Statement from the Tucson Crime Free Coalition

 

See TCFC's Response to Mayor Romero in Tucson Sentinel (CLICK BELOW)

https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/101525_crime_coalition_romero_op/tucson-crime-free-coalition-time-honest-conversation-common-sense-solutions/

In Response to Council Member Nikki Lee’s October 16 Newsletter on Sun Tran Safety and the Call for a Transit Police Unit

We share the concern and urgency expressed by Council Member Lee regarding the recent series of violent incidents on our Sun Tran system, the prevalence of open-air drug use in our public spaces, rising retail theft, and general crime and disorder. We are grateful that Council Member Lee is openly acknowledging the harsh realities we witness every day and proposing common-sense solutions. But gratitude alone is not a safety plan.

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TCFC Has Been Calling for These Reforms for Years

For nearly three years, the Tucson Crime Free Coalition has proposed and advocated for practical, data-driven solutions, many of which have been ignored or ridiculed, until now, as the City Council has remained intransigent. We welcome Council Member Lee’s constructive approach to this crisis and are encouraged by her call for urgent action.

• We proposed creating a transit police unit in our July 25 newsletter.
• We have called for the restoration of transit fares since our inception.
• We have repeatedly called for the expansion of the Transition Center—which exists today largely because of our advocacy.
• We have proposed and supported multiple pieces of legislation at the State Capitol to expand both voluntary and involuntary drug treatment, without support from the Tucson City Council.

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1. Safety Begins with Enforcement

Creating a “micro law enforcement team” within Sun Tran is a critical first step, but enforcement must be consistent and coupled with accountability, intervention, and access to care.

Many of the incidents cited—stabbings, open drug use, harassment—stem from untreated mental illness, addiction, and chronic homelessness. Real safety requires presence, enforcement, treatment, and incarceration when warranted. Tucson cannot continue to tolerate lawlessness under the guise of compassion.

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2. Support Bus Operators Through Design and Investment

We fully support immediate investments in driver enclosures, lighting upgrades, and bus stop visibility improvements—these are tangible protections that reduce conflict before it escalates.

If the City reinstates fares, a portion of the new revenue must be earmarked transparently for these safety and infrastructure upgrades, with quarterly public reporting.

TCFC previously filed a public records request for Sun Tran crime data dating back to 2023. That request was illegally rejected. Sun Tran has a long history of denying, deflecting, and minimizing its obvious safety problems.

Sun Tran General Manager Mikel Oglesby wrote to KVOA’s Chorus Nylander last week:

“Incidents across our system, whether at bus stops, transit centers, or on board, remain extremely rare, occurring in less than 1% of all service interactions. Thanks to proactive measures, including ongoing de-escalation training and the presence of on-site security teams, those numbers continue to decline year after year.”

If airline crashes occurred in less than 1% of flights, planes would be falling from the sky every day. Sun Tran’s refusal to release safety data undermines public trust and endangers both riders and operators.

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3. Fare Policy Should Reflect Fairness

For more than two years, TCFC has supported a fare restoration plan that includes:

• Low-income fare waivers using existing benefit databases.
• Clear metrics showing fare revenue is reinvested into transit safety and service, not diverted to general funds.

Transit should be safe and equitable—those goals must go hand in hand. An unsafe transit system places an undue burden on the very people who rely on it most.

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4. Address Substance Use with Accountability

We recognize the frustration over open drug use on and around transit. The proposed public drug use ordinance is a necessary first step, but it must be paired with treatment and enforcement.

TCFC supports an approach that:

• Includes diversion and treatment pathways—but also incarceration when appropriate for repeat or dangerous offenders.
• Pairs enforcement with expanded detox, shelter, and recovery capacity, or the problem will simply shift from one location to another.

Accountability and care are not opposites—they are both essential to public safety.

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Our Vision

Tucson can lead with a model of transit safety that blends compassion, accountability, and innovation. Riders and operators should never have to choose between feeling safe and feeling respected.

We call on the City to make the upcoming transit safety plan a public, transparent, and participatory process that invites those most affected—operators, riders, businesses, and community partners—to the table.

Safety will not come from fear—it will come from shared responsibility, honest data, and courageous leadership.

We thank Council Member Lee for her leadership and stand ready to collaborate to make Tucson’s transit system safe, sustainable, and accountable to the people it serves.