Pima County suffers from a serious substance abuse and crime crisis. It plagues our citizens, business owners and property owners. In 2022, Pima County led the state for nonfatal opioid overdoses, with more fatal overdoses per 100,000 population than Maricopa County. Fentanyl is the leading killer of youth in our community. 6 out of 10 tablets on the street contain lethal doses for first-time users. This was a major factor in the nearly doubling of pedestrian fatalities last year. Worse, fentanyl is plentiful and cheap, and on the streets he sells for a price of $1 per tablet.

Unfortunately, whenever there is a serious substance abuse problem in a community, crime occurs.

In response to the lack of local commitment by local elected officials to fight substance abuse and crime, we (Kevin Daly, Monica Carlson, Josh Jacobsen) are committed to the Tucson Crime Freedom in September 2022. Founded a coalition (TucsonCrimeFree.com). The TCFC is a non-funded bipartisan coalition that has grown to over 4,000 members.

Since its inception, the TCFC has worked closely with Pima County Supervisors Sharon Bronson and Steve Christie, County Administrator Jean Lecher and Deputy Administrator Steve Holmes to address substance abuse in the community. and identify solutions to reduce crime. Some solutions are as simple as putting up signs on county medians, providing resources to law enforcement, and educating the public. Larger-scale solutions include regional opioid command centers to create coordinated approaches to reduce overdoses and the Pima County Jail to provide support and treatment to those ready to break out of substance abuse cycles. migration center. Through newsletters, media exposure, and community participation, we’ve put these solutions at the forefront for the public to see and gather feedback.

Recently, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Pima County Board Chair Adelita Grijalva, and County Attorney Laura Conover wrote op-eds to publicize our responsibility as leaders in the substance abuse and crime crisis in our communities for the first time. acknowledged and took responsibility for They wrote a document supporting the solutions spearheaded by the TCFC and the Pima County representatives named in the paragraph above, and they also wrote “a public statement about the hard work going on behind the scenes.” They may not necessarily have been informed,” he admitted. We appreciate this first step but they are late getting to the table. As a community, we have yet to see good results from this “hard work”. If you’re serious about progress, here’s a short list of deliverables you’ll need soon.

Replicate ‘Say No to Beggars – Aid Agencies Helping Those in Need’ signs created by TCFC/Pima County in the city.

Establish TCFC’s Fentanyl Operations Command Center. This is a multijurisdictional approach focused on reducing fentanyl overdose and managing opioid settlements.

Continue to support the development of prison annex transition centers. Funding from the City of Tucson is required.

The City of Tucson must give TPD officials back the authority to perform their duties, use transition centers once they are open, and administer court-ordered drug treatments as needed.

The City of Tucson must clean all parks and keep them safe for everyone to enjoy again.

These are just a few of the many solutions you can prioritize to make a big impact in your community. Your message should be clear. Support and treatment are available to those who accept them, but we will not tolerate individuals who refuse assistance to live an illicit lifestyle at the expense of the rest of the community.

TCFC will continue to advocate for safer communities for all, while restoring law and order, restoring our quality of life, and providing the economic security that our families and small businesses can thrive on. The time has come for our elected officials to lead the way in providing solutions for .