Published: Saturday, December 30, 2006
Homicide rate remains among highest in U.S.
Compared with population, blacks are disproportionately homicide victims.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN — If the city makes it through tonight without a homicide, the murder rate drops 9 percent from 2005 — but the rate is still among the highest per capita nationwide.
The city recorded its 30th and 31st homicides Dec. 24, giving it four fewer than the previous year's total. With an estimated 2000 population of 79,271, that's one killing for every 2,557 residents.
Gary, Ind., with an estimated population of 99,961, recorded its 50th homicide Dec. 25. That's one murder for every 1,999 residents.
Cincinnati, with 83 homicides as of Dec. 24, set a record, surpassing the 82 killings it had in 1967. With a population of 331,285, that's one homicide for every 4,040 residents.
Philadelphia, with 1.48 million people and 403 homicides through Dec. 27, is considered among the most dangerous major cities. Philadelphia's numbers equate to one killing for every 3,670 residents.
The FBI preliminary crime report for the first six months of 2006 shows a national increase of 3.7 percent in violent crimes compared with the same period in 2005.
Racial disparity
Ninety percent of those shot, stabbed or beaten to death in Youngstown — 26 males and two females — were black. Last year, 82 percent of the victims were black.
A dozen homicides (including two double homicides) were solved by arrest in 2006 with the suspects also being black. Detectives made arrests in 20 of last year's 34 homicides, with all but two of the 31 accused being black. (Some cases involved as many as four suspects).
Census data show the city comprises 51 percent whites, 44 percent blacks and 5 percent Hispanics. Compared with the population, the homicide rate shows blacks are disproportionately represented as victims and suspects.
"Races tend to kill within their own race. If there's a white victim it's usually a white perpetrator, black victim, black perpetrator," said Tammy King, Youngstown State University criminal justice professor. "Homicide victims are going to be those people you know, usually, acquaintances or domestics."
King said it's regrettable to have Youngstown ranked as the ninth-most dangerous city because that's not reflective of the majority of the community. That ranking, released in October, was done by Morgan Quitno, a private research company that uses FBI statistics.
Guns and immaturity
Allen Pierce, also a YSU criminal justice professor, has studied homicides for the past 15 years. He said social scientists point to the proliferation of guns in the hands of immature people as part of the homicide problem.
Calling it a "kind of ignorance," he said immature people don't realize the consequences of shooting at someone. They don't necessarily intend to kill, just shoot.
As far as black-on-black crime, "they live by the guns and die by the guns," Pierce said. Whites will generally "flip the finger" and walk away, he said.
Pierce said his research found that many in the black community use deadly force if disrespect — being "dissed" — is perceived. Those in the black subculture of violence, he said, have to have a gun and respond with a gun.
"If you don't feel good about yourself, it's easy to put you down," he said of the disrespect motive. "Low self-esteem makes them vulnerable."
Unemployment at root
Pierce said low self-esteem comes from unemployment, which leads to broken families and sometimes drug use as an escape. His studies have shown a 20-year lag between the loss of jobs and high crime rate, particularly homicides. He said it takes 20 years for families to break down.
The broken-family cycle continues with teenage girls who have babies out of wedlock, he said. The girls don't finish school and their kids fail, he said.
The professor said men leave when they can't find jobs but not permanently — they "bop back in" and produce more kids — kids who then grow up without role models and a value system. He said the kids don't see men going to work but do see drug dealers with the symbols of status — cars, clothes and cash.
The Rev. Alfred Coward, a member of the Mayor's Task Force on Crime and Violence, said he agrees with many of Pierce's assessments. The minister and professor have worked together over the years.
The Rev. Mr. Coward, assistant pastor at Calvary Ministries International on Oak Hill Avenue, said the city isn't dangerous for those not in the drug trade. He said he thinks drugs are the primary reason for homicides.
"If you're going to live the lifestyle of the drug dealer, the big money, it's going to be a very dangerous place to live," he said. "You're going to die before your time. So many young people have no value of life."
Cultural changes
It's a different culture, Mr. Coward said, compared with 30 or 40 years ago, with some young blacks now feeling disrespected for trivial reasons and reacting with violence. He said they're willing to kill if you pull into a parking spot they wanted or if you blow your horn at them or look at them wrong.
He said many black children are being reared by grandparents or aunts and uncles because the fathers aren't around, possibly because they're in prison. The fathers' poor lifestyle choices have consequences, he added.
Beyond unemployment and the breakdown of families, "When it comes to survival, some of our African-American young people feel like they have to do what they have to do. If they have to go to the penitentiary, they go, get out and do the same thing over again," he said.
