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From Uptown to Downtown, covering Chandler like the sun.
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS .................................. 8 Virus inspires Chandler filmmaker.
NEWS................................16 Field is set for Chandler Primary Election.
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APRIL 19, 2020
EV domestic violence call trends murky BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer
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ocal law enforcement answered a higher number of calls for domestic disturbances last month after East Valley residents were told to stay home in order to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Agencies in Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa reported subtle increases in its number of domestic-related calls over the last few weeks, but some say the data’s not clear enough to conclude whether Arizona’s stay-at-home order is to blame. Chandler Police officers responded to at least 522 domestic calls for fights, assaults
and trespassing in March – a notable jump from the 364 calls received in February. Last month further appears to be an outlier when comparing it to the call logs of previous years. Chandler Police reported getting 454 domestic-related calls in March 2019 and 438 calls in March 2018. It’s the same trend observed elsewhere across the country as police departments see a rise in calls for domestic violence after Americans were instructed to stay home indefinitely until the health pandemic ends. Sgt. Jason McClimans emphasized that Chandler’s call numbers don’t necessarily mean an act of domestic violence was actually committed – but rather that someone had ini-
Business rent relief mired in uncertainty
tially reported a possible disturbance. The agency’s online arrest log indicates March 2020 didn’t show an exponentially higher number of arrests for domestic-related crimes compared to February or January. A closer snapshot of the agency’s data demonstrates how Chandler cops have remained busy responding to domestic disputes during the statewide shutdown. At 10:30 a.m. on April 4, Chandler Police arrested a 34-year-old woman for criminal damage and fighting at a residence on Kingbird Drive. Four hours later, a 32-year-old man was
Helping hands
see DOMESTIC page 3
BY PAUL MARYNIAK Arizonan Executive Editor and
HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
COMMUNITY.............. 19
Chandler woman's masks help healthcare workers. NEWS........................................ 3
COMMUNITY........................ 19
BUSINESS.............................. 20
CLASSIFIEDS.......................... 21
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aying some landlords are weighing evictions, Gov. Doug Ducey last week ordered judges around the state to immediately suspend such legal actions against commercial tenants affected by the pandemic. But a major Valley strip mall owner and others fear that may not offer much of a lifeline to many struggling small businesses. Chandler Chamber CEO/President Terri Kimbel says that while Ducey’s order “is another tool in the toolbox” for businesses to use as they struggle to survive, it’s not a panacea. Noting that at least some landlords themselves also are up against the wall financially, she is urging Chandler businesses to open a dialogue now rather
see RENT page 4
Susie Corona is one of a number of Chandler and East Valley engineers who have banded together to make scores of needed face shields for healthcare workers treating COVID-19 victims. For details, see Page 9. (Pablo Robles/Arizonan Staff Photographer)