32 people murdered over 15 day period in Detroit

[Zacha341]

From article: David Nelson was one of the 32 people killed in Detroit over the last 15 days. It's the largest spike in homicides in as many days in the city's history.
To date, 277 people have been murdered in Detroit compared 259 at this same time last year.

"It's sad. It makes you scared to go outside. It makes you intimidated by everything," Nelson remarked.

The head of homicide, Lieutenant Dwayne Blackmon, said very few cases are random. Many of the murders are fueled by anger. The new, 12-hour police patrol shifts may help by providing more of a police presence to stop the violence from escalating, but he said nothing will really change until people in Detroit stop solving their problems with gun violence.

We're learned there were around 140 shootings during that same 15 day time period.

Nelson, who struggles every day knowing her children will grow up without a father, does feel grateful about one thing. Unlike so many out there, her husband's murder was solved.

"It does make you feel better that the guy's not out there, but it definitely doesn't make it any better," she said.

We're told out of the 32 homicides, twelve cases have been closed.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/19...iod-in-detroit

[Motor City Sam]

Unreal. Not much surprises me these days, particularly crime stats, but 32 homicides in 15 days blows my mind.

[313WX]

Per-capita, despite the population decline, Detroit is just as dangerous as, if not more dangerous than, the 1970s.

[getmoore]

Wow. Maybe anger management should be a taught in the schools as mandatory class. What the heck can we do about this crazy violent culture going on?! What?!

[Bham1982]

Per-capita, despite the population decline, Detroit is just as dangerous as, if not more dangerous than, the 1970s.

I would agree. I think the current population estimates are, if anything, high, and I think a huge proportion of crimes are unreported compared to the 70's.

Detroit is probably more dangerous now than at any time in its history.

[MidTownMs]

Wow. Maybe anger management should be a taught in the schools as mandatory class. What the heck can we do about this crazy violent culture going on?! What?!

What can we do? I asked myself that question for many years. Finally I decided that the quality of my life was more important than my loyalty to Detroit and I left 5 months ago.

[firstandten]

Wow. Maybe anger management should be a taught in the schools as mandatory class. What the heck can we do about this crazy violent culture going on?! What?!

Agreed, that would at least be a start

[313WX]

What can we do? I asked myself that question for many years. Finally I decided that the quality of my life was more important than my loyalty to Detroit and I left 5 months ago.

Yes, what CAN we do about it?

The thing about it too is the elements won't disappear once they're finish destroying what's left of Detroit, they'll simply move north and west into the suburbs who are strained budget-wise themselves.

[401don]

It was obvious the violent crime would not decrease with population loss and the per capita crime rate would jump. After all, it wasn't the violent thugs moving to the burbs for a better life, it was people with jobs and children.

[cman710]

It was obvious the violent crime would not decrease with population loss and the per capita crime rate would jump. After all, it wasn't the violent thugs moving to the burbs for a better life, it was people with jobs and children.

Agreed.

I do think that this tragic situation can be improved with better, more effective policing. If people were caught for using guns, then they would be deterred from using them. Placing the blame solely on the community is not fair, as both the police and the community must work together to reduce violence.

[Lowell]

Per-capita, despite the population decline, Detroit is just as dangerous as, if not more dangerous than, the 1970s.

Thinking back to those days, it seemed worse then, primarily because the spike back then was so dramatic. Detroit had cruised along with 1-200 murders a year then suddenly it rose dramatically topping 800 one year.

Detroit in the 1970's was far more economically and ethnically diverse than today. it still had a very large prosperous middle class with the resulting revenues, good schools and other services. Today it is a sea of poverty with islands of prosperity. So comparison needs to be handled with care.

I would bet a scatter chart would show the murders tightly linked to impoverished neighborhoods in both situations. Since there are far more of those now than then, only examination of the murders would reveal if it is truly worse now than back then.

Possibly the worst legacy of the 1967 riot was the proliferation of firearms that followed from the fears it engendered combined with cheap heroin from SE Asia and emergence of a drugs and guns era. Little has changed except the type of drugs and the efficiency of the weapons.

What to do? Maybe they should cut the cops pay another 10% and put them on 18 hour days.

No. This is a state problem, beyond bankrupt Detroit's reach, and emergency law enforcement resources need to be poured in, particularly investigative resources to protect the residents of Michigan. Letting murderers get away with it, as we see in the high rate of unsolved crimes, is fueling this situation. Every murder needs to be thoroughly investigate and the perps hunted down and prosecuted.

[Motor City Sam]

It was obvious the violent crime would not decrease with population loss and the per capita crime rate would jump. After all, it wasn't the violent thugs moving to the burbs for a better life, it was people with jobs and children.

Excellent point. That's why I've always disagreed with anyone who said it makes sense to have a smaller police force since we have a smaller population.

[Hamtragedy]

Agreed. Detroit Police' inability to solve nearly half of all homicides has been troubling for at least a decade.

