California's "Real" Calexit Problem

Taking its cue from Britain voting to secede (Brexit) from the European Union, some in California want to do the same by seceding from the United States; or, "Calexit" as it is known.  In fact, in the latest polling, 32% want to exit. At the heart of the issue is that the rest of the United States doesn't share California's values.  Of course, the election of Trump reinforced that belief since Hillary Clinton received more than 10 million of the State's nearly 15 million votes cast.  In any event, California's Secretary of State has authorized the collection of nearly 600,000 signatures to put Calexit to the vote on the next ballot.

For all this talk about "values",  California seems to be ignoring the fact that there already is a kind of Calexit  taking place.  From 2004 to 2013, 5 million people left the State; mostly over high taxes (including property taxes) and high costs of living.  In another study, California lost 9,000 businesses in a 7-year span.  Most citing a "hostile business" environment of high taxes and regulation.

California also has some serious structural problems that may accelerate the number of those wanting to do business elsewhere.  The State has the highest poverty rate in the nation at 20.6%.  Contributing to the poverty problem is the fact that the unemployment rate is almost a full percentage point above the national average. Further, thanks to the voter initiative passed into law that essentially emptied the State's prisons of supposed low-level criminals, there has been an "explosion" of property crimes across the state.  In addition, cities like Los Angeles have seen an increase of violent crime after decades of decline.

Exacerbating the exodus is the fact that California's lawmakers just keep piling up regulations.  In 2016, 800 new laws went into effect which the LA Times said "touch on broad aspects of California residents’ everyday lives, or address major issues such as voter participation, and life and death."  And, for 2017, hundreds of new laws also went into effect including a $15 minimum wage by 2020 which is sure to accelerate the business exodus.  In addition, employers are banned from asking any prospective employee if they have an arrest record or court detention prior to being 18.

The bottom line is that Californians, themselves, are making it less hospitable for people to live and work in the state; and they just can't see it.

A final note: While many of the laws on the books are beneficial to some or all of California's residents, many are very burdensome to businesses and contribute to what many already are calling a "hostile" business environment.

References:

Supporters for 'Calexit' initiative start collecting signatures: http://www.foxla.com/news/local-news/232714964-story

California's ballots have all been counted — more than 14.6 million: http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-california-s-ballots-have-all-been-1481163154-htmlstory.html

An explosion of California property crimes — due to Prop. 47: http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/An-explosion-of-California-property-crimes-6922062.php

'Calexit' would be a disaster for progressive values: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-friedersdorf-calexit-unprogressive-20170129-story.html

5 Million People Left California Over the Past Decade. Many Went to Texas: http://dailysignal.com/2015/09/04/5-million-people-left-california-over-the-past-decade-many-went-to-texas/

California lost 9,000 business HQs and expansions, mostly to Texas, 7-year study says: http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/morning_call/2015/11/california-lost-9-000-business-hqs-and-expansions.html

Why Does California Have The Nation's Highest Poverty Rate? http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckdevore/2016/09/28/why-does-california-have-the-nations-highest-poverty-rate/#79027b623e89

Violent crime in L.A. jumps for third straight year as police deal with gang, homeless issues: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-crime-stats-20161227-story.html

California Unemployment Rate: https://www.google.com/search?q=california+unemployment+rate&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

California's new laws for 2016: See how you are affected: http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-g-california-new-laws-2016-htmlstory.html

How will California's 2017 Laws Affect You: http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-pol-ca-new-2017-laws/#jobs


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Arrest Mayors/Police Chiefs of Sanctuary Cities

Donald Trump wants to deprive sanctuary cities of federal funds, but there is an easier way of stopping the practice of providing "safe haven" for illegal aliens.  Arrest and convict the mayors and police chiefs of those cities that are in violation of federal law.

U.S. code "1907. Title 8, U.S.C. 1324(a)" states this:

"Harboring -- Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii) makes it an offense for any person who -- knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, conceals harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection, such alien in any place, including any building or any means of transportation."

