U.S. cities see spike in homicides Mariela Lomeli

summary          Homicides across dozens of U.S. cities spiked by 9% over the first three months of 2016 compared to the same period last year, a new report has found. The Major Cities Chiefs Association  report on Friday, analyzed crime reported by 63 municipal and county departments from more than 50 cities and metropolitan areas, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and Miami. The agencies also reported increases in rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults and non-fatal shootings. It is called the "Ferguson effect" -- the notion that police are reluctant to enforce laws proactively for fear of becoming the next bad cop on YouTube.
opinion           The cops don't want to do anything because of getting in the "hated cop" position, yet the rates in crime are still rising. What a troubling position! Their actions are irresponsible and ultimately counterproductive because they are supposed to do their job. However, if I put myself in their shoes, the factor that is the problem is fear and that human trait cannot be ignored.
analysis          Regular citizens want predatory criminals captured, off the streets, and they want to be able to call on a professional police force to do that task rather than relying on the Avengers, the X-Men or the Justice League of America.This country has come a long way since Colonial times, when cities made do with a "watch" composed of volunteers from the community, who often slept or drank on duty. Politics are no longer inextricably intertwined with police work, as was the case in the 1800s when politicians hired policemen to help them stay in office rather than give the slightest consideration to who was the most qualified individual for the job.







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