MCAO Crime Strategies Group

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has started a new group called the Crime Strategies Group.  The following information is from “Intelligence Focused Prosecution at the MCAO”, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Justice for All September 2018 newsletter https://www.maricopacountyattorney.org/CivicSend/ViewMessage/Message?id=66664 The Crime Strategies Group has detectives, paralegals, prosecutors, and analysts who use technology and information sharing to identify crime trends and patterns.  Analysts work directly with law enforcement and the community to achieve successful results. After analyzing and categorizing material related to offenses and offenders, it is communicated to prosecutors so criminals and criminal activity can be stopped as soon as possible.  This system is called Intelligence Focused Prosecution (IFP). The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is one of the few prosecutor offices in the nation to use it. The Crime Strategies Group has thirteen members including crime and intel analysts, a drug intel analyst, a paralegal, and an information systems analyst.  They use a robust group of tools and information to help them identify problems, analyze data, respond, and then assess and process the results. The IFP system is based on teams and group sharing of data and information with local law enforcement agencies.  Geographically assigned prosecutors familiarize themselves with the community drivers in their assigned area and work with police and the assigned crime analysts to best address the problems and offenders. The article describes how the IFP system works: “Analysts conduct research using criminal histories, social media, open sources and plain old gumshoe detective work which often means picking up the phone and calling a detective or analyst in the city next door. The information gleaned from these sources is confirmed and vetted, and when compiled into reports, helps provide prosecutors with the rest of the story. These partnerships often result in success stories between MCAO crime analysts, prosecutors and law enforcement, much like a recent case in the West Valley that you can read more about in the following article. Looking forward, IFP will continue to create assessments based on crime data and law enforcement information to identify areas of emphasis. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery knows the IFP model will allow the Office to reduce crime, enhance public safety and ensure protection to victims, “We will continue to evolve as a strategic focused organization. This IFP approach allows us to get the most effective and meaningful response for public safety. Our crime analysts are the best of the best and their expertise gives our prosecutors focused information to help make the most important decisions.” If you are charged with one or more felonies based on work done by the MCAO Crime Strategies Group, you need an experienced defense attorney.  Attorney Gary Rohlwing has over thirty years of experience. Call him today for a free consultation.

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Law Offices of Gary L Rohlwing

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Glendale, AZ 85301

(623) 937-1692

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from http://www.criminal-duiattorney.com/blog/law-offices-gary-rohlwing/mcao-crime-strategies-group/

Arizona Town Hall Report Summary

The Arizona criminal justice system has received a lot of scrutiny recently from various groups. One of these groups is Arizona Town Hall. Arizona Town Hall recently completed a report on criminal justice in Arizona. The following is from Criminal Justice in Arizona, Summary of the Arizona Town Hall Report, March 2018 found at http://www.aztownhall.org/resources/Documents/111%20Criminal%20Justice%20In%20Arizona%20Key%20Facts%20web.pdf

The Arizona Town Hall summary brief gives some highlights from the full Arizona Town Hall report on criminal justice in Arizona.  

In Arizona, the number of crimes committed has declined for years even as the population has increased.  The crime rate has declined by over one-third since 2006. Unfortunately, incarceration rates have gone up during the same time period.  The vast majority of cases heard by the courts are minor traffic and civil cases. Total costs of the Arizona criminal justice system average approximately $525 for every man, woman, and child every year. There are approximately 15,000 sworn law enforcement officer in Arizona’s over 140 different police agencies.  Crime rates have decreased even though the number of officers per 1,000 residents in Phoenix has gone down since 2008.  The connection, if any, between these statistics is unclear. Poor people often cannot make bail while waiting for their trials.  Research shows that bail does little to ensure that defendants return for trial.  Reforms are being implemented to make the imposition of bail more equitable and to reduce people awaiting trial in jail. Prosecutors have wide discretion in deciding what charges to press against a defendant.  The decision not to charge may be the most powerful tool of the prosecutor. Although the initial charges filed may not be the ones that are eventually brought to trial, they influence key decisions on bail, plea bargains, and sentencing.  The development of charging guidelines could reduce seemingly arbitrary charges. “Determinate sentencing” such as Arizona’s rigid sentencing laws has resulted in a transfer of power from judges to prosecutors since the charges filed by the prosecutor now largely determine the sentence.  The increase in Arizona’s prison population is the result of changes in sentencing policy, not changes in crime. Arizona has the 4th highest incarceration rate in the country at 585 per 100,000 population. 18 percent of those released return to prison within six months.  Arizona’s three-year recidivism rate of 39 percent is lower than the national average of 50 percent.  Those returning to society after prison often lack the resources to establish themselves in the outside world.  Access to transportation, employment, and health care may help reduce recidivism. The Arizona criminal justice system raises the following questions:

• Has the crime rate decreased due to the increase in imprisonments or is something more complex at work?
• When does the use of force by police officers cross the line from legitimate authority to abuse of power?
• Does imposing bail really ensure that defendants return for trial?
• How much discretion should prosecutors exercise when filing chages?
• Do mandatory sentencing rules reduce crime or are they unnecessarily inflexible?

Don’t face the Arizona criminal justice system alone.  Hire an experienced defense attorney. Attorney Gary Rohlwing has over 30 years experience defending people in the Arizona criminal justice system.  Please call him today for a free consultation.

The blog post Arizona Town Hall Report Summary Read more on: www.criminal-duiattorney.com/blog/

Law Offices of Gary L Rohlwing

7112 N 55th Ave

Glendale, AZ 85301

(623) 937-1692

https://goo.gl/maps/vntMC15aMUG2

from http://www.criminal-duiattorney.com/blog/domestic-violence/arizona-town-hall-report-summary/