Monday, August 9, 2010

Another Tough Weekend

We have to admit it. We have a problem with excessive violence in this town. Especially on weekends. Add ETOH and other intoxicants to the change of routine that the weekend presents and people get killed. Three more people were murdered over the weekend and one more person was found dead under suspicious circumstances Monday. This brings the homicide total to 67 for the current year.

It hurts our city to have this much killing. Check these stats out.

Chicago, IL: population 2,833,321. 2009 homicides: 458 Rate: 16.2 homicides per 100,000 people.
New York, NY: population: 8,214, 426 2009 homicides: 471 Rate: 5.7 per 100,000 people. Kansas City, MO: population: 447,306 2009 homicides: 110 Rate: 24.4 per 100,000 people.

Chicago has had 229 homicides in 2010; New York has had 305 homicides in 2010 and Kansas City has had 67 homicides in 2010. New York had a very good year in 2009, but even if the number was to go up to 600 for this year, it would still be fewer killings per 100,000 than Kansas City. New York, in fact, has a lower murder rate than both Midwestern cities--I find that very interesting. What is New York doing that Chicago and Kansas City are not doing? What does New York have that Chicago and Kansas City do not have (or vise versa)?

Let's find out, because we need to face this horrendous murder rate head on, and do something about it.

Logo is from The Pitch--and depressingly correct.

4 comments:

Bob G. said...

T.O.:

You really don't have a violent TOWN...you just have a lot of violent PEOPLE in that town.

The idea is to RID your town OF such people.

But with our judicial (and penal)system as screwed up as it is, that's going to easier SAID...than DONE.

Not to mention that whenever you have growing numbers of "entitlement-driven" mentalities, you will invariably have MORE CRIME.

When some people "think" (which they obviously do NOT all that well) that everyone owes them everything, and then get it...whatever is left that they STILL want...they will TAKE, and by any means.

Life itself slips way down the list of items to hold onto, unfortunately.
It becomes real cheap, real fast.

But any city needs to fully address the PROBLEM, and take whatever (and oft times unpopular) methods to follow it through.

Look at cities with LOW crime rates, then look at ALL the demographics OF those cities.

It's so obvious...to all but those in City hall in the bad cities...
Wonder why?

Take care and stay safe out there.

The Observer said...

Bob G:
A terrific comment, as always. I do think some of it is the entitlement mentality, along with an inability to separate one's worth from "respect" and "winning."

I was thinking about the diff between NYC, Chicago and KC. NYC's demographics might be more diverse--fewer of the "gimme gimme" set and more go getters and dream chasers, and more people with more money. That, and the policies and work of the NYPD, starting with Rudy's "broken windows" in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Just a thought.
Thanks for reading!

The Observer

Ann T. said...

Dear The Observer,
I think, without being there, it relates to your comment elsewhere about I-35. You're getting an influx of undesirable international trade.

People are consolidating and marking off their franchises, so to speak.

But you would know best. I also think that's what's going on in Chicago, with an extra mix of an unsupported PD and a Very Corrupt city government. Plus the entitlement in Chicago rust belt etc.

Interesting, thanks for posting!
Above all, stay alert my lady!

Ann T.

The Observer said...

Ann T:
I don't believe we are getting a lot of that kind of murder. Some of it seems street level, gang related and over that nebulous concept, "respect"; other of it seems to be conflicts--girls, property, that sort of thing. And drive bys, which are the combination of the two. Lots of shooting into cars, and from cars.

Some very tough cases for the PD to solve, and they are getting criticism from some of the populace for not doing a good job.

Yes, I'm careful. I try to keep the balance between being smart and being scared!

The Observer