Official Web Site of the City of Phoenix

SUMMARY  

This summary is based upon information obtained through case investigations and bias incidents received by the Phoenix Police Bias detail.

The Bias detail investigated 84 bias related incidents for 2006; this was 24 cases more than in 2005.

Bias crimes were reported in all six police precincts during 2006. Precinct percentages are:

Bias crimes occurring in the Cactus Park precinct fell by 5%, while Desert Horizon cases increased by just over 9%, and Squaw Peak cases declined by just over 8%. All other precinct percentages remain similar to those in 2005.

Criminal damage continues to be the single major individual criminal offense at 28.5%. However, assaults and aggravated assaults combined accounted for 42.8% of the reported crimes. Physical bias related assaults had an alarming increase of 101% over 2005.

The bias clearance rate improved by 4% over last year’s figures, the entire 4% of that improvement was a direct result of increased arrest by the first responders. This indicates first responders are taking action when required; and that the Department training is effective. Detail detective clearance remains unchanged.

For the first time since the Bias details existence Anti-Gay moved to the top spot for reported bias crime victim group with 23.8%. Anti-Black slid to the second position with 20.2%, Anti-Hispanic was 16.6%, with 5.9% of that being specifically Anti-Mexican Immigrant. Anti-Jewish was in the fourth spot at 13%. Anti-Islamic rounded out the top five group listings at 3.5%. This is the first time since 9/11 Anti-Islamic as a single bias motivation has been as high as the top five victim groups. Anti-Islamic, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Arabic Muslim combined for a 7.1% total.

The accompanying attachment provides a statistical comparison and victim, crime, type breakdown.

The information contained on this page is supplied by the Bias Crimes Detail and reflects data obtained through the reporting of bias incidents throughout Phoenix.

The Phoenix Police Departments Bias/School Violence Detail investigated a total of 1,153 cases for year 2006. Investigation revealed 84 cases to be of a bias nature and of those 60 cases met the Federal Hate Crimes Statistics Act definition for Uniform Crime Reporting. These statistics were forwarded to our State agency, the Arizona Department of Public Safety per Federal Requirements. The bias detail has responsibility for all school violence cases, 1,069 of the 1,153 total cases were school violence related.

Anti-bias Record for 2006:    (Looking at the overall anti-bias numbers for Phoenix only)

Victim and crime types represent only bias/hate crimes occurring in Phoenix and investigated by the Phoenix Police Department’s Bias detail in 2006. National studies indicate for every 1 bias/hate crime reported 8-10 additional bias/hate crimes are not reported to the police.