There is no question that these mayors and police chiefs in these cities, are both "knowing", and "in reckless" disregard of illegals in their communities.

Further, this U.S. code also states:

"The basic statutory maximum penalty for violating 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(i) and (v)(I) (alien smuggling and conspiracy) is a fine under title 18, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both."

Additionally:

"...the basic statutory maximum term of imprisonment is 5 years, unless the offense was committed for commercial advantage or private financial gain, in which case the maximum term of imprisonment is 10 years."

More importantly, there is provision of the law:

"...if the violation results in the death of any person, the defendant may be punished by death or by imprisonment for any term of years."

Someone might remind San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee of that latter provision.  He was the mayor when Kathryn Steinle lost her life to a gunshot from an illegal alien in that declared "santuary city".  In fact, statistically, there are more than 820,000 criminal illegals in this country; of which 84% have either committed felonies and/or serious misdemeanors.   That's one-in-twelve who have violated our laws since they originally violated the law by coming into the country illegally.

In my opinion, arresting and trying mayors like Bill DeBlasio (New York City), Rahm Emanuel (Chicago), and Ed Lee (San Francisco) would be a much more powerful message than simply stripping their federal funds.

References:

Trump wants to strip federal funding from 'sanctuary cities': http://nypost.com/2017/01/25/trump-to-strip-federal-funding-from-sanctuary-cities/

U.S. code "1907. Title 8, U.S.C. 1324(a): https://www.justice.gov/usam/criminal-resource-manual-1907-title-8-usc-1324a-offenses

Mayors pledge to defend ‘sanctuary cities’ against Trump: http://nypost.com/2016/11/15/mayors-pledge-to-defend-sanctuary-cities-against-trump/

Family of woman killed by illegal immigrant files claims against San Francisco: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/1/kathryn-steinle-family-suing-san-francisco-over-he/

Report: 820,000 criminal illegals, 84% with felonies, serious misdemeanors: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/report-820000-criminal-illegals-84-with-felonies-serious-misdemeanors/article/2609915

Was This the Reason for the Charlotte Policeman's Killing of Keith Scott?

Just recently, the Brennan Center for Justice released its 2016 preliminary report of projected year-end increases in violent crime activity in the 30 largest cities.  Based on the news reports, one would think that Chicago would be number one on the "Brennan" list.  But, no.  Instead, San Antonio saw the largest increase in projected violent crime for 2016 at 52.5%. In second place was Charlotte, with an increase of 22.5% over 2015.  Chicago was actually third at 16.2%.

While spending years working as a manager, I can honestly tell you that when the workload increases unexpectedly, the level of stress goes up, and even the best employees, will start to make mistakes.  This is apparently the case for the police in Charlotte.  A 22.5% projected increase in violent crime, along with increases in almost every other category of crime in 2016, has apparently caused a quick increase in stress in just a short time.  The police chief has called for enough money to hire 50 more officers, 20 additional dispatchers, and five more crime scene techs, in order to deal with the relatively fast increase in crime activity.

I can't say that stress was solely responsible for the police shooting and killing of Keith Lamont Scott, but it certainly could have been a contributing factor.  And, why, unlike other cities, Charlotte's crime rate is soaring is a question that has to be addressed to insure that police aren't overworked; making what is already a tough job a lot tougher.

References:

Study: Violent Crime And Murders Slightly On The Rise This Year In Largest Cities: http://www.npr.org/2016/09/19/494293952/study-violent-crime-and-murders-slightly-on-the-rise-this-year-in-largest-cities

Charlotte-Mecklenburg: Crime on the rise in nearly every major category:  http://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/cmpd-to-release-2016-q1-crime-stats-announce-summer-initiative/261701976

After Years of Decline, Murder and Crime Rise

The early 1990's saw crime and murder rates out of control.   In 1993, there were more than 14 million crimes committed and nearly 25,000 murders.  By 2014, the number of crimes fell to 9-1/2 million and murders were down to 14,250.  Similarly, overall violent crimes fell from nearly 2 million in 1993 to just 1.2 million in 2014.  Many believe that more active policing and increased traffic stops were responsible for the decline.

