Arizona opinion: Tucson should increase the police budget to reduce crime

Crime has tragically risen sharply in cities all across the country since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — Tucson is no exception. Just last week, a double homicide took place near Ajo Way. Earlier this week, there was a shooting near Fort Lowell. These senseless acts of violence in Tucson are unfortunately all too common these days.

A new report published by Our America notes that Tucson shattered its record number of homicides in 2021. While homicides thankfully decreased in 2022, they were still up 12 from the city’s five-year average. In addition, nonfatal gun-related crime rose 19% from 2021 to 2022.

Even though murders have declined from a record high, that is not an excuse for public officials to become complacent, as they still remain higher than normal. There is still much work to be done.

But homicides and gun violence aren’t the only crimes that have risen in Tucson in recent years. Domestic violence deaths, drug misuse and homelessness have also all increased since 2021.

The immediate effects of crime are obvious and clearly deteriorate quality of life. But its downstream effects also have a massive negative impact in communities as well.

Cities in America are seeing businesses close their doors due to organized shoplifting and safety concerns. Major retailers like CVS Pharmacy, Target and Walmart have closed down dozens of locations in recent years due to crime. Business owners understandably have to cut their losses and shutter if they are no longer turning a profit due to theft, or they can’t guarantee the safety of their customers.

Business closures can have significant effects on a community. Most obviously, large retailers like WalMart create hundreds of jobs. But these stores are also where people purchase food, water, medicine, and other necessities. Oftentimes, stores that shut down are the only convenient option for community members to go to. When these companies pick up their stakes and leave, it has a profound impact on the people who rely on them for their everyday needs.

While thankfully, this hasn’t become the case in Tucson yet, city and state officials should not wait for it to come to their backyard before addressing the problem.

We will leave it up to others to determine exactly why crime rates have soared, but there is plenty of research about ways to rein it in. Research shows that adding 10-17 police officers to a police department is enough to prevent one murder and also reduce other violent crime. Seeing that the Tucson Police Department is suffering from serious understaffing issues, this is a solution that could be easily adopted. And while the police department is feverishly attempting to hire more officers, the city council and state legislature could give the department an assist by significantly increasing their budget for the purpose of hiring more officers.

Higher wages for police officers serve a twofold purpose. Increasing salaries is an easy way to attract more applicants, and higher pay for officers has also been proven to improve police performance.

The evidence is clear: Tucson city officials and Arizona state officials should move to allocate more money for police budgets to hire more officers, and to also increase officer salaries to continue to bring down crime.

At the end of the day, all most people want is a chance to pursue the American Dream with their family and friends. The great thing about America is that it offers equal opportunity and freedom for all. But the opportunity to climb the ladder diminishes when you are emotionally set back by a loved one tragically passing away due to homicide. Similarly, it is difficult to get ahead when you are financially set back by theft. You aren’t truly free if you’re scared for your safety while you walk to work.

But by increasing police budgets, Tucsonans can have safer streets and brighter futures.