National study finds rising trend of homicides among black male teens

Here's an article about a Northeastern University study that about homicide trends across the nation.

One of the study's central findings was the observation that homicides in which black male teens were victims or perpetrators, the authors didn't seem to find any specific reasons why the problem was most severe among black youths, but do find data in support of an argument that rising homicide rates are more likely to be observed in urban locales.

The report finds that federal aid to police departments to large cities (250,000 or more residents) has declined precipitously since the early part of the decade. That trend corresponds with another observation - the ratio of cops to residents in large cities has shrunk more severely than in smaller cities.

The study's authors support a "youth bailout," greater funding for youth-oriented crime prevention programs to balance police enforcement.

The study can be accessed online.

By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer

A recent study examining national crime trends concludes that homicides among black teenage males increased for much of the decade at an alarming rate.

The study, written by a pair of criminologists at Northeastern University in Boston, calls for increased investment in crime prevention programs.

"While overall homicide levels in the United States have fluctuated minimally in recent years, those involving young victims and perpetrators -- particularly young black males -- have surged," reads the opening sentence of the report.
Despite the bad news, the study finds that the increase in killings among black teenagers has not led to a situation as bad as existed in American cities during the crack cocaine-fueled violence of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Instead, criminologists James Alan Fox and Marc L. Swatt write that the uptick in homicides is an almost inevitable phenomenon after the national decrease in crime that began in the 1990s.

Fox and Swatt argue that American policymakers, partly because of the focus on counterterrorism in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, turned their attention away from street violence since the successes of the past decade.

Another observation is the possibility that the previous decline in violence has allowed the bloody realities of gang life to fade from the memories of at-risk youths. Fox and Swatt propose that many young men may not realize the dangers of gang life.

Terrance Stone, a former gang member who is now president of San Bernardino-based Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy, agreed that the stigma of gang membership has faded.

"One thing I've seen with gangs ... now it's more acceptable," Stone said, "It's not so much (that) you're an outcast anymore looking like a gang member."

Young Visionaries' mission is keeping youths out of gangs. The U.S. Department of Justice recently awarded Stone's group a $200,000 grant that is be used for efforts including employment training.

In terms of statistics, the Northeastern study finds that nationwide, the number of black male juvenile homicide victims increased by 31 percent from 2002 to 2007.

The number of homicide perpetrators within the same demographic group increased by 43 percent during the same time period.

In San Bernardino County, coroner's statistics show that homicides in which black male teens died as a result of homicide increased from 2003 to 2007.

In 2002, three black male teens were killed in homicides across the county. In 2007, that number had jumped to 13, the highest figure during that time span.

That kind of steep rising trend was not seen in other demographic groups within San Bernardino County.

Among Latinos, 13 male teens were slain in 2002 in the county. There were 14 such victims in 2007, down from a peak of 17 in 2005.

For whites, the statistics show that two male teens were homicide victims in 2002 and the same number in 2007. The peak number of white male teen victims was recorded in 2004, when four members of that demographic group were slain.

Within the county, San Bernardino may be the city that has seen the most severe youth violence in recent years, although City Hall officials issued a media release in November that trumpeted a decline in youth homicides.

According to that announcement, which was sent from Mayor Pat Morris' office, there were 18 juvenile homicide victims who were killed by gunfire from March 1, 2004 through June 30, 2006.

That figure declined to six such victims from July 1, 2006 through Oct. 31, 2008. Morris' office attributed the progress to the Operation Phoenix program, which includes a trio of new youth centers as well as heightened police patrols and partnerships with outside agencies like the ATF.

Seventh Ward City Councilwoman Wendy McCammack wasn't terribly impressed with the Northeastern study. She has questioned her city's ability to fund ambitious crime prevention programs and proposed that school districts are better positioned to lead youths away from violence.

"City governments' efforts can only pale in comparison to the money school districts have to fight and win over the youth crime issue," she wrote in an e-mail. "But I have always said that along with retraining and redirecting the very young, there must be money and training for the caregivers of those kids so that they see buy-in from both inside and outside the home."

Crime statistics aren't the only numbers that matter to policymakers, however. San Bernardino officials are looking at a current-year budget shortfall in the order of $12 million or so, and any program - no matter how promising - could be trimmed.

Sixth Ward Councilman Rikke Van Johnson said he wasn't surprised to hear the Northeastern Study called for increased prevention and intervention efforts and thinks the Phoenix approach is on the right track. Nevertheless, he has no illusions that he and others will have to make tough choices this year.

"It's going to be tough all around and we're going to have to evaluate anything," Johnson said. "There is going to be no sacred animal."

andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com