A misuse of fear

Editorial

Phoenix mayoral candidates Phil Gordon and Randy Pullen claim the city is plagued by high crime rates and that if elected, they will fight a war against crime.

"Almost everyone I know has been a victim of a burglary, had their car or home violated and damaged, or has had to paint over graffiti on their fence, or even the walls of their home," wrote Gordon in his response to an Arizona Republic questionnaire. "I ask my listeners to buy a bench for their front porch in order to fight crime and take back our neighborhoods."

Pullen states that that Phoenix leads the nation in auto thefts and burglaries. "There is no greater priority to me than winning the fight on crime," he wrote in his response to an Arizona Republic questionnaire.

Based upon their assessment of Phoenix's high crime rates, one might or could conclude that the city is not safe, that it's risky to walk around our neighborhoods at night, and that we place ourselves in danger when we go to and from our cars when we visit communitywide events in downtown or central Phoenix.

Crime statistics from the City of Phoenix Police Department conflict with Gordon's and Pullen's claims. Yes, auto thefts rates increased by 24 percent between 2000 and 2002, but:

Murder rates decreased 13 percent from 2001 to 2002.
Incidents of rape increased less than 1 percent from 2001 to 2002.
Burglary rates have remained virtually unchanged during the past four years and have decreased 18 percent compared to 1998.
Vandalism has remained the same for the past three years and has decreased by 4.5 percent compared to 1998.

In addition, total crimes per 1,000 people have remained constant during the past four years, and comparing 1998 to 2002, have decreased by 10 percent.

Pullen and Gordon seem to be using one of oldest political ploys: using fear to get elected.

Their pledges to wage war against crime play on fears that our city is a violent and dangerous place to live. They are reinforcing the belief that we cannot trust our neighbors, that when we leave our homes we must always look over our shoulders, and that when we return, we may find our home vandalized or burglarized.

We expect more from our city's leaders. Rather than using fear to get elected, they could, and should, campaign constructively, offering a positive and hopeful vision that unites our diverse citizens and varied neighborhoods.

Fear only drives us apart, depriving us of valuable opportunities to explore our city, broaden our horizons and enjoy the unique attractions of living in the Valley of the Sun.

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