Crime

Wisconsin Ranked Second in Nation for Black Homicide Rate

MILWAUKEE COURIER — Wisconsin has been called many things, including the state of one of the most segregated cities in the nation. Earlier this week, Wisconsin was ranked second in the nation for the number of black homicide victims.

Published

5 years ago

June 10, 2019

Oakland Post

By Ana Martinez-Ortiz

Wisconsin has been called many things, including the state of one of the most segregated cities in the nation. Earlier this week, Wisconsin was ranked second in the nation for the number of black homicide victims.

The Violence Policy Center (VPC) conducts an annual study: The Black Homicide Victimization in the United States. This year’s study, An Analysis of 2016 Homicide Data examined unpublished data from the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Report.

While the study has been going on for 13 years, this is the sixth year in row that Wisconsin has ranked among the 10 states with the highest black victimization rates, according to the press release.

Wisconsin’s homicide rate is 37.57 per 100,000, which almost twice the national rate. Missouri, which was ranked number one had a homicide rate of 46.21 per 100,000. Following Wisconsin, the remaining states included West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Louisiana and Pennsylvania.

Josh Sugarmann, the VPC executive director, said this study and victim’s families should provoke an outcry for change. He added that the goal of the report is to educate the public and policymakers in the hopes that it’ll make a change and put an end to this ongoing crisis.

In 2016 in Wisconsin, 144 black persons were victims of a homicide, 124 were male and 20 were female. The average age was 31-years-old, but 6 percent of victims were under 18 and two percent were 65 and older.

The report also found that 91 percent of the victims were killed by guns and of that, 75 percent were killed by handguns.

“In all parts of our country, people of color are disproportionately affected by gun violence,” said Jeri Bonavia, executive director of WAVE Educational Fund. “But this study highlights just how much work Wisconsin needs to do and just how essential it is that we do that work immediately.”

In the entirety of the United States, the study reported that 7,765 black people were homicide victims. Black people make up 13 percent of the population but accounted for 51 percent of the deaths.

The homicide victimization rate for black is 20.44 per 100,000 compared to the 2.96 homicide victimization rate for whites. Furthermore, the press release stated “Nationwide, 87 percent of black homicide victims were killed with guns.”

“The devastating and disproportionate impact homicide, almost always involving a gun, has on black men, boys, women, and girls in America is a national shame,” said Sugarmann.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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California Black Media

Anti-Theft Bill with Jail-Time Requirement Gets Wide Ranging Support

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24. Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Published

5 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman speaks as Asm. James Ramos (D-San Bernardino), left, stands beside him at a news conference in Sacramento concerning retail theft across the state.

By California Black Media

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24.

Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Co-authored by Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) and Devon Mathis (R-Tulare), AB 1772 would require jail time “of one to three years for theft crimes depending upon the circumstances.

“Offenses would include grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, carjacking, robbery, receiving stolen property, shoplifting or mail theft,” the bill language reads.

Ramos said the need to act is urgent.

“It’s time for us to reverse the spikes in theft crimes since the pandemic. Our law enforcement members and district attorneys need additional tools such as AB 1772. We must reverse the trend before the problem grows worse. Last year I requested a state audit of the impact of Prop 47 on Riverside and San Bernardino counties,” said Ramos.

Prop 47 is the California initiative, approved by voters in 2014, that reclassified some felonies to misdemeanors and raised the minimum amount for most misdemeanor thefts from $400 to $950.

According to a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the rate of occurrence of petty crimes like shoplifting and commercial burglaries have increased by double digits over the last four years.

In Orange County alone, commercial burglaries have spiked by 54%.

“Our communities are experiencing an increase in retail crime and deserve appropriate action from their legislators,” Valencia said.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus thanked Ramos.

“This bill, designed to impose stricter penalties on serial retail theft suspects, responds urgently to the escalating consequences of shoplifting and related crimes on our communities,” he said.

AB 1772 supporters who spoke at the gathering included Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper and San Bernardino Chief of Police Darren Goodman. Listed as supporters are the California State Sheriff’s Association, City of Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez and Redlands Chamber of Commerce.