Transcript Detroiters worried by 22% rise in homicides

Detroiters worried by 22% rise in homicides
Other cities across nation show drops
BY BEN SCHMITT and AMBER HUNT
April 14, 2006
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006604140365
Increase in Number of Detroit Homicides
• As of Tuesday, the number of homicides recorded in
Detroit this year was 106, a 22% increase over the 87
reported by police during the same time last year.
Nonfatal shootings are up as well, with 337
compared with 280 last year.
• Those statistics alarmed city officials and police
personnel as other major municipalities across
America -- including Baltimore, Chicago, Houston
and Washington, D.C. -- have seen a drop in killings.
• Los Angeles, for instance, has a 19% decrease
through April 8 with 109 homicides. Chicago has
logged 87 homicides so far, down from 100 at this
time last year.
Reaction
• Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said Thursday the
numbers are "a huge red flag for me." She said a reduction in
the number of police may have had an impact. She also said
high unemployment, illiteracy rates and the prevalence of guns
play roles.
• "It would be disingenuous if I told you a reduction of manpower
in the department doesn't have an effect fighting crime,
because it does," Bully-Cummings said. "But we've done a
tremendous job over the last couple of years. Even with losing
close to 1,000 officers in last 4 1/2 years, we've been able to
keep crime down."
• Last year, Detroit had 374 homicides, compared with 384 the
year before that. While that ranks among the most in cities
across the nation, it's still far lower than the 714 homicides of
1974, when Detroit acquired the nickname Murder City.
Trends over time
Homicide Rate Per 100,000 since 1950 - US
Homicide Rate
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
Year
1990
2000
2010
Homicide Rate
Crime Rates for Large Cities
Crime Rates for Selected Large Cities, 2002
(offenses known to the police per 100,000 inhabitants)
City ranked
by
Population
Size
New York, N.Y.
Los Angeles, Calif.
Chicago, Ill.
Houston, Tex.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Phoenix, Ariz.
San Diego, Calif.
Dallas, Tex.
San Antonio, Tex.
Las Vegas, Nev.
Detroit, Mich.
San Jose, Calif.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Indianapolis, Ind.
Violent crime
Crime
index,
total
3,100.10
4,986.00
7,313.90
5,471.10
7,823.50
3,951.90
9,024.70
7,873.30
4,924.80
8,839.50
2,601.70
6,360.40
6,032.50
Murder
7.3
17.1
22.1
12.5
18.9
12.6
3.7
15.8
8.4
11.9
41.8
2.8
2.0
13.9
Property crime
Forcible
Aggravated
rape
Robbery assault Burglary
20.9
36.9
43.7
67.9
29.2
26.0
52.8
38.8
42.8
73.6
40.8
33.8
54.8
336.8
448.9
630.7
549.5
581.9
290.0
128.3
647.7
176.8
327.3
653.6
89.1
119.1
365.3
424.7
846.6
845.5
617.4
647.2
395.8
409.1
654.5
593.1
396.5
1303.8
312.8
134.0
501.0
372.3
662.4
869.6
1318.5
737.7
1199.7
602.3
1639.3
1118.1
965.4
1496.8
326.1
992.0
1201.7
Larcenytheft
1603.7
2083.6
3280.1
3599.2
2544.8
4072.4
1937.7
4535.4
5457.6
2098.2
2790.0
1470.3
4136.9
3087.1
Motor
vehicle
theft
334.4
890.5
859.2
1173.1
872.7
1823.9
844.8
1479.3
480.4
1082.7
2480.0
359.7
942.7
808.7
Determinants of a New Crime Rise?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Worse economic indicators?
Diversion of police to terror-related activities?
Resurgence of new violent drug markets?
Diffusion of guns?
Reduced revenue to state and local govts?
Net decline in incarceration growth?
More young people?
Source: Blumstein: http://samoa.istat.it/Eventi/sicurezza/relazioni/Blumstein_rel.pdf