"117 Homicides and Counting"

The Pitch's Peter Rugg has a really good piece here about Aim4Peace, an anticrime program launched two years ago by KCMO. It's based on a program in Chicago, CeaseFire, that had great results in reducing homicides. A handful of other cities have started their own programs, but Kansas City's version, Rugg notes, is struggling.

Partly because the city didn't put enough money into the program, but also because the city won't hire people with much of a criminal history. Only it's those folks -- people with street smarts, who know the people involved in crime -- who have the ability to go out and mediate between feuding sets and families, to prevent more homicides from taking place. (A good part of KC's homicides are retaliatory.)

We had a post about CeaseFire a little earlier this year, after the New York Times wrote about the program. Their bright idea is to use public-health methods to prevent crime.

Comments

[ddh]

This has to be the dumbest idea ever !!
How about tougher penalties for these Thugs !!!

[Truth Teller]

That's a good ending ddh!
I would start with trying to eradicate the benefits for broken families. Start rewarding families that stay together.

[JUNGLE JIM]

"use public-health methods to prevent crime."

You mean make sure everybody's vaccinations are up to date and they'll stop killing? There's a novel approach.

[James Hart]

Actually, JIM, it means looking at homicide as a public-health case. They start looking for people who were close to the person who "infected" (killed) because they're most likely to retaliate. They try to "immunize" (mediate/counsel) them so they don't go out and do more violence.

They also try to get a big-picture view of crime. They'll run stats to see which neighborhoods produce the most homicides or the most killers. Then they'll go into those areas first to promote job programs, counseling, etc.

[Big Dog]

I work in public health and everything is a public health issue. Theres a series of documentaries called "Unnatural Causes" aired on KCPT that really shows the relationship between health and the general public.

On cease fire, why not hire someone with a felony if they can do the job? The most effective employee is the one passionate about their job. Who would listen to someone that doesn't come from where you are but goes home to the suburbs every night talking about "those" people. We work for people everyday that don't have a clue but are supposed to provide direction...