Now, in the last two years, crime in our major cities is rising to levels that haven't been seen in years.

While Barack Obama refuses to blame this rise on the less aggressive policing resulting from the poor treatment of cops over the incidents in Ferguson, Baltimore, and other cities, the facts are undeniable.  For example, in Minneapolis, violent crime is up while traffic stops are down 30%, and arrests for violent crimes are down 30%.  In Chicago, traffic stops are down 80% while murders are up nearly 70%. In Las Vegas, murders have doubled.  And, more often than not, blacks are the ones dying at higher rates than whites.  In Chicago, 73% of those murdered are black.

Therefore, if black lives truly matter, let the police do their jobs, and get the civil rights division of the Justice Department off their backs.  The way things are now, all too many blacks are dying as a result of passive policing in our major cities, along with the hands-off attitude against blacks during traffic stops.

References:

Homicide Rates Jump in Many Major U.S. Cities, New Data Shows: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/us/murder-rates-cities-fbi.html

Violent crime up, yet Minneapolis police make fewer arrests: http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/05/13/minneapolis-violent-crime-up-yet-police-make-fewer-arrests

The Obama Murders: D.C., Baltimore and Chicago Lead Murder Spike: http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/262607/obama-murders-dc-baltimore-and-chicago-lead-murder-daniel-greenfield

U.S. Crime Stats by Year: http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm


Chicago Gun Violence Statistics: http://heyjackass.com/category/2016-stats/

Chicago Police Department's "stop and frisks" down 80 percent: http://abc7chicago.com/news/cpd-stop-and-frisks-down-80-percent-in-2016/1182604/

Defending Bill Clinton Versus Black Lives Matter On Crime

Apparently, a big issue among blacks, and especially the Black Lives Matter group, is the 1994 crime bill that Bill Clinton signed into law while President, which they believe has caused mass incarcerations of blacks.  At a rally, he was forced to dress down Black Lives Matter protestors over that very issue.

Its not often that I defend Bill Clinton, but the 1994 Violent Crime Control Act along with the gun control bill called the Brady Bill (which Clinton also signed into law that same year), have gone a long way in saving lives and reducing crime in this country.

In the 1990's, when Clinton came to office, crime was out of control; especially violent crime and murder.  Murders hit a record high of 24,700 in 1991 and the incidences of violent crime also hit a record 1.9 million in 1992.   As of 2014, murders hit a low of 14,249 and violent crimes are down to 1.2 million.  And, yes, because of those two laws by Clinton, black incarcerations have gone up.

But, understand, according to FBI statistics, blacks commit more crimes relative to their percentage of the population.  While they makeup just 12% of the population, they commit 52.2% of all murders/manslaughters.  They commit 56% of robberies, and overall, 28.3% of all crimes categorized by the FBI.  So, its only logical that they would have a higher incarceration rate (32%).  Also understand, that blacks have a higher rate of recidivism which is generally blamed on higher rates of poverty which stands at 27% compared to 15.4% for the general population.  Additionally, higher black rates of unemployment and higher rates of illiteracy force them to commit higher amounts of crime.  According to the Department of Education, 70% of prison inmates are functionally illiterate.

The bottom line is that Clinton accomplished a reduction of crime.  Especially when you consider that the population of this country is 22% higher than it was in 1994.  Therefore, proportionately, the reductions are even more dramatic.  Now, while the crime bill itself really only addressed getting criminals off the streets, it fell woefully short in reducing the very reasons for crime.  That's what Black Lives Matter protesters should be focused on and not the 22 year old crime bill itself.  Also, blacks need to take responsibility for their high rates of crime and incarceration; starting with education, leading to improved literacy rates, and ultimately, better jobs.

