How different are violent crime rates in Arizona’s 15 counties?
Arizona’s Department of Public Safety maintains a reporting website to track crime statistics.
According to the data and balancing for population, Maricopa County has the highest violent crime rate in the state. There were 224 violent crime incidents in the first half of the year for every 100,000 residents. In nearly every other county, the violent crime rate ranged between 110 and 116 per capita.
The lowest crime rates were found in the counties bordering New Mexico, as well as La Paz County.
Compared to average violent crime rates in the first half of each of the past five years, 2024 rates are down in 12 of 15 counties. Gila, La Paz, and Pima counties are reporting significant declines in violent crime rates to their average. The three counties with higher rates in 2024 are Mohave, Navajo, and Santa Cruz.
Along with tracking the crimes themselves, DPS also tracks clearance rates. This is when the suspected perpetrator of a crime is either charged or deceased.
A little over one-third of violent crimes in Arizona’s two urban counties, Maricopa and Pima, are reported as cleared.
The lowest clearance rate is in Apache County at 9% and the highest is in La Paz County where the clearance rate is reported at 100%.
ABC15 also analyzed the number of violent crimes committed by weapon type and found about one in four violent crimes since 2020 involved a firearm across the state. Percentages are higher in Maricopa and Pima, and much lower in Coconino, Navajo, and Gila counties.
In that same time frame, arrestees of a violent crime are overwhelmingly male. About four violent crimes are committed by men for one committed by a woman. The ratio of victims of violent crimes is almost even, with slightly more men than women being victimized.
