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That's a little extreme for me. Its just a sign of dumbing down to me. People can't tell news or facts from opinion either. That's going to cause more problems than apostrophe abuse.
Update: We have been in metro Tucson now for nearly three months. What a difference! Arizona actually has police officers! I’ve seen people pulled over for traffic stops! Better, more courteous drivers without question. The Walmart has shopping carts INDOORS, you don’t have to walk back outside to get one! The dining options are exceptional! They have what’s called “Italian” food here. I went to the local car wash and there weren’t 8 different cars blasting crappy music! People are, without question, nicer and more socially adapted. The traffic is worse obviously but I’ve yet to see an area as bad as the Loman/I-25 area. Housing’s a little bit higher but not by much. We ended up with a nice town home near the mountains. HOA is a bit steep but not too bad for what we get (beautiful park-like grounds, pool and some utilities). Maybe I shouldn’t have been so hard on Cruces. I (we) needed this. Civilization, laws, food, shopping. This is what we were looking for and should have known Cruces wouldn’t be able to provide it.
The hardest thing to get used to in Cruces was the lack of police. The sheriff’s dept probably has more than it’s share of traffic control since the only time I saw LCPD they were talking to homeless people or at a scene of an incident. 20mph over is the norm. People would drive down the road closest to us at 100mph or more at night, the speed limit is 35mph. Crappy V6 Camaro’s with exhaust kits that make the car sound like a goat getting raped was a common sound in our home. People still do it here but it’s not as widespread and they actually do stand a chance of getting caught.
The main thing I would say to anyone who wants to move here is this: It’s not some manageable little town with its own vibe. It’s a suburb of El Paso, without the Italian food.
My dad always used to say that language was the glue that held society together, and when, due to lack of literacy and other reasons, when a society can no longer communicate through proper spelling, this is a tell-tale sign of societal decay.
My mom was a high school English and Music teacher and felt the same way. She and your dad would have been aghast reading the original Lewis and Clark journals. They even spelled the same words multiple incorrect ways.
Update: We have been in metro Tucson now for nearly three months. What a difference! Arizona actually has police officers! I’ve seen people pulled over for traffic stops! Better, more courteous drivers without question. The Walmart has shopping carts INDOORS, you don’t have to walk back outside to get one! The dining options are exceptional! They have what’s called “Italian” food here. I went to the local car wash and there weren’t 8 different cars blasting crappy music! People are, without question, nicer and more socially adapted. The traffic is worse obviously but I’ve yet to see an area as bad as the Loman/I-25 area. Housing’s a little bit higher but not by much. We ended up with a nice town home near the mountains. HOA is a bit steep but not too bad for what we get (beautiful park-like grounds, pool and some utilities). Maybe I shouldn’t have been so hard on Cruces. I (we) needed this. Civilization, laws, food, shopping. This is what we were looking for and should have known Cruces wouldn’t be able to provide it.
The hardest thing to get used to in Cruces was the lack of police. The sheriff’s dept probably has more than it’s share of traffic control since the only time I saw LCPD they were talking to homeless people or at a scene of an incident. 20mph over is the norm. People would drive down the road closest to us at 100mph or more at night, the speed limit is 35mph. Crappy V6 Camaro’s with exhaust kits that make the car sound like a goat getting raped was a common sound in our home. People still do it here but it’s not as widespread and they actually do stand a chance of getting caught.
The main thing I would say to anyone who wants to move here is this: It’s not some manageable little town with its own vibe. It’s a suburb of El Paso, without the Italian food.
Yesterday the city mercifully graduated 36 cadets that will be on the force. That's a good update. As far as Italian food is concerned, I do miss that. We actually had a good restaurant here more than 10 years ago: Lorenzo's De Mesilla that was off of Avenida Mesilla. A family dispute saw the end of that restaurant, and the city has never been able to replace the quality of Italian since its closing.