References:

Bill Clinton spars with Black Lives Matter protesters: http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/07/politics/bill-clinton-black-lives-matter-protesters/index.html

20 Years Later, Parts Of Major Crime Bill Viewed As Terrible Mistake: http://www.npr.org/2014/09/12/347736999/20-years-later-major-crime-bill-viewed-as-terrible-mistake

United States Crime Rates 1960 - 2014: http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm

U.S. Population 1994: https://www.google.com/search?q=u.s+population+in+1994&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

FBI: Arrests by Race and Crime: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/tables/table-43

Prisoner Populations in 2013: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p13.pdf

Criminal Recidivism: the Plight of African American Male Youth: https://psychsocialissues.com/2013/11/20/criminal-recidivism-the-plight-of-african-american-male-youth/

Poverty in Black America: http://blackdemographics.com/households/poverty/

Illiteracy Statistics:  http://www.statisticbrain.com/number-of-american-adults-who-cant-read/

Chicago: The Ferguson Effect and Justice Not Served

In most every big city in America, murders and violent crime surged in 2015.  Up between 11% and 16%; depending on the study you look at.

Something called the "Ferguson Effect" is being blamed for it.  Essentially, the "Ferguson Effect" has chilled active policing in our major cities for fear that a cop, any cop, will find themselves in court, or perhaps in prison for murder, should something go wrong during an altercation that may ends in the death of a suspected criminal. Thus, the crooks have gotten the streets back.

For Chicago, the number of murders in 2015 is projected to hit 505; up more than 11% from the 2013 and 2014 counts of 450 and 454, respectively.  However, on a positive side, it won't see the highly publicized number of 514 murders that was seen in 2012.

Also, for Chicago, 2015 was also the year when the video of Laquan McDonald being shot to death by a cop was released to the world press.  Now, some people are calling for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.  On top of that, GQ Magazine has named Rahm to its worst people's list of 2015.

In my opinion, there is a bigger issue regarding the Chicago Police and Mayor Emanuel that is being ignored amid the charged environment of the Laquan video.  That issue is the fact that so few murders are actually solved and brought to justice in that City.  In 2012 -- a year that saw the recent record of 514 murders -- only 26% were solved.  Another report by the Chicago Sun Times found that, since 1990, the solved murder rate has fallen from 70% to below 30%.

Essentially, Rahm Emanuel has neutered the Police's investigative capabilities in an effort to solve the City's budget problems.  The Sun-Times found that the "number of Chicago Police detectives, evidence technicians, and forensic investigators has declined by at least 19 percent since Emanuel took office."

If Rahm does resign, it should be over his weakening of the Police Department; leaving the City exposed, justice not being served, and criminals left on the streets to commit even more crime.  The 2015 stats may only be the tip of the iceberg, created by an overworked police investigative team which will continue to create an exponential rise in crime in the years to come.

References:

Rahm Emanuel, Under Siege in Chicago, Shows Contrite Side: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/us/rahm-emanuel-under-siege-in-chicago-shows-contrite-side.html

Trying to Hide the Rise of Violent Crime: Progressives and their media allies have launched a campaign to deny the ‘Ferguson effect’—but it’s real, and it’s increasingly deadly for inner cities: https://www.google.com/search?q=Trying+to+Hide+the+Rise+of+Violent+Crime&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

FBI head doubles down on 'Ferguson effect' | TheHill: http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/260080-fbi-head-doubles-down-on-ferguson-effect

2015 Chicago Crime Stats: http://heyjackass.com/

Chicago’s Criminals Are Getting Away With Murder: http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2013/Getting-Away-with-Murder/

WBEZ report: Chicago has more unsolved murders, fewer detectives: http://homicides.suntimes.com/2015/03/24/wbez-report-chicago-has-more-unsolved-murders-fewer-detectives/

The Lives of Living Blacks Matter More

In the U.S., blacks disproportionately live shorter lives.  They are more likely to be killed; not by whites, but by other blacks.  Their babies are more likely to be aborted.   Hispanics aside, they are generally less educated and more often illiterate.  They have higher drug addiction rates, commit crimes, and are imprisoned more often. There are higher rates of unemployment. Poverty is common and home ownership is not.  Lastly, most black babies are born to single mothers.