"There's a lack of respect for life. I know people don't want to hear it, but when you live in a society that's trying to take everything away from God and take God out of everything, there's nowhere for us to go because we're not teaching principles anymore."
A middle-school teacher at Legacy Academy, Mr. Coward said it's difficult for teachers in these times to instill principles.
The black culture, in general, Pierce said, has never been supportive of education, sometimes because of an anti-white sentiment — the idea that, "Well, whites work so blacks don't." He said kids in the inner city are put down if they do well in school.
Low expectations
"I don't know if I can agree that education is not stressed enough in the black community. I do believe that the inner-city schools do not receive the best teachers," Mr. Coward said. "I feel a number of our teachers are there for a job and they really don't have the passion to see the child succeed."
Mr. Coward said in education, expectations create results. If teachers have no expectations for their pupils, he doesn't see any way for the youngsters to succeed.
He said it's unfortunate, too, that the black culture has a tendency to try to teach positives in negative ways. The result is low self-esteem.
Black boys who try out for a basketball team, for example, will hear from family, "You're too slow," as a way to encourage them to work harder. He said that, by contrast, white boys will hear positive reinforcement, such as, "You'll be the best."
Motives
In cases where motives have been defined for 2006 homicides, meanwhile, detectives list them as domestic violence, robberies, drug-related and arguments.
A fight in football stadium stands preceded the shooting death of 31-year-old Larry D. Jones during a peewee football game in August. The shooter fired multiple times in front of hundreds of spectators.
Two brothers, Arlis Casey, 35, and Wadell Casey, 28, were shot to death 10 months apart. Arrests were made in both cases.
later. The youngest victim, Javonte Covington, was beaten April 25 — his first birthday — and died two days Terrance Tate, 22, was charged with aggravated murder. His trial is set for May.
The eldest victim, 62-year-old James Young, was shot to death inside his Glenwood Avenue apartment during a robbery in July. He was shot by one of two men who wore bandannas and hats as disguises.
Robbery was also the motive in the shooting death of 52-year-old store clerk Edward Agee in May.
This December, the city recorded three homicides. In the past decade, the deadliest Decembers were 1997 and 2004, with five victims each.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Compared with population, blacks are disproportionately homicide victims.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN — If the city makes it through tonight without a homicide, the murder rate drops 9 percent from 2005 — but the rate is still among the highest per capita nationwide.
The city recorded its 30th and 31st homicides Dec. 24, giving it four fewer than the previous year's total. With an estimated 2000 population of 79,271, that's one killing for every 2,557 residents.
Gary, Ind., with an estimated population of 99,961, recorded its 50th homicide Dec. 25. That's one murder for every 1,999 residents.
Cincinnati, with 83 homicides as of Dec. 24, set a record, surpassing the 82 killings it had in 1967. With a population of 331,285, that's one homicide for every 4,040 residents.
Philadelphia, with 1.48 million people and 403 homicides through Dec. 27, is considered among the most dangerous major cities. Philadelphia's numbers equate to one killing for every 3,670 residents.
The FBI preliminary crime report for the first six months of 2006 shows a national increase of 3.7 percent in violent crimes compared with the same period in 2005.
Racial disparity
Ninety percent of those shot, stabbed or beaten to death in Youngstown — 26 males and two females — were black. Last year, 82 percent of the victims were black.
A dozen homicides (including two double homicides) were solved by arrest in 2006 with the suspects also being black. Detectives made arrests in 20 of last year's 34 homicides, with all but two of the 31 accused being black. (Some cases involved as many as four suspects).
Census data show the city comprises 51 percent whites, 44 percent blacks and 5 percent Hispanics. Compared with the population, the homicide rate shows blacks are disproportionately represented as victims and suspects.
"Races tend to kill within their own race. If there's a white victim it's usually a white perpetrator, black victim, black perpetrator," said Tammy King, Youngstown State University criminal justice professor. "Homicide victims are going to be those people you know, usually, acquaintances or domestics."
King said it's regrettable to have Youngstown ranked as the ninth-most dangerous city because that's not reflective of the majority of the community. That ranking, released in October, was done by Morgan Quitno, a private research company that uses FBI statistics.
Guns and immaturity
Allen Pierce, also a YSU criminal justice professor, has studied homicides for the past 15 years. He said social scientists point to the proliferation of guns in the hands of immature people as part of the homicide problem.
Calling it a "kind of ignorance," he said immature people don't realize the consequences of shooting at someone. They don't necessarily intend to kill, just shoot.
