Bob Charles says car break-ins happen almost daily in his neighborhood. He says while his street off 19th and Northern avenues looks quaint and safe, crime has only gotten worse over the years.
“I can’t tell you what’s going to happen next," said Charles. "If this isn’t the worst, I don’t know what the worst is, and I know people living in this area don’t want to find out.”
On Wednesday, Charles says his wife was getting ready to hit the road with their daughter Reagan when she noticed things missing inside their car, and something sticking out of her daughter's car seat. She found a needle, one they believe was used by whoever broke in laced with heroin.
“This needle was filthy, and had obviously been used many, many, many times," he added. "It had dried blood in it; it had the substance in it, it had grime around the top of it.”
Furious, the Charles family called Phoenix police to file a report on the break-in and the horrifying discovery. Charles believes this is a result of the city's lack of funding for law enforcement in the area.
“When Phoenix City Council can pass $1 billion budget just a few weeks ago for a light rail [expansion] that goes nowhere, but yet they can’t get $15 million to properly fund law enforcement in this area, where are there priorities?" questioned Charles.
Charles says he's been trying to get city council members to take action against the growing problem for more than a year but fears he and his neighbor's concerns are being overlooked.
“Had the worst happened here, they would’ve had a major lawsuit on their hands," he said.
Charles has a surveillance camera outside his home but says the angle didn't capture whoever broke in.
