The Tucson Police Department is employing new, evidence-based methods to combat the rising murder rate, both in crime and justice

Kevin Hall, deputy chief of TPD, said part of the process also included talking to nearby businesses as well as neighbors to gauge the impact of the hotel’s hotspot status on local residents who wanted a legitimate investment in solving the “chronic, systemic problem “. “”

Kevin Hall, assistant police chief, left, speaks about the department’s drug defense program as police chief Chris Magnus stands by during a press conference at headquarters at 270 S. Stone Ave on November 2, 2018.

Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star /

“I’ve been here for 29 years and started in this field,” said Hall. “In the early 90s it was just as bad as it is today.”

If the Knights Inn project is successful, TPD’s goal is to maintain and replicate its impact in other hotspot areas of the city.

Focus on youth

Rosenfeld’s second most effective strategy, targeted deterrence, is also underway in Tucson, especially when it comes to young offenders.

In recent years, Tucson has seen an increase in violent crimes by juvenile offenders who are not affiliated with traditional gangs that base their allegiance on territories.

Tucson’s “hybrid gangs” show no allegiance to any particular group but still commit violence, either alone or with other teenagers.

In early March, 32-year-old Travon Lewis Lavender was shot dead in a confrontation between two groups of teenagers, most recently in an ongoing argument between the boys.

Lavender’s friend – the mother of one of the teenagers involved – was also attacked during the March 8 incident on the east side, which came as a result of a battle earlier in the day. Just before 8:30 p.m., one of the groups arrived at the apartment complex to face the other group and found the mother of one of the boys. They began attacking the mother and her friend Lavender, who was shot dead during the confrontation. The case is ongoing, but no arrests have been made.

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