Contrary to media narrative, crime is not out of control in Arizona

Blog for Arizona
Posted by AzBlueMeanie
May 7, 2010

The trouble with the media is that they constantly repeat GOP talking points that they have not fact-checked and thereby add to the echo chamber of ignorance. Case in point, that the Arizona Legislature acted out of frustration to enact SB 1070 because "crime is out of control" in Arizona.

This one is easily fact-checked, but the media does not bother. Media Matters reports Phoenix police chief disputes right's claim that AZ law is needed because of violent crime:

Contrary to media narrative, crime rates in Arizona have not been on the rise

Crime rates in Arizona at lowest point in decades. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics(BJS), the violent crime rate in Arizona was lower in 2006, 2007, and 2008 -- the most recent year from which data are available -- than any year since 1983. The property crime rate in Arizona was lower in 2006, 2007, and 2008 than any year since 1968. In addition, in Arizona, the violent crime rate dropped from 577.9 per 100,000 population in 1998 to 447 per 100,000 population in 2008; the property crime rate dropped from 5,997 to 4,291 during the same period. During the same decade, Arizona's undocumented immigrant population grew rapidly. The Arizona Republic reported: "While the nation's illegal-immigrant population doubled from 1994 to 2004, according to federal records, the violent-crime rate declined 35 percent."

Arizona Republic: Crime rates in Arizona border towns "have remained essentially flat for the past decade." In a May 2 article, The Arizona Republic reported, "FBI Uniform Crime Reports and statistics provided by police agencies, in fact, show that the crime rates in Nogales, Douglas, Yuma and other Arizona border towns have remained essentially flat for the past decade, even as drug-related violence has spiraled out of control on the other side of the international line. Statewide, rates of violent crime also are down." The article also reported that Sheriff Dupnik "said there always has been crime associated with smuggling in southern Arizona, but today's rhetoric does not seem to jibe with reality. 'This is a media-created event,' Dupnik said. 'I hear politicians on TV saying the border has gotten worse. Well, the fact of the matter is that the border has never been more secure.'"

The local Tucson media engaged in the same wild distortions last year over Prop. 200 on the city election ballot, claiming that "crime is out of control" in Tucson despite the fact that the Tucson Police Department crime statistics showed violent crimes were down substantially in Tucson in recent years.

Why does the media so readily lie about crime statistics? Have you ever watched a local television news broadcast? Their business model is "if it bleeds it leads." Crime stories are the foundation of their newscast. So it is important to the media to gin up fear of crime to get you to tune in and watch. They are merchants of fear. It just so happens this fits nicely with the Republican Party's model of fear mongering politics.

We are all worse off for the deception and lies posing as "news" in the media.