Murder on the Rise
Baltimore ended the year with 278 homicides. Chicago had 445 homicides and New York had 565 as of Thursday, police said. There was one killing for about every 6,500 residents in Chicago, and one killing for about every 14,550 residents in New York. In Baltimore, there was one killing for about every 2,350 residents.
Mayor Martin O'Malley stressed that the city has reduced violent crime, even as the number of homicides has risen the last two years.
More than 300 people a year were killed in Baltimore during the 1990s, but the number dropped to 261 in 2000 and as low as 253 in 2002 before rising to 271 in 2003. Last year's total represents an increase of seven homicides over 2003.
The centerpiece of the plan to reduce killing is a weekly meeting where commanders review binders crammed with more than 400 pages of data and crime maps.
Among the things police have learned is that there are 28 city blocks that have had either a killing or shooting in each of the past five years. So they're targeting those blocks. They also know that three-quarters of all killings occur outside. As a result, they've been trying to push people off street corners through citations.
The East Baltimore police district recorded as many homicides as the North, Central and Southwest districts combined.
And nearly three of every five homicides occurred between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The data analysis also allows Baltimore officials to say that the city is safe for tourists and residents who are not involved in illegal activity.
Among 2004 homicide victims who were killed through the middle of last month, 88 percent had criminal records, police said.
Among known suspects through the same period, 88 percent had criminal records.
The victims had been arrested an average of 8.2 times. The suspects had been arrested an average of 7.3 times.
Of those killed through yesterday- 246 were men, 246 were black and 92 were between 18 and 24 years of age, according to police.
Most of those victims dying the same way: gunshot wounds. In about three-quarters of the homicides, a gun was the weapon. Of victims who were shot to death, about two-thirds 65 percent were hit more than once. And more than a third were shot in the head.
"These people go to great extents," Chief of Detectives Antonio Williams said of the murderers. "When they target someone, they make sure they're dead.
Mayor Martin O'Malley stressed that the city has reduced violent crime, even as the number of homicides has risen the last two years.
More than 300 people a year were killed in Baltimore during the 1990s, but the number dropped to 261 in 2000 and as low as 253 in 2002 before rising to 271 in 2003. Last year's total represents an increase of seven homicides over 2003.
The centerpiece of the plan to reduce killing is a weekly meeting where commanders review binders crammed with more than 400 pages of data and crime maps.
Among the things police have learned is that there are 28 city blocks that have had either a killing or shooting in each of the past five years. So they're targeting those blocks. They also know that three-quarters of all killings occur outside. As a result, they've been trying to push people off street corners through citations.
The East Baltimore police district recorded as many homicides as the North, Central and Southwest districts combined.
And nearly three of every five homicides occurred between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.
The data analysis also allows Baltimore officials to say that the city is safe for tourists and residents who are not involved in illegal activity.
Among 2004 homicide victims who were killed through the middle of last month, 88 percent had criminal records, police said.
Among known suspects through the same period, 88 percent had criminal records.
The victims had been arrested an average of 8.2 times. The suspects had been arrested an average of 7.3 times.
Of those killed through yesterday- 246 were men, 246 were black and 92 were between 18 and 24 years of age, according to police.
Most of those victims dying the same way: gunshot wounds. In about three-quarters of the homicides, a gun was the weapon. Of victims who were shot to death, about two-thirds 65 percent were hit more than once. And more than a third were shot in the head.
"These people go to great extents," Chief of Detectives Antonio Williams said of the murderers. "When they target someone, they make sure they're dead.
posted by DEW at 1/01/2005 10:43:00 AM
3 Comments:
Baltimore Sun. Registration required (i.e., I saved you the trouble of signing up for yet another website).
You got nothing on Philly. We kill that many in a month for fun.
Yeah, Philly's third-world.
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