Life In Scottsdale

The past 4 years of crime data can easily be looked up in Scottsdale: http://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/dmc/crimes/default.asp

It requires installing a few ActiveX controllers (whatever the hell that is).  This is a map of the Scottsdale Rd / Indian Bend Intersection and surrounding areas for the entire year of 2007.  Despite all the police reports (at least one of which was caused by me), it’s a pretty safe area.

http://www.supreme.state.az.us/publicaccess/notification/search.asp

Want to know who has trial for what?  Who was convicted of what?  Check this out — it captures virtually every court in the State of Arizona.  A quick search of one of my less favorite suns (mostly due to jealousy), Dan Marleje, shows a squeaky clean lifestyle.  No cases! 

Next, I looked up my favorite Sun, Amare Stoudemire.  3 cases.  Not so great, Amare!  I clicked on one and it was a traffic violation, and I imagine the others are, too.  I haven’t heard about him getting into any serious trouble.  While I’m on the subject of my man Amare, what a beast! 

www.azsexoffender.com - this is a great site.  I really don’t know how useful it is, after all, if a convicted sex offender is living near you, what the hell are you going to do about it?  Tell your kids to stay away from him?  Everyone on the site actually looks like a sex offender, so I don’t think that any normal kid would get within 100 yards of one of these people anyway.  What else are you going to do, move?  I guess that is viable, but there is a general safe bet in life: the more you pay for your house, the fewer sex offenders will be nearby.  One benefit of the site is humiliation and embarasement of sex offenders.  A fair punishment, for such an awful crime.  Personally, the fear of being on the site is enough to prevent me from even looking in the direction of a 17 year old girl.  And the site is an interesting look at our society’s underbelly.

The graphic above is a picture of the 85253 zip code.  It’s almost entirely clear, aside from a few blips east of Scottsdale Road.  Check out an old town zip code like 85251 for more frightening stuff.