Big City Murders Rise Sharply

FBI: Murders And Robberies Rose In 2006; Property Crimes Dipped

(CBS/AP)  Big city murders rose sharply in 2006 as violent crime increased nationally for the second straight year, the FBI reported Monday.

Homicides committed in small towns and mid-size cities took a dramatic downswing — resulting in an overall 0.3 percent increase in the murder rate across the country, the new preliminary data show.

Year-end totals for murders rose in eight of the nation's 10 largest cities: Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio and San Diego. That contributed to a 6.7 percent murder rate increase in cities with populations over 1 million people.

The problem is especially dire in New Orleans, where the police department needs 400 officers to get back to pre-Katrina strength and the district attorney's office has had to drop thousands of cases because the city's crime lab and some courts flooded in the storm, reports CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan. To help combat the escalating illegal drug and gun problem, the Department of Justice has pledged $30 million for dozens of additional federal agents, prosecutors and crime-fighting tools.

The murder rate dropped in two other big cities, Dallas and Los Angeles. And it plummeted by an overall 11.9 percent in smaller cities, towns and rural areas, the data show.

The growing homicide numbers contributed to an overall 1.3 percent hike in violent crime nationwide in 2006. A year earlier, violent crime rose by 2.3 percent, the first increase since 2001.

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FBI Assistant Director Ken Kaiser, detailing the new numbers to reporters in Washington, said it's too soon to expect a long-term increase in violent crime.

"Am I happy with the increase in violent crime? Absolutely not. I'd have to be a fool to say I was," Kaiser said. "But I would tell you I think (police) are working very hard out there."

Kaiser also noted "dips and rises" in the nation's violent crime rate over the last several decades, and he described some successes in prosecuting and convicting criminals by teams of federal agents working with local and state police.

The new numbers come in the wake of the Bush administration's shifting focus — evidenced by lessening Justice Department grants and FBI investigators — from fighting crime to combating terrorists after the 2001 attacks. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has pledged to devote millions of additional dollars and a surge of federal agents to aid crime-riddled cities.

Since 2001, the Bush Administration and Congress have cut $2 billion from federal crime-fighting funds, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

"That's not movement in the right direction as far as I can see. There's nothing like having boots on the ground to better police our cities," says New York's police commissioner, Raymond Kelly.

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, a Democrat who presides over the National League of Cities, said local officials nationwide are asking Congress for more than $1 billion annually to restore stretched-thin police departments back to their full force. He attributed the rise, in part, to increased gang activity, violent youths and domestic crimes.

Indianapolis' murder rate rose by 30 percent — from 108 homicides in 2005 to 140 in 2006, the data show.

"We've faced some of the same problems," Peterson said. "It's been a huge concern to us."

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., who chairs a Senate panel overseeing crime issues, said the new numbers should serve as "a wake-up call" to the administration, which he accused of slashing funding that would have put more local cops on the street.

"For years we drove down the crime rates — but now we're in reverse gear," said Biden, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president. "This administration has repeatedly ignored the needs to law enforcement, giving short shrift to the men and women who keep us safe every day."

Justice spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said crime remains historically low in America and noted Gonzales' efforts to crack down on violence.

"We are concerned about crime in our communities and are taking action to protect our citizens from violent crime," Roehrkasse said.

The FBI report, compiled with data from more than 11,700 law enforcement agencies nationwide, also showed:

Robberies spiked by 6 percent, marking the highest increase in any category of crime surveyed.

Property crimes decreased overall by 2.9 percent from 2005. Burglaries, however, rose slightly — particularly in mid-size cities, where the rate grew by 3.3 percent.

Violent crime rose in every region of the country except for the Northeast, the FBI reported. Western states saw the largest jump in violent crime, by 2.8 percent.

[coffeehead-2009]

Please note that in order to minimize public awareness of Hispanic criminality, the federal government, which is otherwise so careful to break Hispanics out separately in its statistics, counts all Hispanic murderers as "Whites." So we can't learn anything from federal statistics about Hispanic murder rates. All we know is that the actual non-Hispanic white rate is even lower than shown in the graph. (Ask the federal government why it does this.)

http://www.vdare.com/Sailer/060312_sampson.htm

[rich1620]

All our troops are overseas and there are 12-14 million outlaws who have invaded our country. I believe that "all" the National Guards should be called home ASAP. We are absolutely defenseless.

