A Sign of Things to Come?
I took some time off to go be with my son. He’s doing better by the way, but still has a way to go. But as I was doing my checking on Indianapolis I was disturbed at a trend I was starting to see. Last week we had seven homicides in the Circle City.
What’s frightening though is that there were two double murders in two days. I was worried about this. I was worried that as soon as the weather got more accommodating people would start acting silly.
Although there is no official homicide count yet, by some estimates the total number is 17, with seven occurring in the last week. If we keep it up at this rate (a murder every three days) We’ll have 60 murders by the middle of the year which puts us on track for another record homicide year. Back in June 30, 2006 there were 69 homicides in Marion County. In June 2005 at this time there were only 45 homicides. This is not a good sign.
What makes matters worse is that these are the coldest months of the year when criminals should be staying behind closed doors. If they are this bad now, what is going to be like this summer, or for that matter, this spring. And unlike last year, law enforcement faces new challenges that were not there last year. Officers are still upset over no contract, there are not enough of them on patrol covering their beats. Up to 200 of them could retire by the end of the year and there are not enough to come through the ranks of the current class. In addition, while the city is moving officers from behind desks and putting them on the streets, I am told that a backlog of cases is continuing to grow.
I honestly hope things don’t get as bad as last year, but I really do think they are going to get worse unless something changes soon. I can afford to leave and so can many of my friends, but a lot of other people can’t and they will end up being the real victims.
February 25th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Abdul, If the lack of serious competition in so many of the city-county races is any indication, nobody cares much about the crime problem or the many other things which are wrong with this city. This is particularly true of the neighborhoods in which the crime problem is the worst. Abduallah and Gray are both running unopposed. For all practical purposes, Mayor Peterson is running unopposed as well. Very sad.
February 25th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Gary,
This is a really sad commentary on the state of things. I won’t go so far as to say one incumbent should stay and another should go, but without good healthy competition to keep people honest, this place will go to hell and a handbasket, via Federal Express.
February 25th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Despair not, oh ye of little faith! The Republican Party County Chair may recruit and appoint a GOP candidate to run in those two Council seats. Perhaps Gary and Abdul could assist Tom John in this endeavour?
February 25th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Vote for Bart! We need more of this. NOT.
Sadly, Bart, Frank and all are SILENT on crime. That is ridiculous. For those of you who voted for Flower Frank you have yourselves to blame, for the rest of us, don’t be a sheep and follow Bart to slaughter because you will be the one who gets killed.
February 27th, 2007 at 7:48 am
No Frank Anderson is not at all silent on crime. Don’t you remember that last fall he declared “WAR ON CRIME”? Was he killed in action? Cause we have not heard a word since.
Peterson’s State of the City address is today at 12:30 at the Wheeler Boys and Girls Club at 30th and Keystone.
I’m sure the Mayor will not address crime or the peashakes. Or if he addresses crime at all it will be to brag about all his administrative appointments, neighborhood liasions, and blue ribbon panels which haven’t made a bit of difference.