| Viewing Single Post From: Blog and Media Roundup - Thursday, July 2, 2009 | |
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| abb | Jul 2 2009, 05:17 AM |
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http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/opinion/hsedits/56-1177106.cfm Putting crime in perspective Jul 2, 2009 Bookmark and Share There are many ways to analyze crime and many ways to react to violent crimes, including homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults. The City of Durham tracks such crimes by grouping them all under "violent crimes," which is the way the U.S. Justice Department compiles its figures. Through that lens, Durham had 335 violent crimes in the first three months of 2009, which seems like a lot until you consider that for the same period last year, there were 482 violent crimes. That's a 30 percent decrease. To add further perspective, that puts Durham at about average when compared to 11 similar cities in the Southeast, and below average when compared to 28 "peer" cities across the country. (http://www.dcvb-nc.com/cr/2008_Crime_Comparative_Summary.pdf) So it is good news that violent crimes are decreasing. Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez said reasons for the decrease include the department's success in jailing key suspects and that bail policies have tightened since 2007. So people who commit violent crimes are more likely to be put in jail and to stay in jail. Again, given Durham's flawed record with letting the wrong people out on bail, that is good news. Of course it also seems strange to brag about 335 violent crimes in three months as being good news. Likewise, it seems odd to make a distinction that a homicide was "not random," such as the murder this month of Jessica Ellis, 28, at 414 Newsom St., which shocked the quiet neighborhood. Police have issued a murder warrant for Joseph Demetrius Muller, 40. And no one suspected that Lewis Scarlette, 56, would have killed his half-brother Joseph Best, 40, in a home in the Crest Street neighborhood Saturday night. But Scarlette is charged with Best's death. The point is that although a violent incident occurred, neighbors and other members of the public were not in danger. In fact, in most homicides, the victims and the perpetrators knew each other. That does not diminish the severity of the crime, or our emphasis on reducing crime city-wide. But it's good to remember as we try to put violent crime in perspective. |
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| Blog and Media Roundup - Thursday, July 2, 2009 · DUKE LACROSSE - Liestoppers | |
11:47 PM Nov 30
