By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
TUCSON, Ariz. — In only a year and a half, gun crime in some Tucson neighborhoods has dropped by at least 75% following a new program started by the police department, KOLD reports.
In some neighborhoods, gun crime dropped 80% after the program was put in place.
The program, called Place Network Investigations or PNI, was put into motion in January 2022. The idea for the program was developed by two crime statisticians from Cincinnati and it has been tested by six cities, including Tucson.
The other five cities include Houston, Denver, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Wichita.
Because 10% of the population of Tucson commits 60% of the crime, micro-targeting is essential, KOLD reports. The city also incorporated the community, such as city staff, businesses and residents, to help drop gun crime.
In Tucson, it’s known that certain apartment complexes are hot spots for crime. By targeting those complexes and breaking up the groups that operate there, the police department can sustain success in keeping crime on a downward trend over time.
“These are vulnerable populations,” Tucson Police Department’s Assistant Chief Kevin Hall told AZPM. “These are needy populations who can’t afford to move. They are exploited by the property owner because the rent is low because they don’t take care of the properties. They can’t complain they can’t move. They’re stuck. They’re exploited and crime, particularly violent gun crime, is drawn to those types of areas.”