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11/23/2007
The root cause of Milwaukee violence?
Lots of noise – talk and gunshot – about violence in our state’s largest city. Newly selected as Milwaukee’s next Police Chief, Edward Flynn will be arriving from Springfield, Massachusetts by year’s end. Via a variety of media, Flynn has received challenge after challenge, each one essentially saying “You’ve got your work cut out for you.” (Or alternatively, “Are you nuts coming here?”)
This – in the same week as New York City brings shock and awe with the announcement of its lowest murder rate since 1963.
Sunday’s Journal Sentinel published an extensive discussion among community leaders – “Violent Crime – what impact does it have on Milwaukee? What must we do?”
Well, all kinds of suggestions. Easily divided into two columns –
You Do It For Me and I Need to Do It for Myself
You know the “You do it for me” message:
“Anybody looking at the statistics today, about unemployment…, the dropout rate… and poverty in Milwaukee should not be surprised at all that there’s a correlation between that and the increase in crime….” (Tom Schneider, ED, COA Youth & Family Centers)
And the Reverend Harold Moore: “I think that until we begin to deal with this whole issue of poverty and accept the fact that it is poverty and things connected to it that really drives the crime factor…. … in order for parents to properly raise their children, they need jobs, jobs that are going to support and sustain a family.”
“When it comes to education… you’ve got to understand the relation between parents not having jobs, and some of these parents have gone to school, some of them have degrees and they can’t find jobs…”
And then there’s Sheriff David Clarke. A tell-it-like-it-is black conservative. I like this guy. I like this guy’s beliefs. Some suggestions from Sheriff Clarke via Sunday’s Journal Sentinel article:- I’m not one of those that believe that poverty causes crime. I just don’t believe that. I think that underclass values contribute toward a life of poverty.
- The government can’t fill [the] role of raising people’s children.
- You can’t legislate morality.
- We’ve seen an emergence of the underclass and their twisted values, because [of the] exodus out of the city of middle class families.
- When you see this emergence of these underclass values, [it ] is the Petri dish… [that] allows the crime and violence to thrive.
- I still think we need to return to finding a role for punishment in the criminal justice system.
- …fixing fractured families. That can’t be done by government.
- …the surest way, not the quickest…. Way to escape poverty is through education. That’s the best jobs training program that government can offer – K-12 public education – and it’s not happening.
- When you want to talk about encouraging parental involvement, they need to end busing yesterday. This is a failed public policy, which takes these kids out of their neighborhoods….We talk about parental involvement in schools – we’re making them traverse the entire city.
And more, from a recent presentation of Sheriff Clarke’s: “Characteristics of the underclass are lawlessness, drug and alcohol abuse, welfare dependency, out-of-wedlock births which stands at 70%, school failure, selfishness, a disregard for the welfare of others, no social skills and generally no interest in maintaining employment. They resort to crime and violence as a solution to their needs. They disregard society’s rules and do what they want often at the expense of others. They organize around predatory roving bands and have no anxiety or guilt about the consequences of their behavior. Firearms are used for material gain, to intimidate witnesses and frighten people.”
Ok, as James Rowen says, Clarke won’t run for mayor and will be satisfied standing outside the circle taking pot shots at the mayor. If this is what folks call pot shots, I say keep taking them Sheriff Clarke. I appreciate your voice of reason – and principle – in the sea of trouble and violence that bubbles in our southland.
COMMENTS
I could not agree more with the point of view of the Sheriff. I grew up on 50th and Lloyd Street and attended Washington High School at a time (70-72) when education was stressed as your only way out of poverty and as the only way to ultimately better yourself. At that point in time, I think MPS was quite functional. In many ways it breaks my heart to drive by the old neighborhood as I no longer feel safe even being there. Ultimately the only way out of poverty and securing gainful employment still remains that of achieving a bare minimum a K-12 education and then pursue technical training for a trade or a conventional college eduation.
Interesting insights Chris. Thanks. JE
Christopher J. Glapa, DDS (Fri Nov 23 10:30:31 2007)
Do you think a call to the folks who turned NYC around would be a start? Just a start mind you, the real solutions will take Sheriff Clarke's assessment of a change in culture over time. Milwaukee is an anomaly and a stain on the conscience of the "State" of Wisconsin.
Yes, great news out of New York City this morning. Well, if you can call 500 homocides great news. Down to 1963 levels. from 2,750 - or something like that - in 1990. Some of the experts interviewed expressed shock. Amazing. JE
Richard Parins (Fri Nov 23 11:43:24 2007)
Mayor Giuliani started this trend with his "broken windows" method of policing. His theory was if you take care of the small stuff, the big stuff will take care of itself. So that's what he had his police do.
Whenever they saw kids doing graffiti or breakiing windows, he had them hauled in rather than just passing by. He had litter laws enforced and crack houses closed down. Kids weren't allowed to hang out in the streets and muggings were followed up on. That translated to much less street crime and the murder rate followed. It actually made New York streets safe to walk on again.
It looks as though Mayor Bloomberg is following the same procedure. If it ain't broke; don't fix it.
C.R. Stevenson (Fri Nov 30 22:42:12 2007)
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