barbaralawall.com

The True Facts

The TRUE FACTS.

My Republican opponent has repeatedly stated that the sole duty and obligation of the County Attorney is to reduce the crime rate. He continually claims that as your County Attorney I have failed at this responsibility.

HE IS WRONG. DEAD WRONG.

I personally believe that a community’s crime rate is a reflection of broader societal issues such as the breakdown of family, and the proliferation of and easy access to drugs, guns, and gangs.

The County Attorney’s job is to identify, target and prosecute the worst and most repetitive offenders, those who most threaten and endanger the public safety of this community, and take them off the streets for as long as possible. My office has consistently and successfully done this.

My Office has the highest trial rate, and the lowest plea bargain rate of any prosecutor’s office in this state. I have instituted tough prosecution policies that send very bad people to prison for a very long time.

The percent of serious, violent and repetitive offenders tried in Pima County has increased from 24% in 1996 to 70% today, which has produced great results for public safety.

LOOK WHAT I’VE DELIVERED.

If my opponent believes that I am responsible for the crime rate, look at what I’ve delivered. I was originally elected in 1996.  In the twelve years that I have had the privilege of serving as your County Attorney, there has been a significant reduction in the violent crime rate in Pima County.

According to the FBI Uniform Crime Rate reports, Pima County’s violent crime rate in 1996 was 837.4 per 100,000 crimes. In 2007, it dropped to 502.1 per 100,000. That’s a 21.6% reduction in our crime rate.

IT GETS EVEN BETTER.

In the years between 1993-1996, juvenile crime was at an all time unprecedented high.  In response, Arizona voters passed the STOP JUVENILE CRIME initiative which held violent and repetitive juvenile offenders accountable as adults.

In addition to the 1996 change in the juvenile laws, my office, law enforcement, the courts, and social services began to focus and target additional resources in prevention and intervention programs for juvenile offenders.

Our efforts in stricter accountability and more prevention and rehabilitation have worked and paid off.

Since 1996 when I was first elected your County Attorney, juvenile violent crime has almost been cut in half. Since 1996, the juvenile violent crime rate has been reduced by 49.7% and the juvenile property crime rate has seen an equally dramatic reduction of 40%.

WHAT A GREAT JOB.

If, as my opponent repeatedly declares, that the County Attorney’s sole responsibility is to manage the crime rate, I’ll just have to ‘toot my own horn’ and take credit for having done a great job.