PHOENIX — Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced an awareness campaign Wednesday targeting teens who post video of violent confrontations on social media platforms, but don't report it to the police.
"It's critical reporting to law enforcement is done do keep the community safe," Mitchell told reporters at a press conference.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Fiscal del Condado Maricopa anuncia campaña ‘Report, don’t re-post’ para ayuda a enjuiciar en casos de violencia entre adolescentes
The campaign was motivated, she said, by an increase in the most violent crimes by teens that went from six in 2022 to 27 in 2023. An obvious motivator for the campaign were the so-called Gilbert Goons cases, where the fatal assault on Preston Lord and other serious assaults were recorded on phones and posted to social media platforms.
"Data show the trend of the number of teenagers and juveniles referred for prosecution is going up," she said.
The "Report, don't repost" campaign will go across digital media to encourage teens who record or see videos of recordings of violent crimes to report them to police, rather than just re-posting them to popular social platforms.
>> This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. Stay with 12News for the latest.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.