PHOENIX -- A Phoenix woman, fed up with career street criminals posing as homeless people, is calling on city leaders, police and prosecutors to put them behind bars.

Ann Malone started the group, "Require the Prior," because of repeat offenders lurking in alleys and shopping mall and grocery store parking lots in her neighborhood along the Indian School Road corridor in east Phoenix.

"When you're in a parking lot and somebody comes up and is aggressively panhandling and yelling at you and you're a middle-aged woman, you're going to say to yourself, 'Where should I really be shopping?'" Malone said. "And this guy who was living behind my wall, who I now know because of my own research was at least a five-time felon, was living behind a wall within feet of my seven children."

Malone said one man on the streets in her neighborhood has been arrested 95 times, turned loose and has cost taxpayers almost $30,000.

Malone said she has the support of about 120 businesses. She said some studies show that businesses are leaving Phoenix at a rate of 3 percent each year because of the high costs of covering graffiti, adding extra security and trying to keep customers despite aggressive panhandlers.

"One of our businesses at 32nd Street and Thomas Road had a gentleman arrested today who has had 100 arrests," she said.

The street criminals are not truly homeless, they choose to live on the streets and prey on other people, she said.

"Truly homeless people don't want to be homeless. They don't have jackets (criminal files) with 50, 60, 90 priors."

Police and prosecutors have a hard time dealing with the habitual criminals, Malone said.

"The booking process takes hours. Why should they book somebody like this if they know they're going to get out on the street before they finish booking? And they're not going to get time anyway? The prosecutors are trying as hard as they can. They're prosecuting 70,000 cases a year."

Street criminals are killing businesses and taxpayers, she said.

"The very first day of jail time, including the booking process, is $189 and change. Every day thereafter it's $72."

But, while jail is costly, Malone said the city no longer can afford not to jail career criminals.

She believes, "If we actually use the penalties that are on the books to let people know that if you commit a crime here, you will do serious time, then they'll leave."