PHOENIX — The Phoenix Police Department has released its report on crime statistics for the first half of 2023.
According to the report, overall violent crime is down 2% and overall property crime is down 19% in comparison to data from the first six months of 2022.
Officer-involved shootings are up 38.5%, with 18 officer-involved shootings in the first six months of 2023 and 13 in the first six months of 2022.
The department reports a total of 21 officer-involved shootings year-to-date, with 16 of the suspects involved being armed with a firearm or replica firearm. Twelve of those individuals were prohibited possessors, according to the department.
Additional data on Phoenix officer-involved shootings can be found on the department's website.
ABC15 tracks officer-involved shootings across the Valley. The map below shows shootings involving Phoenix officers, as well as police agencies around the Valley.
According to the report, the department began Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics Training in April 2023 in response to an increase in calls involving individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis, contemplating suicide, or are armed with weapons. The department says that 250 employees have been trained and it is anticipated that all employees will be trained by August 2024.
Violent crimes
- Homicides are down 13.3%. There were 98 homicides in the first six months of 2023, compared to 113 in 2022. 82% of cases in 2023 involved a firearm.
- Robberies are down 12.1%.
- Rapes are up 10%. The department says it is working with outside contracted vendors to assist in the analysis of sexual assault evidence collection kits.
- Aggravated assault cases remain about the same, with just a 0.2% increase in 2023.
Gun crimes
- Non-fatal shootings are down 15%.
- 2,547 guns have been impounded in 2023, a 5.7% decrease from the first 6 months of 2022.
Property crimes
- Arson is down 30%.
- Theft is down 25.7%.
- Burglaries are down 10%.
- There has been an increase in stolen vehicles by 4%. The department says Kia and Hyundai vehicles have seen a "drastic increase" in theft in 2023. The increase is believed to be due to a social media trend. According to the report, if the number of Kia and Hyundai thefts remained the same as 2022, the number of auto thefts would have decreased by 24%
