311 Success or Failure? Addiction Fueling Pedestrian Deaths. Sun Tran Strike?
311 Success or Failure?
Mayor Romero put out a facebook post on Saturday asking, “Have you tried the 311 app?”
We would like to ask the same question:
Have you tried reporting problems through the 311 app”?
We receive messages from residents on a regular basis who report that they use the app, only to have their cases closed without any action being taken or worse, ignored altogether.
The purpose of the 311 system is to make it easier for residents to report non-emergency issues so they do not have to go through the already overburdened 911 system. Unfortunately, many people tell us that the process is frustrating and ineffective.
Here is one example that was shared with us just this week. This is a report that was submitted on July 25th, 2025. The report was just acknowledged on June 25th 2026 - 11 months later. The report explained that the van has been sitting there for a very extended amount of time and had been reported many times before. All it would do is move from one place in the park to another. This is not only an eyesore for the park but it is illegal to camp at a public park. This is from an ordinance that the Mayor and Council put into place in June of 2025. The acknowledgement said that the person needed to report it to the homeless encampment website.
https://www.kold.com/2025/06/17/tucson-city-council-passes-ordinance-banning-camping-washes-parks/
What good is an ordinance if they do not follow it?
Please share your 311 experiences with us on our comment page or feel free to email us at help@tucsoncrimefree.com Is 311 a Success or Failure?
HELPING or HARMING
Today It's Fentanyl Test Strips. What's Next?
Pima County recently installed its first Public Health Station in downtown Tucson, offering free Narcan, fentanyl test strips, and other public health supplies. County officials describe the program as "harm reduction", an effort to reduce overdose deaths by making drug use safer.
Everyone wants fewer overdose deaths.
Test Strips...A fentanyl user wants the fentanyl. What value is there in testing it for yes or no?
The real debate is not whether lives should be saved. The real debate is where this policy leads.
Pima County's Overdose Crisis
According to the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner,2,042 people have died from fentanyl-involved overdoses since 2017.
The data illustrate the scale of the crisis:
- 72% of fatal overdoses involved multiple drugs.
- 75% of those who died were men.
- The hardest-hit age group was 30 to 39 years old, accounting for 588 deaths.
These are not just numbers. They represent thousands of Pima County families whose lives have been forever changed by addiction.
The Drug Supply Is Becoming More Dangerous
The illegal drug supply is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Fentanyl is now frequently mixed with substances such as xylazine ("tranq"), a powerful veterinary sedative. Narcan remains an essential life-saving medication because it reverses the opioid effects of fentanyl, but it does not reverse the effects of xylazine itself. As stronger and more complex drug mixtures enter our community, preventing addiction in the first place becomes even more critical.
A Slippery Slope We Have Already Seen
Across the country, many harm reduction programs have not stopped with Narcan. They have expanded. Cities that began by distributing Narcan and fentanyl test strips now also provide clean syringes, sterile water, cookers, tourniquets, smoking kits, aluminum foil, and other supplies intended to make continued drug use safer.
Supporters argue these programs reduce disease transmission and keep people alive long enough to seek treatment.
Critics argue they normalize addiction and shift government away from recovery and toward managing long-term drug use.
That raises an important question for Tucson:
Is this where Pima County is headed?
Recovery Must Remain the Goal
Every overdose prevented should create another opportunity for treatment.
But success should not be measured by how many fentanyl test strips are distributed.
It should be measured by how many people enter treatment, complete recovery, and never overdose again.
As Pima County expands this program, taxpayers deserve clear answers:
- Will these machines remain limited to their current inventory?
- Has the County discussed adding syringes, smoking kits, aluminum foil, or other safer-use supplies in the future?
- How many people who receive these services ultimately enter treatment and achieve lasting recovery?
- What outcomes will determine whether this program is truly successful?
- Every overdose prevented is another chance to save a life.
But public policy should do more than make addiction safer—it should help people overcome addiction altogether.
Tucson deserves policies that move people toward treatment, recovery, and restored lives while addressing the root causes of addiction, not just its immediate consequences.
https://www.kgun9.com/news/community-inspired-journalism/midtown-news/new-downtown-tucson-vending-machine-dispenses-narcan-other-public-health-supplies
Addiction Is Fueling Tucson's Pedestrian Death Crisis
A recent news report ranked Tucson as the fourth deadliest metro area in the nation for pedestrians. The Medical Examiner's own data suggest addiction is a major part of the story.
A recent news report ranked Tucson as the fourth deadliest metro area in the nation for pedestrians.
Much of the response has focused on crosswalks, road design, and traffic calming. Those improvements matter. But the Pima County Medical Examiner's data suggest we're overlooking a significant contributor.
The Numbers
As of June 2026, Pima County has recorded 25 pedestrian fatalities this year. The Medical Examiner found:
- 76% died outside a marked crosswalk.
- 56% were experiencing homelessness at time of death.
