Your Crime Concerns (Phoenix, Scottsdale: insurance, schools, live in)

[sheena]

Originally Posted by AZ_singlemother

Thanks for asking Personally, I grew up in a very high crime neighborhood..rather than going down the wrong path, I have seen it all, I spent my life escaping any areas with moderate to high crime - rather than finding a solution. My first job was at Safeway in the bad neighborhood, where gang members - I knew would come in and shop lift. The deli across the street had a brutal shooting - my brother witnessed a guy shot his girlfriend in the head - it was a gory scene but that same deli reopened two hours afterwards - business as usual.

My response is long because it hits me hard, having grown up in it, my old friends from elementary school being shot, becoming prostitutes, and just going downhill.

Years pass, I have kids and scared to death to raise them in the same environment, scrambled around to find safer communities - even if I could not afford to live in the nicer suburbs. I moved to Scottsdale AZ.

Phoenix and especially Mesa reminds me slightly of my old neighborhood - what I hear in the news and what I notice driving in some areas with nothing but pawn shops, liquor stores, xxx stores, etc.

My old neighborhood, nothing but taverns on every most blocks, xxx stores, graffiti, negative.

How are the children suppose to respect the area when the area does not respect itself? What is Phoenix going to do to clean up the area and promote more positive activities for youth?

The richer areas grow and flourish, but certain areas - neighborhoods remain down the negative path of destruction and ruins. Being and officer will provide temporary security but the areas need a more permanent solution.

I have full respect for good cops, set an example, and get involved in the community.

Scottsdale has a bunch of strip clubs and Castle Boutiques(perverts) all the way up from Scottsdale Rd, S Scottsdale to Old Town not to mention some sleazy non-stripper bars.

[aj661]

Originally Posted by nevercoldcall

The biggest problem, I think, is property crime, especially burglaries. Of course this all depends on your neighborhood. Phoenix is a HUGE spread-out megalopolis and going 10 miles can be like going to another state, it's so different.

The Phoenix PD does an excellent job of patrolling neighborhoods and keeping the bad guys out. After 9/11 when my business went to crap I was living in Sunnyslope off 7th St and Peoria Ave which is considered by many to be a "bad" area but I saw police cars patrolling several times a day and my neighborhood hadn't had a reported break-in since the 1980s. Then I moved to Scottsdale and was stunned at the insane number of burglaries that were happening. I also noticed that in two years in that house I only saw a police car patrolling *ONCE* so that would probably explain the burglary problem. Later on I lived in Arcadia off Camelback and 44th St and walked a lot in the area and sure enough the Phoenix PD were always in the neighborhood patrolling.

Overall I was very impressed with the job the Phoenix PD did and would have applied to become a reserve officer if I didn't already have plans to move out of state.

That's what I've been saying for months. Thanks. Way, way back in the twentieth century I worked for Tempe. It was always a rush when you caught one of those dirtbags in the act. Myself and one of my training officers had the same philosophy: The best gauge for how good a job you're doing is to check the crime stats in a beat when you're first assigned there. If it goes down and stays down after you arrive, you're doing your job. We spent as much time as possible on shift three, cruising residential neighborhoods, lighting up houses, and driving up and down alleys. We only went on major streets to get our "quota" of one hazardous, two non-hazardous violations and 2.5 field interviews per shift-(just had to love the old chief, "king arthur" fairbanks and his priorities: talk about a waste of oxygen!). Even when we didn't see the bad guys, they knew we were there and moved on.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by sheena

Scottsdale has a bunch of strip clubs and Castle Boutiques(perverts) all the way up from Scottsdale Rd, S Scottsdale to Old Town not to mention some sleazy non-stripper bars.

What??? Perverts, yes, some are. I must be one, too. Is that supposed to be a bad thing? hahaha

[sheena]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

What??? Perverts, yes, some are. I must be one, too. Is that supposed to be a bad thing? hahaha

I don't know? do you go to the Castle Boutique?

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by sheena

I don't know? do you go to the Castle Boutique?

Actually is there even one ON Scottsdale rd? I know of ones in other areas. I just wanted to point out that not everyone who goes there is a pervert. If you've ever been to one you'd know that most people who shop there are not perverts.

[sheena]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

Actually is there even one ON Scottsdale rd? I know of ones in other areas. I just wanted to point out that not everyone who goes there is a pervert. If you've ever been to one you'd know that most people who shop there are not perverts.

Nope I've never been there but I know I don't want to live near one

Yeah there's a Castle Boutique or some scummy adult shop on Scottsdale Rd the west side of the street not far from Old Town. The point was Scottsdale has strip bars, adult shops and pawn shops too.

[nadine espinoza]

whats wrong with the caste boutique??

Originally Posted by sheena

I don't know? do you go to the Castle Boutique?

[azriverfan.]

I live in suburbia as well and I don't witness much crime. I think the police in Phoenix are amazing and far better than places like LA, Dallas and OKC to name a few cities.

The only thing I would ask for are more traffic police on the streets, not the freeways. There are so many dangerous NASCAR driver wannabes that bully people on the streets and tail them or drive dangerously fast. I see drivers like this all the time and if a police officer was around, that person would be pulled over.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by sheena

Scottsdale has a bunch of strip clubs and Castle Boutiques(perverts) all the way up from Scottsdale Rd, S Scottsdale to Old Town not to mention some sleazy non-stripper bars.

This is the 5th largest city in the United States, it's going to have strip clubs and adult stores. Did you really expect that we wouldn't have these things? I'm not suggesting you are wrong for thinking they are wrong but the reality of living in a large city is that they exist. If that does bother you then maybe you should consider living in a more conservative city or area of the country such as Salt Lake City. Furthermore, Scottsdale has done things to curtail the activity at those clubs such as limiting alcohol use, limiting fully nude displays and limiting exposure past a certain time, all of which hurt those businesses. Furthermore, the adult star Jenna Jameson moved her studio (and herself) to California because of Scottsdale's stance on the adult industry here. I don't particularly care for strip clubs and such although I've been to several bachelor parties in my day.

Nonetheless, I am upset that Scottsdale initiated these movements and I was bothered by the idea that they can enforce their religious or conservative beliefs on the public. That's just my 2 cents though. I have a family with children and I certainly wouldn't want to live next door to one of these establishments however they are located in the nighlife area of Scottsdale so I don't see what the fuss is all about. Even the Castle Boutiques are tastefully done on the outside and don't large neon shapes of women etc. There is a significant difference between a strip club and an adult store. I remember people made such a big deal of the Fascinations store near Elliot and Kyrene before it went up. Now that it is up and running, no one has made a peep because it hasn't cause any of the trouble that people were paranoid about.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Nonetheless, I am upset that Scottsdale initiated these movements and I I remember people made such a big deal of the Fascinations store near Elliot and Kyrene before it went up. Now that it is up and running, no one has made a peep because it hasn't cause any of the trouble that people were paranoid about.

They told flat out LIES trying to say that the Fascinations store would violate the distance regulations from schools, churches, etc. I haven't been there, but it certainly doesn't bother me that it is there.

There was a similar hue and cry with the Hustler store on Broadway and McClintock a few years ago. It was built, also looked tasteful on the outside, and is now vacant, I noticed the other day.