Sixty percent of those that have invaded our country are from Mexico (1940 mile border). The other forty percent are considered terrorist, Salvadorans combat rebels (MS-13 gang) and foreign spies from all over the world. This increasing number of illegals are in hiding and they are doing everything from robbing vegetables from people%u2019s gardens to robbing banks to support themselves, gangs, and terrorist cells. Al Qaeda terrorists are using military tactics to lure our fighting troops over seas while the terrorists that are going to take over our country have been infiltrating our borders by the millions without anyone to stop them

I believe that the inability to communicate between groups is the only thing that is keeping them from organizing.

[homespunlady]

This IS a disturbing trend. Without finding the factors behind it I doubt it will change.
Here's a few things to mull over other than the influence of an ever increasingly thrill seeking violent media that numerous studies have claimed a correlation to increasing thrill seeking violence in it's viewers.

War changes a person that participates in it. Military training teaches a LOT more than self discipline. The Military is beginning to notice more gang related incidents and there is one gang in particular that has claimed a LARGE (hidden?) military membership. Some estimate it as high as 25,000 but that statistic may be questionable since obviously they're not going to openly admit membership in something that could stop their objective.

Now think about this. Gangs are described as relatively cutthroat but not as disciplined and organized as say the military or police that might deal with them. What happens when those same gang members get out with war hardened military experience and training and go back to their home as gang members?
YOU DO THE MATH.

[toldyouso21]

Americans essentially stopped raising their kids in the 60s. After that, more and more unraised people were in charge of another generation. This led to too much permissiveness and laxness in establishing and enforcing boundaries. Many kids today, have no manners, think violence can solve most altercations, and are inured due to so much violences on tv and elsewhere. When a person is routinely exposed to a lot of violence, they become dysfunctional and used to it. It will get worse. The main problem is nonparental involvement and expecting someone else to deal with a child after years of emotional and social neglect.

You plant a lemon tree--you get lemons, plant onions you get onions. We expect apples when we plant onions? "We are known by our fruits" We planted this crop of horrors--so now we reap what we plant--and it won't stop because most don't realize that half the population is either not raised or is raised using the wrong tactics for that child.

[toldyouso21]

I think Americans are taking their cues from the war and the present political climate. In times of lawlessness --violence and murders abound. We have elected to solve problems as a country by violence--it has distilled and translated down to the streets:

If you want something, take it--either by force or stealth. If someone disagrees with you and you cannot exploit them--eliminate them. Make the laws work or be ignored according to your own pet project:

If you are a Republican, overlook conflict of interest and hide/deny documents that show compromising behavior, use strong arm tactics, ignore laws or try to change them later to reflect what has been going on (immunity for torture and wiretapping bill, 2006)

If you are a Democrat, overlook conflict of interest and hide/deny documents that show compromising behavior, use stealth and intellectual and psuedo moral social tactics, ignore laws or try to change them later to reflect what has been going on (illegal immigration bill)

The bottom line, is to get all you can. Through lobbies, appropriations, etc and screw the American public. Greed above all else--go AIPAC, GO NAFTA and CAFTA!!

When the creed is greed--violence follows. Where violence leads--the social fabric unravels.

[godi70]

Following: we should not care about the criminality in New Orleans.

There are being killing Americans against Americans. More important is in Iraq there are killing Americans someone that nobody knows who in reality is.

In Washington DC every day few youngs under twenty are murdered and nobody can stop it. Among beast is better to leave the nature to aply the solution.

[bequialife]

This is what happens when our SOUTHERN border is not secured. Mexicans and central americans contribute nothing but crime in this county, yet we cater to them. Our justice system is too lenient. People are getting away with anything; rape, murder, and killings of your own children. What kind of world are we living in??

[leopoldthelm]

I like the video report showing how the church was and is PRAYING, that may not seem like much, but PRAYER does help, because when you pray God will give you an answer on how to solve the problem. He will also send the Angels to protect the people.

There have been over 700 murders in front or by that church. There is nothing to prove, I would just have some Internet church for a while.

The written and videos reports really showed that crime rate is really rising. Can you really tell us why are there so much violance?

HOW MUCH OF THE RISE IN THE CRIME RATE ALL OVER THE US IS DUE TO KATRINA? How many New Orleans gangs moved in other places and took their violance with them?

This needs a special report during prime time, so America can do something. I am sick of living in fear!

[iceman_1960]

Same to you, slim1h2o.

Have a good evening.

[slim1h2o]

Well Iceman I gotta go , enjoyed talking to ya,

My back is hurting and I got to lay down, I had a good time, Thanks, Slim