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July 3, 2008 - 9:20PM
Updated: July 3, 2008 - 10:44PM
Gilbert sees decline in violent, other crimes
David Biscobing, Tribune
Gilbert is bolstering its reputation as a safe community. Town police are reporting a 25 percent drop in violent crimes and a leveling off in property crimes through the first six months of 2008, recently released statistics show.
Mesa police chief: Crime is dropping
Gilbert police are pleased with the results, and officials said residents are one of the main reasons for this year's success.
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"People aren't calling us and saying 'Oh, I saw something suspicious in my neighborhood two hours ago,' " Sgt. Mark Marino said. "They are getting on the phone and letting us know right away."
The increase in vigilance from residents is also helping officers make more arrests, police said.
One of the most substantial decreases in violent crimes is in sexual assault, which has been nearly halved. And police are seeing a drop in every crime except for armed robberies and burglaries from vehicles.
The uptick in armed robberies is a small one, up two from the 19 last year. But there have been nearly 100 more vehicle burglaries, a problem police attribute to some residents getting complacent.
Many of the cases have involved people leaving cars unlocked, as was the case Jan. 10 when burglars hit nearly a dozen vehicles in less than an hour on a single street near Elliot and Higley roads.
Officials aren't surprised by the increase in robberies and burglaries. They say the rises correspond with the struggling economy.
Police also say the opening of the San Tan police substation, at Greenfield and Queen Creek roads, last year has helped. In the town's southern region, police have shaved nearly a minute off the average response time for high-priority calls.
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