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CANYON CORRIDOR CONNECTION 2016
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Communi t y Highl ights
Violence Impact Project (VIP) Quarterly
Update Meeting
West Phoenix residents and leaders converge
for PPD quarterly community revitalization update!
The local crime rate goes down 30%, home values go up 30%, and the Habitat for Humanity
and NSI Neighborhood Safety Initiatives continue to make a difference as GCU and
community residents support PPD in transforming West Phoenix.
Resident stakeholders of the Canyon Corridor and the West Phoenix surrounding neighborhoods partner together for VIP (Violence Impact Project) update meeting at Helen
Drake Adult Center to discuss updates and additional opportunities for residents to get involved and support the project with “clean-ups” and revitalization of the VIP area
which focuses on 27th Avenue. See VIP Boundaries on Canyon Corridor map on pg 25.
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VIP Community
Partnerships
By Resource Lieutenant Russ Frederiksen
The Violence Impact Project (VIP) started in
February 2015 to focus on a geographical area
of Cactus Park Precinct where the crime was
on the rise and businesses were a safe haven for
criminal activity and were not in compliance
with local regulations. The idea was to focus
on problem locations, street prostitution and
order maintenance, developing an action plan
to reduce crime, create a safe environment
and build awareness through education to
promote long-term sustainability in the VIP
area. Improvement of the overall appearance
of the VIP area through education, assistance
and strategic enforcement of the Neighborhood
Preservation Ordinance, reduce crime and blight
through strategic application of City resources
collaborating together for a comprehensive
approach to community revitalization and
improve communication and collaboration
through strategic planning, information sharing
and comprehensive problem solving.
To summarize, the program really is a city wide
effort to include all departments in collaborating
to reach the above goals. In the past we discovered
that several departments were working on the
same complaint and didn’t know what the other
was doing. We do have a tremendous amount of
communication in regards to problem properties
or neighborhood issues.
As far as the business corridor, the idea is not
to drive 27th Ave. and see several businesses
closed because they did not comply with one
code or another. We are really working together
to educate the business community in order to
have a thriving, law abiding business corridor
within the VIP area. This also goes for problem
properties we have identified either through
our own research or contact or neighborhood
complaints. The goal with these properties again
is not to have vacant properties throughout
the VIP area, but to have owners comply with
neighborhood regulations and not be a negative
source of community issues. We have had great
success with compliance, however the few who
did not comply are going through the County
Att. Office for abatement.
The measurement of success is obviously
reduced crime and calls for service, but also new
business and current businesses that thrive and
become part of the community and community
programs rather than a drain on resources and a
depository for criminal activity.
The sustainability or maintenance is a continued
effort of city departments working together to
ensure all the work done remains sustainable. The
maintenance phase will be an ongoing effort that
will continue to be a collaboration between city
departments as well as community groups.