Good news for Mesa as violent crimes drop
Mesa Violent Crime Takes a Nosedive in 2025
Good news for those of us in the East Valley. Mesa just released its 2025 crime statistics, and the numbers are giving residents plenty of reasons to feel safer.
Violent crime in Arizona's third-largest city dropped to 1,846 incidents last year, falling from a five-year high of 2,144 in 2024. That's nearly a 14 percent decrease and brings the numbers back to where they were during the pandemic year of 2020.
The crimes included in that count are the serious ones: aggravated assault, homicides, rapes, and robberies. So seeing those numbers drop is genuinely encouraging for a city pushing past 530,000 residents.
Motor vehicle crimes also showed improvement. Stolen vehicle reports, car burglaries, and catalytic converter thefts all declined in 2025. For anyone who's had their car broken into at a trailhead or apartment complex, that's welcome news.
Police Chief Dan Butler credited his department's partnership with the community, saying Mesa aims to become the safest major city of its size in the nation. His officers ramped up proactive patrol efforts even as population growth continued.
Not everything improved, however. Traffic crashes climbed for the sixth straight year, hitting 6,222 incidents. Mesa Police responded with a 22 percent increase in traffic citations and warnings. So if you've noticed more speed traps along Southern or Baseline lately, now you know why.
Calls for service also jumped to over 284,000, reflecting more residents needing police assistance.
Still, for a growing city competing with Phoenix and Tucson for safety rankings, Mesa's trajectory looks promising. The data suggests those community policing initiatives are actually working.
Sources: Fox 10 Phoenix | Yahoo News | Mesa Tribune