Someone asked over on Billy’s blog what the big issue is going to be in this year’s at-large City Council elections. My answer: crime.
In a sad and unwelcome underscoring of my point, the Journal Star is now reporting on Peoria’s third homicide of the year. We’re not even out of January yet.
Peoria Police responded to the shooting at approximately 11 a.m. at 231 Hancock St. Apt. 309. The victim was reportedly shot in the head. …Police said no one is in custody, but they are interviewing witnesses.
With homicides evidently on the rise and the recent riot at Club 112 downtown in which police officers were attacked, I think any candidate forum is going to include a healthy number of questions about crime and what Peoria should be doing about it.
UPDATE: The Journal Star now reports that the teen is 16-year-old Domonique Alexander, a junior at Woodruff High School who was killed while he was sleeping.
Crime is down. The chief said so !!!
How many break-ins have we had in the Uplands this month?
Maybe people just are not reporting them anymore.
Cj,
the first question that hit me in this latest homocide was “why wasn’t this kid in school”
11am, school’s in session, lived with grandmother so most likely she was at home, but he’s sleeping at a “friends” place.
Before the rant inside explodes with so many things wrong with this, a coworker had an interesting suggestion. Could the school district email the truancy center with a list of unexcused absences and also to campus security and the police. If we are serious about truancy, then a few more proactive approaches need to be taken. I thought I was an idea worth merit. I also realize that the police are pretty much running from call to call and go back to the force does need to be expanded so that officers have the ability to be more proactive, detering crime before it happens.
No one has the cahonies to start talking about the root causes of crimes, opens too many cans of worms, but discuss we must if ever we are to move beyond it. A culture of violence exists and keeps expanding. 2nd shooting this evening, wonder if that victim will make it through the night. Few want to help, most are apathetic and although some are simply frightened, most just don’t give a rat’s behind unless it bursts through their front door.
Paul,
That was also my first question as Dominique was described as a good student. The second was “How did a gun end up in public housing property?” It is my understanding that there is and has been a prohibition against residents and/or their guests having firearms within the public housing property. If this turns out to be a tragic and senseless accident because of adolesecents “playing” with a gun, before we look for another solution, lets examine the reasons for and the dynamics behind the break down that put a gun in the hands of a child during school hours on property that is firearm free.
Looks like Peoria may be up to 4 murders already… in January… Wow… no wonder people are moving to the surrounding towns. Just for comparison, if this trend continues, Peoria will be almost as bad as Camden, NJ was in ‘04 (worst city with a population over 75,000). This is assuming no one else is killed in January… which is a big “if”. Source is http://www.areaconnect.com
Deaths per 100,000 people (2004 stats):
6.9 National Average
7.0 NYC
12.4 Peoria (2004)
12.6 LA
15.6 Chicago
39.3 Detriot
40.6 Peoria (trend 2007)
41.2 Camden
40.6 = 4 (deaths in one month) * 12 (months in a year) / 118,136 (2004 census) * 100,000
No doubt these murderers would be happily riding their bicycles up and down the Kellar Branch instead of committing crimes if it were not for that evil Carver Lumber Company?
at least it will knock out being first in teenage mothers like we were few years back, wanna bet those two are interconnected?
Gary,
Had left a post, but apparantly it didn’t register. am sure it was operator error. Anyway. I suggested adding that to the list of public discussions. We are addressing symptoms of the disease, not the root cause. Unfortunately, People don’t want to delve into the root cause. It’s not pretty, but needs to happen.
Paul
Paul Wilkinson,
You have thrown the gauntlet with that post. Do you want to wade in the deep water and tell us just what is really on your mind? ^oo^~