Silent Witness has been successfully solving crimes throughout the Valley since 1979. In addition to helping solve heinous felonies like murder, robberies and hit-and-runs, Silent Witness regularly assists in preventing and solving crimes that affect Arizona businesses through its corporate partnership program.
One recent example of this is Silent Witness teaming up with telecommunications company CenturyLink, a Lumen company, to generate awareness for copper theft and help reduce the number of incidents in the Valley. Phoenix leads the nation in copper theft and the problem has increased exponentially in recent years, presenting a big public safety concern.
Since the beginning of 2022, CenturyLink has been the victim of 215 separate acts of theft and vandalism totaling nearly $1 million in damages in Phoenix-metro alone. This is a dramatic increase over previous years in which copper theft damages totaled only $10,000 for all of Arizona. CenturyLink attributes the increase in incidents to the current economic climate, inflation and the sharp increase in copper prices. Above and beyond the financial and physical damage the company has incurred, copper theft presents challenges for Arizona’s 911 system and prevents access to critical emergency services.
“Copper theft is a huge public safety issue,” says Dan Chason, lead security professional and coordinator of the theft and vandalism program for Lumen Technologies. “Every year, we proudly process millions of 911 calls across our robust and reliable voice network throughout the United States. We know that when someone calls 911, seconds count, and we take that responsibility seriously. However, vandalism like this can mean that emergency calls do not go through.”
Copper thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated and are hard to identify and catch since they pose as contractors, using vans or trucks with temporary magnetic signage to steal copper from pedestals and cross boxes around Phoenix, often during broad daylight. CenturyLink desires prosecution for these crimes and is actively participating in bringing charges against guilty individuals, with the help of Silent Witness.
[Editor’s note: Copper theft can also impair a business’s ability to operate. This editor recently found her Glendale breakfast restaurant destination closed due to the theft of copper wiring that left it unable to run its equipment.]
In addition to copper theft, Silent Witness assists with a number of other crimes affecting Arizona businesses. It has partnered with commercial property management and maintenance firms to help combat the problem of illegal dumping, which is costly, dangerous and unsightly. Silent Witness also assists large retailers and convenience stores with organized retail crime. In fact, Silent Witness has a long-standing partnership with Circle K and has assisted with solving a number of robberies.
Crime prevention has long been an important partnership between the public and private sectors and, with more than 300 convenience stores operating around the clock across the metro area, Circle K has developed a unique partnership with a focus on partnership and communication with Circle K’s team leadership to keep stores safe.
This unique partnership and communication is complemented with state-of-the-art camera systems, alarms, lighting and security risk assessment tools that provide solid evidence in the event that a serious incident occurs at any one of the companies stores, parking lots or other facilities. The company also works closely with the Silent Witness program that rewards tipsters with information leading to the arrest of anyone committing misdeeds at any of the stores.
“Circle K has been partnering with Silent Witness for more than 24 years. Silent Witness has great resources within local, state and federal law enforcement, local media, TV, social media and professional business sites,” says Dave Slacks, Circle K loss prevention supervisor for Arizona. “Silent Witness along with its vast resources have led to the arrests and prosecution of countless subjects for crimes against Circle K. Silent Witness is a valuable partner for Circle K and it is a comfort to know they are working on not just our cases but cases throughout the Valley 24/7. Our state is safer because of Silent Witness.”
Silent Witness is dedicated to creating safer communities by working in partnership with citizens, media and law enforcement to solve and prevent crime within the state of Arizona. Although it works in partnership with the Phoenix Police Department, it is a separate, community-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All the rewards paid out are funded entirely through private donations and grants — not taxes. Silent Witness also hosts a number of fundraising events throughout the year, including an annual golf tournament, trivia night and sporting clay tournament to raise important funds to support its mission.
The board of directors of Silent Witness AZ is comprised of 30 professionals who include active and retired military, police, fire department and security personnel, plus Arizona State Representatives, legal counsel, as well as business owners and executives from real estate, advertising, food service, technology, finance and insurance who are collectively dedicated to protecting our community.
How does Silent Witness work?
- Citizens submit tips anonymously to law enforcement.
- Law Enforcement alerts the media and media shares with public.
- Cases get solved.
- Anonymous citizens receive reward money.
- Felons are arrested.
Since its inception in 1979, Silent Witness has received more than 75,000 anonymous tips, approved more than $2,700,000 in rewards, made more than 8,000 felony arrests and seized more than $14,000,000 in illegal drugs.
The ultimate goal of Silent Witness: Make Arizona Safer!
Gerald “Rab” Paquette is president of Silent Witness, Inc. (Versión en Español), a nonprofit with no affiliation to any particular police agency in Arizona. Paquette is also a licensed general contractor, president of Sonoran Property Construction and partner in Vita Property services. Paquette has been chairman of the Southwestern Business Finance Corporation, a Small Business Administration-certified lender, and founded and served on the board of Sunrise Bank of Arizona and Western National Bank.
