Arizona Republican Assembly
Sheriff Aims to Change the Story on Hidden Valley IHOP Property Crime
Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple addressed growing concerns about rising property crime rates during a recent meeting of the Arizona Republican Assembly’s Northwest Pinal County Chapter at IHOP.
The gathering occurred on May 20, 2025, where Teeple was invited to discuss a surge in crime and theft affecting unincorporated areas south of Maricopa.
Armed with statistical data, Teeple revealed that domestic violence has surged in these communities. “Domestic violence has significantly risen and it’s on the rise,” he stated, attributing part of the increase to better reporting mechanisms.
In the past six months, Teeple reported 16 incidents of domestic violence, contrasting with just one robbery, one burglary, and one stolen vehicle in the same period.
Residents expressed skepticism regarding the statistics. One resident from Hidden Valley claimed her experience with three different reports indicated possible inaccuracies.
The sheriff noted recent thefts, highlighting incidents such as stolen campers and gas siphoning. Some thieves involved in these crimes were apprehended last month.
Addressing the potential for misreporting, Teeple explained how different classifications can obscure the actual nature of crimes. “Depending on how the dispatcher enters it, if it doesn’t get entered as a robbery or a burglary, it gets entered as an informational report,” he said.
He acknowledged that if multiple thefts at a single location are connected, they might be treated as a criminal conspiracy rather than individual thefts.
Acknowledging the concerns about the accuracy of statistics, Teeple confirmed that the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office had initiated enhanced training for dispatchers to ensure more consistency in reporting.
He concluded the meeting to applause from the attendees, notably stating, “Elections have consequences.” Teeple remarked on a significant decrease in border-related pursuits, noting a drop from an average of 37 traffic stops to just two in the last month.
