Public polling shows 63% of Americans view the current crime situation as “extremely or very serious” – the highest such result in over twenty years – which is unsurprising given the recent surge in violent crime across the nation and particularly within America’s largest cities (like greater Phoenix).
In this report, the Common Sense Institute, in conjunction with the Arizona Chamber Foundation, examine the crime and criminal justice landscape in Arizona, and specifically what has changed over the last decade. Based on data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and methodology from Dr. Miller et al., we then a cost estimate for crime committed in 2022, the most recent year of UCR data available via the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer (CDE). This cost analysis is then extended to provide a glimpse into how the recent rise in crime – especially violent crime – has increased these costs. This context is critical since a purported justification for increased leniency towards criminals has been,
ironically, cost savings.
