CQ Press has released “City Crime Rankings 2010-2011: Crime in Metropolitan America” and Tucson ranks at 127 of 400 cities for the most violent crime. See the KOLD Channel 11 news report from yesterday saying that “Tucson rated as Arizona’s most violent city” :

http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/Tucson-rated-as-Arizonas-most-violent-city-110171094.html

Per the press release from CQ:

The crime rate rankings of the cities and metropolitan areas are calculated using six crime
categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. These
categories have been used for determining city crime rate ratings since 1999. The rankings include
all cities of at least 75,000 residents that reported crime data to the FBI in the categories noted for
calendar year 2009. In the most recent survey, 347 metropolitan areas and 400 cities were
considered using statistics released by the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the FBI in
September, 2010. More information on methodology is available on the CQ Press Web site.

If you’re interested in how other Arizona cities ranked: 135 Phoenix; 182 Avondale; 204 Yuma; 205 Tempe; 254 Mesa; 276 Peoria; 343 Scottsdale; most of those cities are in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

The City of Tucson has about 547,981 people, and this study included only cities over 75,000 people. Perception of whether a place is “violent” is relative. Recently I read a crime novel about Arizona’s 1st mass murder in 1991 of nine people (Thai Buddhist temple monks and members) in a little town of Waddell, Arizona, an unincorporated community in Maricopa County (couldn’t find population statistics). For the people of Waddell at that time, they probably ranked very high in perception of violent crime.

Incidentally author Gary Stuart of “Innocent Until Interrogated” noted how the mismanagement/false forced confessions of that mass murder case lead to the election of Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Maricopa County (to replace Sheriff Tom Agnos).

For more info about this report: contact Ben Krasney, Marketing Communications
E-mail: bkrasney@cqpress.com,Tel: 202-729-1846.

Readers, do you think of Tucson as a “violent city”? Keep in mind that it depends where you live, and also that the criteria used by CQ Press was “murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft”.

We don’t get to see a lot of sea life here in land locked Arizona in the Southwest Desert. But here’s your chance to take your kids (and yourself) to an aquarium closer than Sea World in San Diego. Sea Life Arizona opened its doors yesterday at the NE corner of Arizona Mills Mall, 5000 Arizona Mills Circle in Tempe.

Website for most info: www.sealifeus.com, phone 480-478-7600. Open every day, with operating hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Featured are a 360 degree viewing tunnel (I love these as you get to be surrounded by sea creatures of all types), and 5,000 marine creatures in the entire aquarium.

Having grown up in the ocean world of Hawaii, I encourage parents and teachers to take their children/students to this new Arizona attraction. I know there are many kids here in Arizona that have never seen the ocean. Student group rates are available as low as $5.00 per child with groups of 10 or more. In these group tours there are scheduled feedings, touch pools, and education about conservation & rescue of sea animals.

Regular ticket prices are adults $18.50, children (3 to 12 years) $10.50, Seniors over 60 years $15.50. A grand opening special online is currently offering $5 off each ticket.

Sea Life Arizona