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Flagstaff police present crime‑reduction plan emphasizing data, targeted operations and partnerships
Summary
Police leaders briefed council on a crime‑reduction plan focusing on data‑driven hot‑spot policing, identifying repeat offenders, expanding investigative task forces and coordinating social‑service responses to addiction and behavioral‑health drivers of crime.
The Flagstaff Police Department presented a crime‑reduction plan to City Council on June 10 that emphasizes data‑driven policing, targeted operations at recurring hot spots, and partnerships with social‑service providers to address addiction and behavioral‑health drivers of crime.
Chief Connor Connolly framed the plan as a focused roadmap for preventing victimization and reducing crime, not a department strategic plan or budget document. He said the department will concentrate on "people, places and behavior," targeting the small group of repeat offenders responsible for a disproportionate share of calls for service. The plan includes hot‑spot mapping, daily and weekly operational plans for problem locations, and performance dashboards to track outcomes.
Why it matters: The plan links policing operations to community engagement, victim‑centered practices and cross‑agency collaboration (health, courts, shelters), and sets specific reduction goals for the coming year.
The chief reported that the department recorded a 52% increase in Part I violent crime in 2024 compared with the prior period, with the largest drivers identified as aggravated assaults and robberies; at the same time, he said the department has achieved a 15% reduction in violent crime year‑to‑date in 2025 versus the relevant prior period. He also noted a substantial workload for patrol: roughly 70,000 calls for service annually and many repeat locations (for example, multiple calls associated with bus stops and the homeless shelter).
Deputy Chief Colin Seay described hot‑spot mapping and the CompStat process that briefs command staff weekly and holds squads accountable for problem beats; he said the department plans to upgrade records management and CAD systems to improve public mapping and quicker tactical response. Deputy Chief Charles Hernandez outlined investigative priorities — including narcotics and a revived state gang task force assignment — and said the metro narcotics operation recently led to a roundup that yielded 20 arrests tied to 283 prior arrests.
The department also highlighted overdose response statistics and a continued focus on opioid and fentanyl distribution cases; Chief Connolly said the department will pair enforcement with prevention, expanded access to Narcan and connections to treatment partners.
Council members asked about downtown public‑safety deployments, walking‑beat coverage and how staffing and workload assessments would inform future patrol coverage. The police chief and deputy chiefs said the department had set aside dedicated personnel for downtown coverage (a squad and sergeant working peak late‑evening shifts) and will use a forthcoming workload analysis to recommend longer‑term coverage levels and unit structure. The department plans to report back annually on plan progress.
