National Violent Crime Increases Demands a Community Policing Resurgence

The 2005 annual report on crime has just been released showing an increase in violent crime in the United States.  Violent crime rose 2.3 percent. Murders were up 3.4 percent and arrests for juveniles for murder tragically rose nearly 20 percent over 2004!  According to the FBI Uniform Reporting Program Crime Time Clock there is one violent crime every 22 seconds in the U.S. which includes:

 

• Every 31.5 minutes-One Murder
• Every 5.6 minutes-One Forcible Rape
• Every 1.3 minutes-One Robbery
• Every 36.5 seconds-One Aggravated Assault

The definition of violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.  Essentially, violent crimes involve force or threat of force.

 

In my opinion, crime prevention and community policing are inseparable and a full force commitment to the "community policing philosophy" throughout American law enforcement agencies demands a tenacious resurgence.  This is extremely critical to schools where the young can be favorably impressed to avoid the deceptive allurement of the gang culture which only leads to disillusionment, broken lives, prison, violence and death.

 

Read: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/about/crime_clock.html