We’ve been here for three years now and my wife and I have decided we’ve had enough. When we first moved here we liked it. Weather is fine and the Organs are beautiful but the negatives have begun to outweigh the positives. First off the people here are not friendly. Aggressive drivers. Aggressive people in general. I’ve had run ins with strangers here when I never had any in the place we came from. No matter where you go the customer service sucks. From restaurants to stores and everything in between. It has a small town mentality and the basic thought process is, if you don’t like it, go somewhere else. There’s absolutely no police presence whatsoever and idiots use the road near our house as a racetrack 24/7. Extremely loud cars and loud music constantly, disrespectful to the point of making our neighborhood unlivable. I’ve called the police several times and not once have I seen them show up in our area. There are a few decent restaurants but they get old after a while. No real sports bars, we’ve gone to one and paid $9 for a hamburger the size of a McDonalds regular hamburger and the place was so dirty we’ll never go again. No real entertainment, for that you’re driving 45 minutes to El Paso and dealing with the Highway of Death (I-10). We wanted to relocate to a different neighborhood but now the one good thing Las Cruces had going for it is gone; affordable housing is no more. If you want a nice house in a nice neighborhood you’re spending $300k for a 1500 sq ft track home with a postage size lot. Truth is, it’s boring here. If you’re retired and have a bunch of money you might like it here. Buy a nice home in a quiet neighborhood and don’t go anywhere, this might be the place for you. Just know if you go outside of your neighborhood you’re going to be dealing with aggressive bro’s with bad attitudes driving their BMW’s with 84 month loans. The job market is horrible because of its size. My wife has a masters and the same teaching job she had where we’re from pays almost half here as it did there. She’s looked for work the entire time we’ve been here but if there’s not a Spanish requirement, the pay is laughable. If this place had more going for it it would be one thing but it’s just a dusty patch in the desert with overpriced homes and nothing to do. We tried to like it here, we tried to make it work but are now done. It’s not worth it. This place ain’t worth trying for. If you’re thinking about moving here, look at other options first. More than likely we’ll end up outside of Tucson or Phoenix as Albuquerque is just a bigger version of this.
Hey, if you consider Arizona, welcome to The Grand Canyon State! I grew up in El Paso, and I am so happy I left. I have lived in Tucson and I currently live in a suburb of Phoenix. Let me tell you how both cities are. These are my personal experiences, and many people have different experiences. Before I share with you, let me say, you are so right about Las Cruces and the El Paso area in general. Very rude and aggressive people, worst drivers in the country, and just awful. It was hard to meet people to vibe with in the El Paso-Las Cruces area. Now onto my experiences.
I personally prefer Phoenix over Tucson.
Tucson: It's a large small town. There are not any freeways. It may sometimes take you 30+ traffic lights to get somewhere across town. Drivers are more courteous in Tucson and they most of the time let you into their lane. Around the U of A area is where the most aggressive drivers of Pima County are. There is not much to do, but it is more entertaining than the El Paso area. Better shopping, cleaner city, and nicer scenery. There is a lot of crime though. If you consider Tucson, look into the Catalina Foothills area or Oro Valley area. Marana is good too as well as far out east Tucson. The rest of Tucson, you have to be a little careful there. The people are not very friendly, but friendlier than El Paso-Las Cruces for sure. It's easier to meet people in Tucson compared to El Paso. It is a college town, and everyone is into the U of A wildcats and they hate Phoenix and ASU. Overall, it was ok, but I felt it was too small for me, as I love big cities.
Phoenix: Huge city but feels more like a suburb. Drivers are aggressive, not going to lie, but I think drivers in El Paso-Las Cruces are much worse. When I go back to visit, I always almost get hit in El Paso and always have to use my horn. People are very friendly in the Phoenix area, but not all over. It's a mixed bag. Some suburbs and areas are friendlier than others. I've found the southeast valley and the eastern suburbs to be the friendliest in the Phoenix area. There is a lot of entertainment and so much to do. The shopping in fantastic. You also have access to a big international airport with cheap flights. It's easy to meet people and make friends in Phoenix because nobody is from here. Everyone comes from somewhere else. Tucson has more Arizona natives than Phoenix. I'd recommend avoid living in Glendale, Maryvale, South Phoenix, parts of Mesa, and parts of Tempe. The rest of the Phoenix area is more livable than Tucson.
To sum it up, both cities are different. For me, I've found the Phoenix area as a whole to be friendlier than Tucson. However, you do have to deal with aggressive drivers, but like I said, not as bad as in El Paso-Las Cruces. I prefer the Phoenix area over Tucson personally, but each to their own. I think wages are higher in Phoenix along with more job opportunities. While Phoenix does have its own problems, I love my city and I can't ever imagine living anywhere else.
Interesting..ive been looking at Las cruces. Phoenix is deadly hot for 3 months..good grocery shopping..
Well, Las Cruces now has a Sprouts. I would say as recently as 5 years ago we didn't have the demographics to support a store such as Sprouts, but now that store is very strong. I heard that a second location was going to be built by Rinconada Boulevard, but that hasn't come to fruition yet. Also, the west side of El Paso, Whole Foods opened around 2018. Similar to Cruces, that store couldn't have thrived there in 2012, but it sure does now. All good things.
Update: We have been in metro Tucson now for nearly three months. What a difference! Arizona actually has police officers! I’ve seen people pulled over for traffic stops! Better, more courteous drivers without question. The Walmart has shopping carts INDOORS, you don’t have to walk back outside to get one! The dining options are exceptional! They have what’s called “Italian” food here. I went to the local car wash and there weren’t 8 different cars blasting crappy music! People are, without question, nicer and more socially adapted. The traffic is worse obviously but I’ve yet to see an area as bad as the Loman/I-25 area. Housing’s a little bit higher but not by much. We ended up with a nice town home near the mountains. HOA is a bit steep but not too bad for what we get (beautiful park-like grounds, pool and some utilities). Maybe I shouldn’t have been so hard on Cruces. I (we) needed this. Civilization, laws, food, shopping. This is what we were looking for and should have known Cruces wouldn’t be able to provide it.
