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CANYON CORRIDOR CONNECTION
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NSI UPDATE:
Neighborhood
Safety
Initiative
Cactus Park Precinct Update
The Grand Canyon University Neighborhood
Safety Initiative (GCU/NSI) is an
Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between
the Police Department and Grand Canyon
University designed to provide supplemental
police services and crime suppression
programs to a 4-mile area surrounding the
GCU campus. The designated boundaries are:
Indian School Road to Bethany Home Road,
North 43rd Avenue to Black Canyon Freeway.
Grand Canyon University is providing
$100,000 each year for 5 years for overtime
expenditures incurred by the City of Phoenix.
The City of Phoenix will match the funds
annually. The initiative is the first agreement
of its kind between a public agency and private
company in Arizona aimed at suppressing
crime in a particular neighborhood.
Enforcement programs include:
1. Programs over the last 6 months have
included the Alhambra High School after-
school enforcement, saturation patrols on
Camelback, drug complaint enforcement,
and bike patrols along 27th Avenue. This has
resulted in 6 search warrants, 34 felony arrests,
90 misdemeanor arrests, 312 citations, 244 field
interrogations, and 111 departmental reports.
2. Prostitution – Customer Apprehension
Programs and routine enforcement have
resulted in over 100 prostitution-related arrests
and 7 impounded vehicles in the last 7 months.
3. Since inception of the GCU/NSI in August
2012, there have been 250 prostitution arrests,
925 citations, and 447 field interrogations (all in
the GCU area). Total arrests are 651.
NSI UPDATE:
A Community’s
Perspective
Claudio Coria, Principal,
Alhambra HS
“GCU’s investment in the NSI grant
has greatly improved the safety at
our school and within our community.
I have seen this transformation just in the 2
and a half years that I have been here. Parent,
teacher and student surveys are now consistently
demonstrating this reality. The Phoenix Police
Department is now more responsive to our needs
than ever before – meeting with me, our parents
and neighborhood association groups. Also, I
have observed a real effort on their part to work
proactively in identifying problem areas near our
school and taking measures to work with business
owners and residents to problem-solve. They have
been especially visible before school and after
school – key transition times for 2800 students.
This was not the case prior to last year.
On behalf of our parents, students and staff –
thank you for investing in our school and in this
neighborhood. It’s a safer place for everyone.”
Councilman Danny Valenzuela
(District 5):
“I am very proud of the work that
has been done and will be done in
the future with the Neighborhood Safety
Initiative. By working with the city to create this
program, Grand Canyon University has not only
made an investment in educating our youth but
also in keeping their families safe. I look forward
to continuing to work with GCU, the Phoenix
Police Department and neighborhood leaders to
strengthen the safety of our community.”
Councilwoman Laura Pastor
(District 4):
“The Neighborhood Safety Initiative
has had an incredible impact on
the Canyon Corridor. The NSI is a successful
example of how a public private partnership can
work! The visibility of Police officers through
increased patrols and overtime hours reinforces
the reality that the Police are here to serve and
protect our neighborhoods. Their presence reminds
residents to call 9-1-1 or Crime Stop (602-262-
6151) to report crime or suspicious activity.
Looking forward, I am hopeful that the trend
of collaboration between the City, GCU and the
community will continue to create positive change
to promote growth and community investment
while keeping this area safe.”
The Cactus Park Precinct, also known as 900,
covers an area from about Indian School Road
to Paradise Lane (south of Bell Road), and from
about 19th Avenue to 43rd Avenue. It is one of
the busiest, if not the busiest precincts in the
city by sheer call volume.
One of the common complaints the CAOs
(Community Action Officers) have been
receiving is in regard to transients. The CAOs
are working hard at identifying and arresting
those transients who are engaged in criminal
behavior, while at the same time attempting to
provide social services to those people who are
simply in need. The CAOs can be reached at
the precinct at 602-495-5009.
The precinct is fully dedicated to
community-based policing and understands
that by working together with neighborhoods,
businesses and schools we can solve problems
more effectively. Neighborhoods can assist us
by being active participants in their local block
watches and by simply being good neighbors to
one another.
Cactus Park Precinct,
Phoenix Police Department
Kevin Robinson, Commander
12220 N. 39th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85029
For more information, visit:
phoenix.gov/police