Could the drop in violent crime be linked to illegals leaving?

The latest FBI crime reports show an overall decrease in violent crime around the Phoenix area in 2007 and some observers believe it's the result of illegal aliens leaving Arizona for other states, such as Texas.

Based on data from 18 jurisdictions in metro Phoenix, violent crimes and property crimes both decreased 0.3 percent.

The city of Phoenix saw the same decrease in total crimes as the overall area, with a 0.3 percent decrease in total violent crimes and a 0.3 percent decrease in total property crimes.

Texas had over 1,000 more violent crimes, while violent crimes in Arizona dropped by over 750. Some attribute the drop to Arizona's Employer Sanction's Law. The bill's author, State Rep. Russell Pearce, said the numbers don't surprise him.

"It's a direct correlation," said Pearce. "As our numbers decrease in the area of illegal aliens, you will see the violent crime rate decrease."

The only community in the state that showed an increase in violent crime was Mesa. Rep. Pearce thinks that is due to the reluctance of Police Chief Gascon to enforce immigration laws.

"We have a police chief who has ignored his responsibilities to do his job," said Pierce.

The FBI says Paradise Valley had the greatest decrease in total violent crimes of any metro Phoenix jurisdiction - down 50 percent from 2006 to 2007. The jurisdiction did see a 3.2 percent increase in total property crimes.

About half of the Phoenix-area jurisdictions included in the data saw an increase in reported crime from 2006 to 2007.

UPDATE on the MCSO crime sweep in Cave Creek

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Illegal Immigration Interdiction Unit (Triple I), is continuing its crime suppression operation today in the Town of Cave Creek in and around the Good Shepherd of the Hills Church. This, after yesterday’s operation stats totaled 19 people arrested and taken into custody, 18 of whom were determined to be illegal aliens. One of those arrested yesterday was a male prostitute wanted on a felony warrant for identity theft.

This is the second day of this operation which comes as a result of a plea from citizens in Cave Creek, voicing their complaints and concerns about day laborer and illegal alien activity in the town.

Recently a federal court shot down an ordinance which would have loitering or soliciting work from a roadway illegal.

Arpaio says, “These people are foolish if they think the Sheriff’s Office is going to be dissuaded from enforcing the law just because the city does not have this ordinance in place.”

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Earlier story:

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Joe Arpaio’s Illegal Immigration Interdiction Unit (Triple I), Tuesday responded to complaints from Cave Creek citizens regarding day laborer problems at the Good Shepherd of the Hills Church.

The Triple I team arrested 18 illegal aliens under state and federal immigration laws in Tuesday’s operation. While the day laborer problems in Cave Creek have continually been enforced by deputies, this time citizen complaints came in reference day laborer and illegal alien activity near the Carefree Highway.

In recent weeks, there has been a significant increase in the number of arrests made for human smuggling/load vehicles in the area of Interstate 17 and Carefree Highway. In response to that activity, the Sheriff’s Illegal Immigration Interdiction Unit did a saturation patrol in the Cave Creek area beginning early Tuesday morning.

In a matter of five hours, deputies conducted 81 interviews, in the process of making 59 traffic violation stops. During those traffic stops, 19 people were arrested and taken into custody, including the 18 illegal aliens.

“Every crime suppression operation shows us the immigration problem in Maricopa County is pervasive and our next stop is Mesa,” says Sheriff Arpaio.

The Sheriff’s Office has conducted several crime suppression operations this year resulting in a total of 193 arrests; and 77 warrants were cleared.

Of the 193 people arrested, 107 were determined to be illegal aliens.