As far as black-on-black crime, "they live by the guns and die by the guns," Pierce said. Whites will generally "flip the finger" and walk away, he said.
Pierce said his research found that many in the black community use deadly force if disrespect — being "dissed" — is perceived. Those in the black subculture of violence, he said, have to have a gun and respond with a gun.
"If you don't feel good about yourself, it's easy to put you down," he said of the disrespect motive. "Low self-esteem makes them vulnerable."
Unemployment at root
Pierce said low self-esteem comes from unemployment, which leads to broken families and sometimes drug use as an escape. His studies have shown a 20-year lag between the loss of jobs and high crime rate, particularly homicides. He said it takes 20 years for families to break down.
The broken-family cycle continues with teenage girls who have babies out of wedlock, he said. The girls don't finish school and their kids fail, he said.
The professor said men leave when they can't find jobs but not permanently — they "bop back in" and produce more kids — kids who then grow up without role models and a value system. He said the kids don't see men going to work but do see drug dealers with the symbols of status — cars, clothes and cash.
The Rev. Alfred Coward, a member of the Mayor's Task Force on Crime and Violence, said he agrees with many of Pierce's assessments. The minister and professor have worked together over the years.
The Rev. Mr. Coward, assistant pastor at Calvary Ministries International on Oak Hill Avenue, said the city isn't dangerous for those not in the drug trade. He said he thinks drugs are the primary reason for homicides.
"If you're going to live the lifestyle of the drug dealer, the big money, it's going to be a very dangerous place to live," he said. "You're going to die before your time. So many young people have no value of life."
Cultural changes
It's a different culture, Mr. Coward said, compared with 30 or 40 years ago, with some young blacks now feeling disrespected for trivial reasons and reacting with violence. He said they're willing to kill if you pull into a parking spot they wanted or if you blow your horn at them or look at them wrong.
He said many black children are being reared by grandparents or aunts and uncles because the fathers aren't around, possibly because they're in prison. The fathers' poor lifestyle choices have consequences, he added.
Beyond unemployment and the breakdown of families, "When it comes to survival, some of our African-American young people feel like they have to do what they have to do. If they have to go to the penitentiary, they go, get out and do the same thing over again," he said.
"There's a lack of respect for life. I know people don't want to hear it, but when you live in a society that's trying to take everything away from God and take God out of everything, there's nowhere for us to go because we're not teaching principles anymore."
A middle-school teacher at Legacy Academy, Mr. Coward said it's difficult for teachers in these times to instill principles.
The black culture, in general, Pierce said, has never been supportive of education, sometimes because of an anti-white sentiment — the idea that, "Well, whites work so blacks don't." He said kids in the inner city are put down if they do well in school.
Low expectations
"I don't know if I can agree that education is not stressed enough in the black community. I do believe that the inner-city schools do not receive the best teachers," Mr. Coward said. "I feel a number of our teachers are there for a job and they really don't have the passion to see the child succeed."
Mr. Coward said in education, expectations create results. If teachers have no expectations for their pupils, he doesn't see any way for the youngsters to succeed.
He said it's unfortunate, too, that the black culture has a tendency to try to teach positives in negative ways. The result is low self-esteem.
Black boys who try out for a basketball team, for example, will hear from family, "You're too slow," as a way to encourage them to work harder. He said that, by contrast, white boys will hear positive reinforcement, such as, "You'll be the best."
Motives
In cases where motives have been defined for 2006 homicides, meanwhile, detectives list them as domestic violence, robberies, drug-related and arguments.
A fight in football stadium stands preceded the shooting death of 31-year-old Larry D. Jones during a peewee football game in August. The shooter fired multiple times in front of hundreds of spectators.
Two brothers, Arlis Casey, 35, and Wadell Casey, 28, were shot to death 10 months apart. Arrests were made in both cases.
later. The youngest victim, Javonte Covington, was beaten April 25 — his first birthday — and died two days Terrance Tate, 22, was charged with aggravated murder. His trial is set for May.
The eldest victim, 62-year-old James Young, was shot to death inside his Glenwood Avenue apartment during a robbery in July. He was shot by one of two men who wore bandannas and hats as disguises.
Robbery was also the motive in the shooting death of 52-year-old store clerk Edward Agee in May.
This December, the city recorded three homicides. In the past decade, the deadliest Decembers were 1997 and 2004, with five victims each.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
If the city makes it through tonight without a homicide, the murder rate drops 9 percent from 2005 — but the rate...
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