- 82% of tested victims had drugs or alcohol in their system.
- The most common substances were methamphetamine (11 cases), fentanyl (7), and alcohol (6).
This isn't just a traffic problem.
The Conversation Needs to Change
The Medical Examiner's data point to a conclusion many policymakers have been reluctant to acknowledge:
Addiction is fueling Tucson's pedestrian death crisis.
You cannot build enough crosswalks to solve addiction.
If impaired pedestrians continue walking along major arterial roads, Tucson will continue losing lives regardless of how many intersections are redesigned.
Dark Streets Add to the Danger
Thousands of Tucson streetlights remain out because of copper theft, leaving major roadways darker and more dangerous.
When impaired pedestrians, high-speed traffic, and dark streets intersect, the risk of tragedy increases. Treat the Cause, Not Just the Symptom
Safer roads should remain a priority. But they are only part of the solution.
If Tucson wants to move off the list of America's deadliest cities for pedestrians, city leaders must address the issues the data reveal: addiction, chronic homelessness, impaired pedestrians, and deteriorating infrastructure.
Ignoring those realities won't save lives.
SUN TRAN STRIKE? Will They or Won't They?
For the past four years, the Tucson Crime Free Coalition has been raising the same concerns: there is real danger on Tucson's fare-free bus system, and there is widespread illegal activity occurring on buses and at bus stops throughout our community.
We believe it is time to restore bus fares for those who can afford to pay a modest amount while creating a program to assist those who are experiencing financial hardship. Public transportation should remain accessible, but it also needs accountability. There should be a way to identify and track who is using the system to help improve safety for passengers, bus drivers, and the community.
Sun Tran is expected to make a decision by Wednesday, and everyone will know the outcome at that time. If the bus drivers decide to strike, the Tucson Crime Free Coalition will stand behind them.
It is unfortunate that Tucson's Mayor and City Council have allowed the situation to reach this point. Regardless of differing opinions on the best policy approach, bus drivers deserve a safe working environment and riders deserve a transit system that is safe, reliable, and well-managed.
Is It Time For Businesses to Stop Advertising On Sun Tran?
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You are asking & We are delivering
The Tucson Crime Free Coalition has had a significant number of requests from community members and business owners asking how The City of Tucson works and who to contact with concerns, problems and or questions. We have also found that many residents are unsure of which Ward they live in. To help with this, we have included in this newsletter a City Ward Map so you can easily identify your direct council representatives although we recommend contacting ALL of them with your concerns and questions.
To help residents take action, we have compiled a complete list of the Mayor and City Council along with their contact information. We encourage you to reach out directly and share what you are experiencing. You are more than welcome to include and provide pictures and movies for proof that you have. This can include but is not limited to
● Trespassing on private property
● Encampments
● Fires set on public property
● Street Racing
● Boarded-up or abandoned buildings
● Businesses closing due to on-going crime
● Safety concerns for yourself, your children or grandchildren
● Poor road conditions
● Concerns about the Cities $2,410,000,000 budget and them not being able to control spending
● Free Buses and the problems that has created
● The drug addiction and mental illness problem all over Tucson
We strongly encourage you to email The Mayor and all of the Council, so they can receive a full and accurate picture of what is happening across the whole city and hopefully see that this is not normal. This is one of the most effective ways to communicate concerns - and it ensures you have a record that your voice was heard. We have made this very easy - all you need to do is “copy and paste” all of the email addresses into the To: section of your email.
Copy and Paste these email addresses into the To: section of your email:mayor.romero@tucsonaz.gov, ward1@tucsonaz.gov, ward2@tucsonaz.gov,ward3@tucsonaz.gov, ward4@tucsonaz.gov, ward5@tucsonaz.gov, ward6@tucsonaz.gov, help@tucsoncrimefree.com
The so called City “Non” leaders do nothing but promote their own little Utopia agendas. It is obvious after attending the last 2 Mayor City Council meetings that the Call to the Audience is set up for sheeple that buy in to the Socialist / Communist propaganda of our current City Government. If they are complaining about big businesses they have a platform if someone wants to complain about the lack of action to the problems of the city they silence our First Amendment right because it does not fit their progressive agenda.
I am new to this group and I like this newsletter. I have heard about this group for a long time and now I see why people follow you.
This is so sad to me that libraries are now used for drug addicts and not for children. I used to bring my grandchildren to libraries but now I would never do this. Why is Tucson and our County doing this? I understand helping people but this is not the place to do it.
I also used to use the 311 app but the last few times I have used it my cases were not addresses and my case was closed. Our city has declined, I wish people knew why we were having these problems were and would vote different. I will do my best to try and teach people how important this is.
Thanks to the Tucson crime free coalition for keeping people informed.
Is anyone talking about the failed accountability of the mayor and council to offer support to ICE and clearing the criminal element within Tucson and Pima County instead of having a “sanctuary city” banner?
It sounds like the 311 system is as efficient as those in office who promote it.
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