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U.S. NEWSWednesday 28 October
Homicide spike draws alarm
from Obama administration
President Barack Obama pauses while speaking at the 122nd International Association of Chiefs ERIC TUCKER Though the homicide totals
of Police Annual Conference, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, in Chicago. Obama thanked the law Associated Press are rising, they’re nowhere
enforcement leaders for the sacrifices they make and the work they do each day to keep their WASHINGTON (AP) — This close to levels of the early
communities safe. year has brought an unusu- 1990s, when the crack co-
ally grim and steady drum- caine epidemic contrib-
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) beat of violence through- uted to hundreds of homi-
out the U.S. cides a year in some cities.
A 5-month-old girl killed Even so, federal officials
this month in Cleveland in are concerned that the
a drive-by shooting. Seven current trend comes as a
people slain in Chicago series of high-profile police
over the July 4th weekend. shootings of young black
A young female journalist men have driven a wedge
in Washington, D.C., fatally between police and their
struck by a bullet in May communities and placed
while waiting to change policing tactics under ex-
buses. traordinary scrutiny. Each
Violent crime has often instance of perceived offi-
been considered a local cer misconduct, and each
government concern and time an officer is physically
a problem that had been attacked while on patrol,
on the decline. But rising risks widening that divide,
homicide totals in most Comey has said.
of America’s large cities The uptick, if it continues,
have raised alarms within threatens to draw resourc-
the Obama administration, es away from other police
with federal officials draw- department initiatives —
ing urgent attention to the and reverse some of the
problem before Congress, progress cities have made
at conferences and in against violent crime over
speeches. the last two decades.
The Justice Department Washington, D.C., which in
this month organized a 2012 recorded just 88 ho-
brainstorming summit with micides, already has 128
mayors and police chiefs. this year. Chicago police
FBI Director James Com- counted 385 killings as of
ey, testifying before Con- Oct. 18, up from 323 on the
gress last week, said the same date last year. Police
“very disturbing” homicide in Cleveland say they had
spike has law enforcement 101 slayings as of Friday, an
scrambling to figure out increase from the 87 they
why it’s happening now, reported on the same date
and why in so many cities in 2014. There’s no single
that seemingly have little in explanation, and it’s not
common otherwise. clear whether this year’s
“It’s happening all over numbers are an aberration
the country, and it’s hap- or the start of a worrisome
pening all in the last 10 trend. Some blame easier
months,” Comey told the access to drugs and guns
House Judiciary Commit- and have suggested that
tee. “And so a lot of us in residents, including gangs,
law enforcement are talk- suddenly seem more willing
ing and trying to under- to resolve petty disputes
stand what is happening in with deadly violence.
this country. What explains Some experts also think
the map? What explains that the homicide totals
the calendar? “ had crept so low that it was
President Barack Obama unreasonable to expect
addressed a meeting of that decline to continue, or
International Association of theorize that police strate-
Chiefs of Police in Chicago gies may have stopped
on Tuesday, where he de- evolving amid success.
fended police officers for “We thought that all the
doing their jobs with “dis- things we were doing were
tinction” and said they had making crime decline in
been scapegoated for meaningful, permanent
the failures of society and ways,” said John Roman,
the criminal justice system. a senior fellow at the Ur-
Attorney General Loretta ban Institute, a Washington
Lynch had also been ex- think tank. “And it turned
pected to speak, but her out we weren’t doing
appearance was can- as much as we thought,
celed because she was and the declines weren’t
not feeling well. permanent.”q
