Maricopa County Launches ‘Report, Don’t Re-Post’ Initiative to Combat Teen Violence

County Attorney Rachel Mitchell has initiated a new awareness campaign aimed at addressing the rising trend of violent crimes among youths in Maricopa County.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Mitchell emphasized the importance of reporting incidents to law enforcement instead of merely sharing videos of violent confrontations on social media platforms. “It’s critical that reporting to law enforcement is done to keep the community safe,” she stated.

The launch of this campaign stems from concerning statistics: reported violent crimes involving teenagers surged from six in 2022 to 27 in 2023. This alarming increase was further underscored by high-profile incidents known as the Gilbert Goons cases, where severe assaults were recorded and disseminated online.

“Data show the trend of the number of teenagers and juveniles referred for prosecution is going up,” Mitchell noted, highlighting the urgency of the issue.

The “Report, don’t repost” initiative will utilize digital platforms to urge teens who witness or record violent acts to contact law enforcement instead of simply circulating these videos through their networks.

This campaign represents a proactive approach to engaging the community in crime prevention, aiming to foster a culture of accountability among young individuals.