How Tucson Police Attack Violent Crime

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Hotheads and handguns can make the streets a dangerous place. KGUN9 had the opportunity to speak with the TPD officer who coordinates the department’s response to violent crime to learn more about what TPD is doing to keep us safe.

In recent months we have seen young people well armed with weapons but lacking common sense; like the carload of gunmen who attacked a party on 5th Street and killed a young woman.

From the group that fired well over a hundred shots at a speedway hookah lounge.

“In the past, incidents may have resolved themselves through a fist fight, but now there are incidents that involve gun violence.”

Lt. Aaron Wine says this is happening all over the country. He heads the Tucson Police Department’s violent crimes unit and says the murder rate this year is close to last year’s, with just over fifty murders so far.

TPD’s statistics page shows between 37 and 55 homicides over the past six years, with the exception of an increase to 72 in the pandemic’s peak year of 2021.

This year’s murders are spread across Tucson, according to Lt. Wine’s position underscores that no place is immune from violent crime.

Data is key ammunition for Tucson police. Analysts find patterns in which people, places, weapons and drugs lead to problems.

“Crime occurs in a park. The park may not be in the source edition. The root problem could be an apartment complex down the street that is in close proximity to this crime and has many connections to this crime, and the idea is to identify that network to reduce crime in that area.”

According to Lt. Wine, police can dismantle these troublemaker networks through arrests, but also through other city resources such as parking programs and youth outreach.

And he says when homicides occur, Tucson police have a good track record of solving those crimes. He says most cities solve about half of their murders, but Tucson solves about 80 percent.