Phoenix kidnapping falsehood rises from ashes

The claim that Phoenix has become one of the kidnapping capitals of the world is a falsehood that won’t die.

We first checked it in 2010, when Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said it to bolster arguments that the nation needs to be tougher on illegal immigrants. PolitiFact Texas found nothing to back up the Phoenix claim and rated it False.

Since then, it’s been repeated many times and kept our Truth-O-Meter busy.

Last week, we heard it again — this time from the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre. We took a fresh look for evidence and found not only is there little to back up the claim, but that investigations have raised questions about the validity of the stats kept by the Phoenix police.

We rated LaPierre’s claim False.