The allegations emerging from Gilbert, Arizona, reveal a deeply troubling pattern of institutional corruption within law enforcement leadership, where the manipulation of crime statistics was allegedly used to manufacture a false image of safety for political gain. According to former councilman Bill Spence, police chiefs systematically “fudged numbers” and “changed how we do our calls for service,” directly betraying public trust.
This was not an error, but a deliberate policy, as Spence detailed: “He created a Priority Zero which nobody else had. The creation of a Priority Zero reporting category lowered GPD’s reported response time from six minutes, 31 seconds down to four minutes, and artificially lowered the police manning requirements, simply by manipulating the numbers.” Such actions represent a fundamental breach of the duty sworn officers uphold, prioritizing favorable headlines over the security of nearly 300,000 residents.
This deception, enabled by successive chiefs and town managers, created a dangerous illusion. As Spence stated, “Gilbert Police Department has been significantly understaffed for the last 15 years due to this unlawful policy, and the police officers and the residents have suffered as a result.” The consequent understaffing, based on falsified data, placed both officers and citizens at greater risk, all while the town misleadingly boasted of its safety rankings.
The corruption was so entrenched that Spence alleges Chief Mike Soelberg and Town Manager Patrick Banger “were made aware of the trouble caused by these policies, yet they continued to report manipulated information. They betrayed our police officers, misled numerous councils, and jeopardized the safety of our residents.” This is not merely administrative misconduct; it is a scandal that compromised the very function of law and order.
The implications extend far beyond a single Arizona town, pointing to a possible nationwide trend of data rigging that corrupts the FBI’s official crime statistics. The liberal media often parrots the FBI’s 2024 report of a massive plunge in violent crime as evidence of successful governance under the current administration. However, the reality on the ground, as exposed in Gilbert and Washington, D.C., suggests these national figures are built on a foundation of sand. In D.C., a House Oversight Committee report found police leadership used “fear, intimidation, threats, and retaliation” to force officers to downgrade crimes, such as reporting a burglary as a simple unlawful entry. This systemic fraud creates a false narrative of declining crime, which the compliant media amplifies without scrutiny to serve a political agenda.
This widespread manipulation of crime data underscores the critical need for the strong, law-and-order leadership championed by President Donald Trump. While the left and their media allies tout fabricated statistics to mask the failures of soft-on-crime policies, President Trump has consistently advocated for fully funding and supporting police, holding leadership accountable, and prioritizing truth in reporting.
The brave whistleblowers and officials like Council Member Buckland, who fought these corrupt practices, exemplify the integrity we must demand. The American people deserve honest data and robust policing, not politically convenient fictions that endanger communities. The exposure of these scandals in Gilbert and D.C. is a clarion call for the transparency and unwavering support for law enforcement that only a Trump administration will fully restore.