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Frequently
Asked Questions of the Crime Analysis Unit
This section addresses the most frequently asked questions of crime
analysis. It is also here to help you find the areas of our web page that are most
relevant to you. If you have a question that is not covered here, contact the
Crime Analysis Unit.
Table of Contents
I'm
looking to move my family/business into Tempe, what is the crime/activity in a certain
area?
What is the crime/activity at a certain
apartment community?
What is the crime/activity at a certain mobile home
community?
What is the crime/activity at
a certain school?
What is Crime Analysis?
How do citizens in Tempe feel about crime
related issues?
 I'm
looking to move my family/business into Tempe, what is the crime/activity in the area?
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Whether you are moving into Tempe, work
or live in Tempe, there are several ways you can look up the activity in a
certain area. You can look up a specific
address to find the
Beat and
RD
that encompass this address and then perform a search of the
calls for service and
crime in this area. Remember that calls for service and crime information do not
indicate everything about a neighborhood. For example,
a neighborhood may have low levels of calls for service and crime 1) because nothing is occurring, or 2) because no one calls the police as
they are too scared or they are the ones committing crimes. Thus, in addition to looking at
calls for service and crime statistics, one should do the following when moving into a
home or a business:
- Visit the area at different time of the day and days of the week.
- Drive and WALK around the area. If you are not comfortable walking in the area, it is
probably not a good idea to move there.
- Talk to residents of the area. They may have information about the goings on that you
will not see by just walking through.
- Check the condition of the area for signs of deterioration; graffiti, maintenance of
yards, fences, parking lots, behavior of the residents, etc.
- Most importantly, adhere to you own subjective judgments
of the area.
What is the crime/activity in a certain apartment community?
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There are various reports that will assist you in determining the number of calls for
service or Part I crime as well as a calls for service or Part I crime rate per unit
for each apartment community over 20 units in Tempe. With these latter reports, you can
determine where a certain apartment community ranks according to other communities in the
city. Note that just because a community has a high ranking does not mean it is the
"worst" in the city. The following are the reports that are available:
Monthly Ranking of Apartment Communities by Calls for Service per
Unit
The following are additional tips when researching an apartment community:
- Be sure to obtain a copy of the current crime statistics from the web page.
- Inspect the property both day and night to observe activity level. Activity level varies
per days of the week and time.
- Check the property for curb appeal. Does the management company care about the property?
Do they trim the bushes, maintain the lighting, physical appearance gives you the
impression someone cares and shows ownership.
- Interview other residents that reside at the property. Ask them do they feel safe? How
does the management handle tenant problems?
- The management company will be interviewing you as a prospective tenant. Interview the
management company to make they meet your expectations.
- Ask the management company if they participate in the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program.
- Ask the management company if they provide courtesy
patrol.
What is the crime/activity in a certain mobile home community?
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There is a
monthly calls for service report for mobile home
communities that ranks them according to calls per unit. In the annual Report on Policing in
Tempe, there is a section that ranks the communities by both the calls for service and
Part I crime for the most recent full year.
What is the crime/activity at a
certain school?
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There is a
monthly calls for service at schools bulletin that
lists the total number of citizen generated calls for service for each elementary, middle,
and high school. The calls are assigned by address and sometimes a school may share an
address with a park. In these cases, the calls may be an overrepresentation of the calls
at the school; however, this information may be relevant in that it is activity occurring
directly adjacent to the school. The Report on Policing in
Tempe lists the top five calls for service and crime at high schools and the total number of
calls for service and crime at middle and elementary schools.
What is Crime Analysis?
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A set of systematic, analytical
processes directed at providing timely and pertinent information relative to
crime patterns and trend correlations to assist the operational and
administrative personnel in planning the deployment of resources for the
prevention and suppression of criminal activities, aiding the investigative
process, and increasing apprehensions and the clearance of cases. Within this
context, Crime Analysis supports a number of department functions including
patrol deployment, special operations, and tactical units, investigations,
planning and research, crime prevention, and administrative services (budgeting
and program planning). --Steven Gottlieb et al., 1994, "Crime Analysis:
From First Report To Final Arrest."
How do citizens of Tempe feel about crime related issues?
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The Crime Analysis Unit administers and publishes the results of our
annual
Citizen
Survey.
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