Valley law enforcement encourages better youth violence reporting [Video]

PHOENIX — Valley law enforcement agencies are aiming to have better reporting of youth violence incidents that have rocked parts of the metro area over the past couple of years.

The “Report, Don’t Repost” campaign wants parents and children who witness, hear about or see videos on social media to notify authorities and keep communities safe.

Several youth violence incidents from 2022 and 2023 in the East Valley initially went unreported. Some have been solved after witnesses and others came forward after the youth violence trend was widely publicized following the death of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek in October 2023.

“There’s a trend we need to pay attention to and that’s the posting of videos of violence on social media combined with the lack of reporting the crimes to police or cooperating with police,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a press conference Wednesday.

Why are Valley law enforcement agencies pushing …