Saturday, January 6, 2007

January 6

Dept: of Scary Stats:
Says the D.C.-based nonprofit The Sentencing Project, "more than half of young black males living in Washington, DC and Baltimore are caught up in the criminal justice system on an average day— either in prison, jail, on probation or parole, out on bond, or being sought on a warrant."

Some New York mapmakers used info gleaned from prison entry forms to plot the city's "million-dollar blocks"-- those where the city spends that much (in a year, presumably) to incarcerate its residents. Suprisingly, the borough with the most million-dollar blocks is Manhattan.

There was a triple shooting up in the NE at 1130 Belvedere Avenue, none of the injuries are fatal.

Mayhem in Woodlawn! Students at Milford Mill Academy were pepper-sprayed by police after a post-basketbal-game brawl broke out, and a man barricaded himself in a home... tasering ensued.

Mood-> :(
In Kent County, a 12-year-old girl was given marijuana and cocaine by Dad and New Mommy on a holiday visit. The criminally trashy couple was busted after the girl posted about her fun times on a myspace forum.

"You are a horror to every sane adult in this community," said federal Judge Andre M. Davis to Danny Fleck, a 60-year-old former postal worker who spent "years trolling online for underage girls."
And, 21-year-old George Alexander Riegel of Reisterstown received a four-year prison sentence for e-mailing an undercover agent files of two videos of an adult male having sex with a young child.

Judge Davis also called AAC cop-shooter Calvin Ignatius Savoy "cold-blooded" and "depraved" and sent him to jail for life.

A catfight downtown and plenty of burglary in the Blotter.

Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Tim Hutchins stopped a PGC drunk driver by his very own self after a motorist dialed #77.

ozzyThought we all agreed to stop blaming music lyrics for violent human behavior back in the heavy metal days, on account of the whole supposition being unproveable, and any effective remedies being unconstitutional and unAmerican (not to mention some listeners are able to grasp allegory). Ergo, this column is stupid.

16 comments:

Hoodlum said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I see what Gregory Kane's point is - specifically that the culture and values inherent in much Rap nowadays is undermining black america. But I think the logic is flawed. The bigger issue isn't rap but influence. Not every black male listens to rap. Also, not every black male who listens to rap necessarily is violent or prone to acting criminal.

Of course, this which may sound like common sense to us is obviously not to Gregory Kane. I agree with his frustration - and certainly can see his point - but I think such an answer on his part is simplistic. What about the people who are exceptions to his rule? I listened to rap (and still do from time to time), and I'm in that age demographic most likely to catch a bullet here. But I work full time, and attended graduate school.

The bigger issue, if you ask me, is influence period. Parents, community, society (not just music, but television, etc.), as well as where the children rank these influences.

Anonymous said...

This is a great scoop from 1992. Rap lyrics are violent and glorify criminal behavior? Shocking. Has Tipper Gore been notified?

John Galt said...

Got news for y'all.

You know how the BCPD spokesweasel has been consistently attributing youth violence to the drug trade?

Well, I've been reviewing the distribution of juvie arrests for drug vs. violent crime. The GIS maps are really different.

In other words, the arrests for violence are happening other than where the drug-trade enforcement is being felt.

How to interpret: well, it could be that effort is being spent in the wrong places. On the other hand, it's also possible that while anti-violence effort is being expended in drug zones, it's not generating actual arrests, perhaps because of a lack of cooperation.

Either way, it ain't workin'.

John Galt said...

A few random thoughts on data:

Baltimore A contains 60% of the population of this City, 73% of its income, and about half of its violent crime (as reported). The violent crime reported is 16 per thousand.

Baltimore B, which generates 27% of City income, has reported violent crime of 25 per thousand. If we choose to define neighborhoods with multiple characteristics as being outside Balto B (these being Belair Edison, Greater Govans, Edmondson Village, Pimlico Arlington, and South Park Heights), then violent crime reported in Balt B goes up to about 29 per thousand.

Doesn't sound too bad, y'know. Double the rate. But remember, I said reported crime. Now, upper middle to middle class people without criminal experience and not on drugs tend to report most of the crime they experience. Their reporting of nonsexual violence may be up toward 90%.

America at large reports about 50% of all crime, so by inference the lower income, drug-using, and criminally experienced populations may report as few as 20% of incidents. Inmate interviews suggest that incarcerated inmates have committed 12 index crimes for each conviction they receive. The result is that while violent crime in Baltimore A may be about 20% more than reports, in Baltimore B it may in fact be about four times what is reported, so 'real' violent crime rates may differ between the two by, say, a factor of about SIX.

This suggests that Baltimore B has around 78% of the true crime incidence and generates 27% of citywide income. Now, since that crime number doesn't account for intimidation effects in thoroughly disastrous communities, I consider it a conservative estimate.

As an economic proposition, the continuation of Baltimore B doesn't work. But if you're going to perpetuate it, you'd need to allocate about 4,000 field officers to police it. Now, considering that you barely have 3,000 at this time of whom at least 1800 are dedicated to Baltimore A, leaving 1,200 available against that 4,000 requirement in Balto B....

No wonder this place is off the hook!

burgersub said...

charles county sheriff dept. already got that guy the day after the article you posted was run. actually, he turned himself in.

burgersub said...

hey galt, i get the rest of it, but this part was confusing, please help:

If we choose to define neighborhoods with multiple characteristics as being outside Balto B (these being Belair Edison, Greater Govans, Edmondson Village, Pimlico Arlington, and South Park Heights), then violent crime reported in Balt B goes up to about 29 per thousand.

Maurice Bradbury said...

Thanks Burg!
I didn't recognize him with his hair on!

Hey did y'all see this week's NYker about crime mapping? I'll post it as soon as it's up.

Maurice Bradbury said...

Well, it's mildly interesting.

Anonymous said...

BTW
the Financial Times ran a story today "Why John Galt Is Not Worth Knowing." I guess that reflects poorly on Ayn Rand.

Almond Smash said...

Is is Hip-Hop? Or is it because the young culteralists want to be seen as hard. Drug dealers or not?

Almond Smash said...

Pardon my spelling please. Its been a long drinking night.

John Galt said...

Burger,

my point was that those 5 communities are kinda in the 'hood and kinda not in the hood, so if you call them Balt B you get one set of totals and if you choose to exclude them you get a somewhat more polarized result. The results are qualitatively the same.

I'm curious as to whether readers think those places are 'hood or not.

John Galt said...

Quick question regarding the unfortunate statistics cited by the Sentencing Project -


Other than false arrests, what is wrong with a large percentage of young black males being in jail, prison, on parole/probation, or being subject to judicially issued warrants?

Is someone claiming they are not criminals? Even if we have a problem with excessive unlawful detainment, we absolutely do not have a generiuc problem of false prosecution or incarceration. If anything, the courts in Balto. and DC facilitate these criminals' getting off on but a fraction of the charges of which they are accused and the maximum sentences applicable thereto.

If anything, more of these guys should be on ice, but it should be done in a constitutionally correct manner.

Anonymous said...

John Galt link (requires registration with FT)

burgersub said...

on the wjz news at 6:30 today they said some stuff about a fire at a house in the something block of sidney avenue in east baltimore. sidney avenue is in westport you assholes!