A surge in Shootings: New Yorker PodCast
Major cities in the US have seen a surge in gun violence even as activists call on the police’s defund. In the late 20th century, crime rates in New York started to rise, resulting in many fatalities. According to the FBI, as the 21st century approached, the crime rate fell rapidly. Recently there have been increasing cases of gun violence within New York. NYPD has been investigating claims of shooting spree since the start of summer.
Some theories have been proposed in trying to explain the increasing rate of gun violence this year alone. One such theory is that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated gun violence cases due to unemployment and other factors. There is also a higher number of illegal guns within New York City, which triggers violent shootings.
Studies have shown that gun violence is majorly conducted by gangs who sell drugs to some tuffs that they control. Since currently, many people unemployed, the gangs have limited customers for the drugs, and hence, they use gun violence as an alternative to control the tuffs. Some officers have been out of service due to sickness resulted from the pandemic; this, in turn, has led to less police surveillance and hence increased gun violence. Investigations have also been greatly affected, with most of the ongoing investigation grinding into a halt. Lack of investigation often leads to continuity of violence patterns (Barbaro, 2020).
The second theory is the recalling of police reservists to control the growing protests that were occasioned by the brutal murder of George Floyd. Some police recalled serving in the intelligence and detective squad, leaving less police presence in neighborhoods known for violent shootings.
The recent protests have drawn political responses to disband the anti-crime units, which usually are responsible for clearing guns off the streets. This results in increasing illegal arms used in violent shootings. The anti-crime police have in many occasioned involved in shootings. This is because they are trained to look for violent people and are always prepared to use guns. Disbanding the anti-crime unit has resulted in criminals flaunting guns in public hence increasing chances of violent shooting.
Communities that experience high crime rates have developed mistrust tot=wards the police. Police feel that their work is not being appreciated. The law has since shown laxity in handling criminal offense hence further increasing the chances of violent shootings.
The third theory is explaining the surge in the shooting in advance by the New York police. The New York state passed a bail law allowing people to get out of jail while still their cases being heard in court; this law is seen as putting criminals back to the streets involved in shootings. Some measures put into reducing the spread of Coronavirus were decongesting the jails through the release of prisoners. Some of those prisoners are convicts of shootings, and when let back to the streets, they further shooting.
References
Barbaro, M. (2020). A Surge in Shootings [Recorded by A. Southall]. New York, New York, United States of America.