Can You Imagine?

[SugarBee]

BALTIMORE (AP)- Homicides in Baltimore passed the 2005 total over the holiday weekend, driven police said, by illegal drugs and by a street culture that stresses retribution over cooperation with police.

 

There were 271 homicides as of Tuesday night, compared with 269 for all of 2005.

 

Police said more than 80 percent of the city's homicide victims and over 90 percent of the suspects charged with homicide had a criminal record. The average homicide victim had been arrested more than 8 times, most typically for drug offenses.

 

Police said it was not unusual for a shooting victim to refuse to cooperate with police, recover, and then end up dead or charged with a homicide a few months later. The lack of cooperation from the victim contributes to a clearance rate just under 60 percent, police spokesman Matt Jablow said.

 

"Too many of our shooting victims do not cooperate with police, they do not help us solve the crime. Too often, they'll go on to become murder victims or they'll become murder suspects. It's hard to help people who operate outside the law and who don't want your help," Jablow said.

 

The upsurge in homicides occurred even though total crime dropped three percent and violent crime dropped six percent, compared to 2005. Arrests dropped by 9 percent in 2006, the result of a conscious effort to move away from the aggressive police tactics that have sparked criticism from city prosecutors, judges and some elected officials.

 

"We're not backing away from fighting crime, but Commissioner Hamm, from the day he took office, has said we cannot arrest our way out." Jablow said. "What we are doing is a targeted, proactive enforcement that makes sure we get our worst offenders off of the streets."

 

Noting that the criminal background of the typical homicide suspect is virtually identical to the criminal background of the typical victim, Jablow said much of the city's violence was fueled by the illegal drug trade.

 

The increased number of homicides in Baltimore reflects national trends. The number of homicides nationally grew 1.4 percent in the first half of the year, according to the FBI's Web site.

[hboy]

There is something Dawinian about it. If armed drug dealing scumbags only kill other armed drug dealing scumbags is that really grounds for police intervention? Its only when drug dealing scum shoot other people that we should care.

 

Its diminishing the gene pool of armed drug dealing scumbags which is surely of positive benefit to mankind.

[VinnieK]

There is something Dawinian about it. If armed drug dealing scumbags only kill other armed drug dealing scumbags is that really grounds for police intervention?

 

Only if you consider the rule of law the fundamental building block of all liberal democracies.

 

 

Its diminishing the gene pool of armed drug dealing scumbags which is surely of positive benefit to mankind.

 

Not so much Darwinism, unless you reckon being a scumbag is genetic, as it is Social Darwinism, which was kind of discredited on account of its popularity amongst Nazi's and other gangster politicians.

[Pat Ayres]

Nice to see you hit the ground running Sugar.

 

Scum wasting scum? Just like the Krays and them only killing their own kind. Wouldn't it be better to spend the money that is wasted on space exploration and defence (against what exactly?) to improve peoples lives and get them proper jobs and better lives so they don't need that crap to get through another day? All the people involved are victims of some sort of another and I bet they ain't the white folk up on the hill snorting coke and drinking pimms and living off the proceeds of the drugs trade.

[SugarBee]

I agree with you there Skrapster! I think the space missions and all the gajillions of dollars spent at NASA should be directed to poverty, drugs and crime at home.

 

DO we really need to go to Mars or put a condominum on the Moon?

[Gladys]

Dandara are already looking into it!

[Mission]

I agree with you there Skrapster! I think the space missions and all the gajillions of dollars spent at NASA should be directed to poverty, drugs and crime at home.

 

DO we really need to go to Mars or put a condominum on the Moon?

 

Of course we do - haven't you seen Space 1999 and Total Recall?

 

I've got 5 kids to feed man!"

[Rhumsaa]

There's enough money being spent on drugs as it is

[Bombay Bad Boy]

I agree with you there Skrapster! I think the space missions and all the gajillions of dollars spent at NASA should be directed to poverty, drugs and crime at home.

Absolutely. Take drugs seriously.

 

DO we really need to go to Mars or put a condominum on the Moon?

 

Of course we do - haven't you seen Space 1999 and Total Recall?

 

I've got 5 kids to feed man!"

We've some catching up to do-Space 1999 and Buck Rogers (launching probes in 1987) could technically be described as historic dramas.

[aimeejulia]

I agree with you there Skrapster! I think the space missions and all the gajillions of dollars spent at NASA should be directed to poverty, drugs and crime at home.

Absolutely. Take drugs seriously.

 

DO we really need to go to Mars or put a condominum on the Moon?

 

Of course we do - haven't you seen Space 1999 and Total Recall?

 

I've got 5 kids to feed man!"

We've some catching up to do-Space 1999 and Buck Rogers (launching probes in 1987) could technically be described as historic dramas.

 

replace the word drugs with medicine see how that sounds