The hardest thing to get used to in Cruces was the lack of police. The sheriff’s dept probably has more than it’s share of traffic control since the only time I saw LCPD they were talking to homeless people or at a scene of an incident. 20mph over is the norm. People would drive down the road closest to us at 100mph or more at night, the speed limit is 35mph. Crappy V6 Camaro’s with exhaust kits that make the car sound like a goat getting raped was a common sound in our home. People still do it here but it’s not as widespread and they actually do stand a chance of getting caught.
The main thing I would say to anyone who wants to move here is this: It’s not some manageable little town with its own vibe. It’s a suburb of El Paso, without the Italian food.
Ha! What a joke! Tucson is dealing with a debilitating officer shortage. I think you are yet again going into a place with rose-colored glasses and will be in for a rude awakening. You seem to have a pattern of ignoring obvious issues and plain facts about places in order to support your uninformed decisions. Tucson has tons of issues and it is in no way a paradise. High poverty, high crime, low wages, high real estate prices and cost of living, etc. You are already brushing them over.
Tucson, AZ – The severely-understaffed Tucson Police Department (TPD) will no longer respond to numerous types of calls in an attempt to ensure there are still enough officers to respond to high-priority emergencies.
TPD Chief Chris Magnus said the department is buckling beneath a severe staffing shortage that is becoming more dire by the day, the*Green Valley News*reported.
“Call demand far exceeds the number of officers available to address it,” Chief Magnus said in an internal email last week, according to the paper.
Effective in the near future, TPD will no longer respond to deaths at medical care facilities, noise complaints, medical welfare checks, and non-criminal homeless calls that occur on public property, Chief Magnus said in the internal email he issued March 4, according to the Green Valley News.
Offers will also no longer respond to reports of contraband found at courts, hospitals and schools, with the exception of firearms.
Police will not provide transports for medical, shelter, or detox cases, and will not respond to hospitals to deal with uncooperative victims, he said.
Chief Magnus said more call types will be omitted in the event the TPD’s staff continues to dwindle, to include responding to trespassers inside certain properties, all code enforcement, runaways, civil matters, suicidal subjects, mental health welfare checks, panhandling, and defecating or urinating in public, the Green Valley News reported.
...
According to the Tucson Police Officers Association (TPOA), the staffing shortage has resulted in a severe delay in response times to 1,012 burglaries over the past year.
A bulk of burglary victims waited at least four hours to speak with an officer, while at least one victim waited for 23 hours, the TPOA said in a*Facebook*post.
“It really delays our response to the community, which means we lose evidence scattering, we lose time in the suspect being further away or ahead of us,” a union spokesperson told*KGUN. “And then as our standard goes down, we’re going to see cuts to our proactive, preventative strategies.”
Chief Magnus explained to the Tucson City Council in January that the city is paying its police officers 13.4 percent less than departments in surrounding jurisdictions are offering, the Green Valley News reported.
He said it would take $10.6 million annually to bring TPD up to par.
Experienced officers are leaving the department “at a troubling rate” in exchange for pay and perks offered by other departments, such as the nearby Queen Creek Police Department (QCPD), Chief Magnus said.
The QCPD only takes lateral hires and offers a base wage that is $19,000 higher than TPD’s, the Green Valley News reported.
The QCPD also tosses in a $2,000 hiring bonus, according to Chief Magnus.
“Departments want to hire our cops,” he warned the city council back in January.
The TPD is currently losing approximately 8.5 officers per month, according to the chief.
They had 853 sworn officers in January of 2020, and will be down to 709 sworn officers in January of 2024 if this rate continues, the Green Valley News reported.
The department needs to have 1,000 sworn officers to fully function, according to KGUN.
Update: We have been in metro Tucson now for nearly three months. What a difference! Arizona actually has police officers! I’ve seen people pulled over for traffic stops! Better, more courteous drivers without question. .
The difference between AZ and NM in my experience (Santa FE, mainly, but also Taos) is, that while NM has police officers, and they do pull people over for traffic stops, it doesn't make any difference to how people drive. They just go back to their speeding, weaving, red-light-running, reckless ways. I've been in the Denver area for the last year, and a half, and I'm astonished to see that everyone abides by the posted speed limits! I wouldn't have thought such a thing possible! I've only seen 2 people run a red light in the entire time I've been here. It's a different world!
Although as I've posted before, on my visit to Santa Fe earlier this year, the relatively sparse traffic due to WFH and Covid seems to have improved people's driving. Less crowding on the roads = drivers that are less stressed, more relaxed, it seems. We can hope it lasts.
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I've only seen 2 people run a red light in the entire time I've been here. It's a different world! 