[MSUguy]

Wow. Maybe anger management should be a taught in the schools as mandatory class. What the heck can we do about this crazy violent culture going on?! What?!

I couldn't agree there is culture violence, the kids are not born violent, but they grow up learning to resolve conflicts in a violent manner. Much like sex education we can leave, conflict resolution to be learned in the streets or the classroom.

[getmoore]

I couldn't agree there is culture violence, the kids are not born violent, but they grow up learning to resolve conflicts in a violent manner. Much like sex education we can leave, conflict resolution to be learned in the streets or the classroom.

I never said kids were born violent. And when you say they grow up learning to resolve conflicts in a violent manner that is EXACTLY what I mean by violent culture. Violence is seen as normal within the culture. From little kids being made to fight so they will be "hard" to teaching them to stare people down and to never letting anyone get away with "disrespecting" them. I can go on and on. I've seen it.

[Hypestyles]

help from multiple agencies is needed. but... if the state police were to be "deputized" to investigate detroit violent crime, how much of a turf-war would that create, balking from the detroit brass/commissioners and maybe even city council..

[Wheels]

help from multiple agencies is needed. but... if the state police were to be "deputized" to investigate detroit violent crime, how much of a turf-war would that create, balking from the detroit brass/commissioners and maybe even city council..

State Police have jurisdiction to investigate crime anywhere in the State of Michigan.

[bailey]

Agreed. Detroit Police' inability to solve nearly half of all homicides has been troubling for at least a decade.

Originally Posted by Hypestyles
help from multiple agencies is needed. but... if the state police were to be "deputized" to investigate detroit violent crime, how much of a turf-war would that create, balking from the detroit brass/commissioners and maybe even city council..

State Police have jurisdiction to investigate crime anywhere in the State of Michigan.

Really... how much "investigating"/solving is really needed here? I mean, investigations lead to arrests which lead [[sometimes) to jail time. Anyone, anywhere think that any single one of the people whipping out a gun to rectify some "disrespect" or to kill someone over a pair of expensive glasses, or shoes, or cell phone..ect, gives a rats ass about going to jail?

[Detroitnerd]

I couldn't agree there is culture violence, the kids are not born violent, but they grow up learning to resolve conflicts in a violent manner.

It's the people at the top that set the tone. When you have leaders who believe that we can bludgeon the world into obedience with a half-dozen wars and occupations, ...

[Meddle]

Pick on the Homicide investigators all you want, but if people don't talk, not much gets done. It's very rare that they can make an arrest without witnesses.

[Hypestyles]

State Police have jurisdiction to investigate crime anywhere in the State of Michigan.

...so when state troopers and/or wayne co. sheriff cars start becoming the norm in detroit neighborhoods, I'll await the drastic drops in crime stats..

[softailrider]

Thinking back to those days, it seemed worse then, primarily because the spike back then was so dramatic. Detroit had cruised along with 1-200 murders a year then suddenly it rose dramatically topping 800 one year.

Detroit in the 1970's was far more economically and ethnically diverse than today. it still had a very large prosperous middle class with the resulting revenues, good schools and other services. Today it is a sea of poverty with islands of prosperity. So comparison needs to be handled with care.

I would bet a scatter chart would show the murders tightly linked to impoverished neighborhoods in both situations. Since there are far more of those now than then, only examination of the murders would reveal if it is truly worse now than back then.

Possibly the worst legacy of the 1967 riot was the proliferation of firearms that followed from the fears it engendered combined with cheap heroin from SE Asia and emergence of a drugs and guns era. Little has changed except the type of drugs and the efficiency of the weapons.

What to do? Maybe they should cut the cops pay another 10% and put them on 18 hour days.

No. This is a state problem, beyond bankrupt Detroit's reach, and emergency law enforcement resources need to be poured in, particularly investigative resources to protect the residents of Michigan. Letting murderers get away with it, as we see in the high rate of unsolved crimes, is fueling this situation. Every murder needs to be thoroughly investigate and the perps hunted down and prosecuted.

Well then maybe the city just needs more talented cops. Remember the fireworks evening shooting at Hart Plaza several years back? The Detroit Police had a lot of witnesses to that one [[hundreds of thousands) and they couldn't come up with anything.

[DetroitPlanner]

Just think if they included the suburbs. There were several over the same time period.

[Det_ard]

It's the people at the top that set the tone. When you have leaders who believe that we can bludgeon the world into obedience with a half-dozen wars and occupations, ...

Sure. Detroit's thugs are thuggish because they're such close followers of foreign affairs. You see them rolling through the ghetto on their 22" rims, blasting BBC World News and the Diane Rehm Show through their subwoofers.

[Zacha341]

Yeah the detail, politics and epistemological, existential reasoning or reasons why are not top of mind for that segment. Let the social intellectuals continue to 'study'... on it....

Sure. Detroit's thugs are thuggish because they're such close followers of foreign affairs. You see them rolling through the ghetto on their 22" rims, blasting BBC World News and the Diane Rehm Show through their subwoofers.