Juvenile delinquency, schools central to Anthem crime wave
MCSO points out additional threat of terrorism
by Jennifer Krahe

ANTHEM – “Ever since 9/11 our resources have been drained because we are moving into new areas,” explained Capt. Ron Stoner of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, speaking to members of the Anthem Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. Invited to address escalating crime in Anthem, Stoner took the opportunity to point out another frightening threat to the community–terrorism.

As law enforcement is stretched thin because of the added dangers of terrorism, it is evident that more common crimes loom larger as well. Robbery and vandalism have rocked Anthem and surrounding communities in the last month. But schools, Stoner says, are also at risk.

Burglaries and vandalism that have occurred on the west side and parts of the east side of Anthem, he said, were not the work of locals. Most perpetrators of crime in the north gateway villages are actually from Chandler, Peoria or Phoenix, “ meth freaks, ‘tweakers’ who started a spree in Sun City and went through the area–the pattern is the same,” according to Stoner. And because Anthem is an outlying community, escape is easy.

The crimes have prompted the introduction of two additional beat officers. Stoner pointed out, however, that for every additional patrol officer the sheriff’s department must allocate five deputies. “It’s a 24‑hour, seven‑days‑a‑week operation,” he said. “One person cannot do it alone.” And, Stoner emphasized, catching thieves is a difficult job in itself. “You’re assuming that burglars can just get caught, but they know what’s going on–they won’t commit a crime in front of us.”

Stoner also spoke to the issue of rampant juvenile delinquency in Anthem, noting that curfew violations, calls reporting abuse of parents by juveniles and widespread juvenile crime pull officers away from other pressing enforcement issues. Parents are part of the problem, Stoner declared. He told the story of an Anthem mother who, upon having her children brought home by deputies after a curfew violation, repeatedly told the children in front of the officers, “You aren’t in trouble.” Stoner, present at the time, said to the woman: “Your children are absolutely in trouble. They violated a curfew. They are in trouble.”

He told of another parent who asked him, “Don’t you have anything better to do than pick on the kids?” Stoner replied to the parent, “Yes, we do...if you’d just take care of your own children.”

Stoner said he never ceases to be amazed by parents’ uncooperative reactions. “Your children are taking up my (law enforcement) resources and it’s driving me crazy,” he exclaimed.

“What are the schools doing?” Stoner asked the audience. “Not a damn thing.” Many parents in the audience then wanted to know what they could do to get the word out in the schools, citing in particular drug problems at Boulder Creek High School.

“Deer Valley Unified School District wouldn’t even let me bring in the dogs to the school,” Stoner said. “They were afraid we’d find something.” He pointed out that school administration’s reluctance to work with law enforcement is a hindrance.  “We are over the time of hiding things,” he stated. 

In Stoner’s opinion, not only are schools at risk because of restrictions on the inside, they are also open to threats from the outside. Beginning with a description of a recent meeting he attended, the MCSO officer told the audience, “It alerted me as to what you’re not being told.” He used the September 2004 school hostage situation in Beslan, Russia, as an example. 

“They filtered that for your consumption,” Stoner related. “You’d vomit if you read what they really did to the students.” Continuing, “The border was infiltrated by terrorists. They wanted to take over the school.” He likened the Chechnyan rebels crossing the Ossetia border to homicidal terrorists crossing the borders of Arizona. “We are vulnerable,” he warned. “They want to get at our children because they know it will hurt us.”

Capt. Stoner concluded his remarks by saying, “The word is not getting out fast enough to rattle your cage,” adding that cooperation with law enforcement is crucial, as is common sense and parental responsibility.  “Your security is up to you,” Stoner asserted.

Reach the reporter at jennifer@thedesertadvocate.com