TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – A group of Tucson business owners tells News 4 Tucson Investigates they’re facing more crime and vandalism than ever before.
Grant Krueger, who owns Union Public House, Reforma and Proof, said: “In years past, we left St. Philips Plaza unlocked, but if we did that now… “There will be graffiti, people camping in bathrooms, and open drug use.” .
Kruger showed us the fence that was upgraded to protect the property, costing thousands of dollars.
Krueger blames the Tucson City Council for creating the problem with lax policies on homelessness and open drug use, and says businesses are being forced to pay a so-called crime tax.
“And this is the fault of every business owner in Tucson and Pima County because our leaders did not do their job,” Krueger said.
Ward 2 City Councilman Paul Cunningham told the News 4 Tucson Investigators he believes the situation is improving.
“So we’ll just see what happens this year. I think our response is the best we can do, but we’re always looking for improvements,” Cunningham said.
News 4 Tucson investigators spoke with Deonna Wilkinson, who works at Speedway Antique Mall, who said after the repeated thefts, the owners have had to spend thousands of dollars to secure the building and put many of the items in storage.
The fence at the rear of the building has been cut open.
“We had to replace this window as well, because the criminal tried to break in through the window. Criminals often write graffiti on buildings,” she said.
I even saw it tagged with a no trespassing sign. Wilkinson said crime has skyrocketed since the City Council approved free bus fares in 2020.
“It’s impacted business because people are uncomfortable coming in at times, they’re sitting outside on the sidewalk, they’re afraid to go into the business,” she said.
Shane Parker owns Parker Automotive in Midtown and has operated it for 30 years, telling News 4 Tucson investigators he’s never seen so much crime.
“There were probably hundreds of police calls for car break-ins and store break-ins,” Parker said.
He showed us the visible damage to the windows from people who had tried to break in by throwing rocks.
Tucson Police Lt. Jason Hochstetler said property crimes have been on the decline over the past year. He attributes this to increased patrols.
He said TPD is increasing its bike patrols and communication with business owners. He said efforts were being made to make the environment around businesses less attractive to criminals, including by removing heavy brush.
“We hope that by continuing this proactive approach and interacting with the community, we will continue to see a continued downward trend in crime,” he said.
News 4 Tucson investigators reviewed the data and found that while crime rates are down compared to last year, 2023 was higher than the average for the past five years.
Check your neighborhood data here: https://policeanalysis.tucsonaz.gov/
Business owners we spoke to don’t blame the officers, but say they don’t see a decline.
“Frankly, we are in a more dangerous situation than ever before,” Krueger said.
Krueger said he worries that if the crime problem isn’t addressed, more small businesses will go out of business and larger companies will avoid doing business in Tucson.
