 Unit located the passenger, who was charged with discharging a firearm.
Steering Wheel Locks Are Effective Deterrents
The April ODE newsletter discussed the ongoing problem of stolen cars in Operations Division East. Kias and Hyundais specifically are targeted due to a manufacturing issue that was shared widely on social media.
As you might expect, the problem is nationwide and Tucson hasn’t been spared. Since July, ODE has experienced 16 stolen Kias and Hyundais and 13 attempts to steal Kias and Hyundais. Nearly all have been recovered, but they have sustained thousands of dollars in damage from the theft. ODE has made 8 arrests in these cases and more are expected.
What can you do to protect your vehicles (not just Kias and Hyundais)? Use a steering wheel lock. Even if you’ve had anti-theft software installed, thieves can still cause expensive damage to your vehicle while trying to steal it. A steering wheel lock can deter the attempt because a would-be car thief can see the device locked onto the steering wheel.
 ODE Statistics
Activity
|
Type
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2023 Division Year to Date
|
2023 Department Year to Date
|
|
Calls for Service
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28,693
|
125,039
|
|
Officer-initiated Activity
|
15,243
|
64,238
|
|
Gun-related Crime
|
239
|
1,269
|
|
Homicide
|
3
|
43
|
|
Traffic Citations
|
2,123
|
26,968
|
|
