Crime

I am a criminal. Nice to meet you. I am 21 years old, right at the peak of my criminal power. I live in a big city. I have been to juvenile placement, county jail, and state prison. Let me tell you what I think about today’s criminal-justice system.

Before we go any further, please disabuse yourself of the notion that I am dumb. I watch, listen, and learn from what happens around me. In some ways, I’m probably smarter than you. I bought three kilograms of cocaine for $93,000 last week. Quick: tell me how many quarter pounds, ounces, and eight-balls I have, and what should I sell each amount for if I need to make $250,000. I did that in my head while you were reaching for a calculator.

Like most major cities around the country, Philly saw a sharp rise in shootings and murders last year which hasn’t abated. But unlike most of those cities, Philly’s crime wave is on track to surpass even the very worst years of the early 1990s. In other words, whatever it is that is happening with regard to violent crime nationwide is happening even more so in Philly.

Let’s get the myths out of the way: COVID wasn’t the main driver behind the recent crime surge

I didn’t meet Davell Gardner Jr. Yet his photo — and the bubbly personality it captures — will forever remain etched in my mind. The picture shows a baby with fuzzy curls; trusting, happy eyes; a beaming, gap-toothed smile. His chubby, loaf-like baby hands remind me of my own kids’ hands, which I often can’t help kissing or blowing raspberries on. There he is, crawling on his dad’s belly, enjoying one of the last playtimes of his life.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plans over the last year or so to alleviate the violence plaguing the city she was elected to run simply aren’t working, as evidenced by the extreme failure of her “Our City, Our Safety” program. Who knew that injecting “resources” en masse instead of allowing police to do their jobs wouldn’t work?

At least 11 people were killed and another 61 were wounded in shootings across the Chicagoland area over the weekend. This past weekend’s numbers are up from the previous weekend, which saw at least 10 fatally shot and another 50 wounded.

The surge in crime is finally starting to affect Washington’s cozy and wealthy elite

Imagine dining al fresco at a popular French brasserie in Washington DC. It’s a clear, summer night and the streets are buzzing with residents and tourists alike. You’re enjoying your Burger Americain, and suddenly gunshots ring out down the street. Diners duck and run for cover. You later hear that two men were injured just blocks away from where you were enjoying your meal. The stark realization hits: the heart of the nation’s capital is not safe.

Be amiss…

George Floyd and Ashli Babbitt: a tale of two police murders and two very different media treatments.

Here’s a tale of two cops and two murders: Derek Chauvin and George Floyd, and John Doe and Ashli Babbitt. Two cops, two unarmed citizens killed. One you care about, one you don’t. Even murder is politicized these days.

CHICAGO — Eleven people have been killed and 45 others wounded in shootings across Chicago over the weekend, police said.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown announced Monday that he creating a special team of 50 officers to target gun trafficking and gun crimes.

Superintendent Brown said the new team would work with the ATF and the CPD firearms investigations unit on mid-level and upper-level gun trafficking investigations.

Well that’s 11 more votes for the Democrats.

“…The committee head moved to the affluent district with his husband a few years ago from New York, where he had been CEO of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum for about 20 years. He said he has been disturbed by the “brazenness” of the criminal behavior as of late, pointing to a high murder rate, home invasions while residents are home, and a recent police warning of “bump and robs.”

I wonder why?

Atlanta police ditching department and slamming leadership in letters