As an economic development professional with a college education in Criminal Justice, the causal link between crime and jobs is almost an instinctive reality for me. However, every once in awhile an example of the relationship comes along that is so clear it should cause every single citizen to pause.

Last week’s Arizona Daily Star featured a story about a local company which, after 25 years in business, is considering leaving the city or closing down completely because of violent attacks on their staff. Readers should know that this business is not located in an area that anyone would consider a “high risk” section of Tucson.

The same morning that the article appeared in the paper I visited the business to offer what little help I could. Two things stood out in my conversation with a representative of the business. First; other than the police, no official of the City of Tucson had contacted the business with a similar offer of assistance – not City Council members, not economic development officials nor neighborhood association representatives. Second; this businessperson suggested that I should also speak with another business across the street. And upon meeting with them, I was directed to two additional businesses in the area that have been plagued by crime.

One of these business owners estimated that the direct costs of specific crimes against their business totaled well into the five-figure range. How much of these monies could that business owner have reinvested in pay raises for employees or donated to local charitable causes if they did not have to expend them on simply protecting themselves?

I recently spoke with another business that now has a policy of leaving the rear doors to all their service trucks open when they are left in the company yard each evening. Their hopeful strategy is that this will reduce the significant costs of having to replace or repair doors pried open by criminals seeking tools to steal.

There are volumes of research and reports by sociologists, psychologists, criminologists and economic development professionals of the link between the economic opportunity and crime. If you have doubts, try an Internet search of the phrase “crime and economic development”. And so a vicious cycle begins; the less opportunity people have to achieve their goals through gainful employment, the higher the likelihood of resorting to crime. The higher the crime rate, the less likely a businessperson is to locate their company in that area.

What implications does that have for a city like Tucson, consistently ranked as both one of the most dangerous cities in America AND one of the least business friendly?

Elected officials must show the courage to set proper priorities and then see them through. Tucsonans should expect nothing less.

Please take a moment to read Jerry Sullivan’s excellent piece at the New Geography website Tucsonans should particularly take note of Mr. Sullivan’s admonishment;

“Now is the time for elected officials to trade across-the-board mentalities on budget cuts for a sharpened sense of priorities. They should heed the vicious cycle and find money for more cops to help keep the cynics and criminals at bay while the rest of us make an honest effort to slug our way through tough times.”

To say “ Well, we didn’t cut the police and fire budget as much as other agencies” is akin to agreeing that we must travel to Phoenix and then claiming success because sufficient fuel was provided to travel to Casa Grande instead of just Marana. We still didn’t get to Phoenix.

If you think that is proper governance, try explaining it to the employees of a local business who may soon be the double victims of crime and the loss of their jobs.

Ben Buehler-Garcia is a candidate for Tucson City Council. He is a thirty-year resident of Ward III and has over twenty years of professional experience in economic & community development.