This is a national disgrace. It is an issue that is much greater than those chanting "Black Lives Matter" over a very small number of unarmed blacks that are killed by white cops.

For decades, the Democrats have pandered to black citizens for their votes.  Billions of government spending to better black lives hasn't worked, and most of the things noted in the first paragraph are things that blacks, themselves, can control; starting with the lack of a strong family unit.

72% of black babies are born to unwed mothers. A primary reason that black women are 3 times more likely to be in poverty as compared to white single women with the black poverty rate of 28.6%.  Of all the abortions in this country, more than 35% are of black fetuses.  Essentially, the concept of "family" is missing in the black community.  It is this lack of a complete family unit that leads to higher levels of crime, gang membership, and lower education levels.

In order to improve black lives, we need high-profile activism that preaches the importance of a strong family and a good education.  A good education starts with, somehow, tamping down the education-interrupting violence in inner city schools.  Contrary to what seems to be in some minds, being well educated and having a strong family is not being an "Uncle Tom".  Not everything is the white man's fault, and someone needs to tell that truth and stop perpetuating that opposing and eternal lie.


References:

CNN's Don Lemon says more than 72 percent of African-American births are out of wedlock: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/jul/29/don-lemon/cnns-don-lemon-says-more-72-percent-african-americ/

Fact Sheet: The State of African American Women in the United States: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/report/2013/11/07/79165/fact-sheet-the-state-of-african-american-women-in-the-united-states/

Black Americans Have Fewer Years to Live – Here's Why: http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/05/black-americans-have-fewer-years-to-live-heres-why

FBI: Murder Victims and Offenders by Race:   https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded-homicide/expanded_homicide_data_table_6_murder_race_and_sex_of_vicitm_by_race_and_sex_of_offender_2013.xls

Blacks Abortions: https://www.google.com/search?q=number+of+blacks+abortions&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Statistics of incarcerated African-American males - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistics_of_incarcerated_African-American_males

Illiteracy Statistics: http://www.statisticbrain.com/number-of-american-adults-who-cant-read/

Walter E. Williams: Why are inner-city schools more violent today than in the past?: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765550887/Why-are-inner-city-schools-more-violent-today-than-in-the-past.html?pg=all

Since 1987, the FBI Has Been Hiding Hispanic Crime Stats

Trying to find FBI crime statistics on Hispanics will prove fruitless.  90% of Hispanic crime is included with white statistics, with the balance being lumped in with black crime. But, while you can't find Hispanics, you will find the minority statistics for "American Indian or Alaskan Natives" and "Asian or Pacific Islanders".  They have been doing this since 1987 when they began hiding Hispanics from the annual reporting.

See full table in References below

So, why include Hispanics in with whites?  The only explanation is political; starting with the signing of Reagan's Amnesty Act in November 1986. This is because, if Hispanic crime was separated, you would see that it far exceeds most white crime making any form of amnesty questionable.  For example, look at this chart on the 2014 murders in New York City from the NYPD's latest annual report:

As you can see, murder in New York City  -- especially by gun -- is primarily a black and Hispanic problem; with whites only accounting for 6% of murder arrests.  This, even though whites are the majority population in that city.

Now, while, New York City with its high Hispanic population (28.9% versus 13% for all the U.S.) may not be representative of all Hispanic/Latino crime in America, it still shows that whites have much lower murder rates when compared to Hispanics.  A fact that is consistent with all other categories of crime in New York City, and a fact that the FBI has been hiding all these years.

Thanks to efforts from groups like the ACLU, the 2014 statistics (due later this year) will breakout Hispanic as a separate category and I think, America will be shocked at how much crime they are responsible for.  A fact that may somewhat derail the push to give millions of Hispanics amnesty and, ultimately, citizenship.  More crime, by bringing illegals out into the open, is not what this country needs.

References:

FBI: Crimes By Race -- Table 43: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/tables/43tabledatadecoverviewpdf

New York City Crime Report: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/analysis_and_planning/enforcement_report_year_end_2014.pdf

New York City Quick Facts: Racial Makeup: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/3651000.html

FBI To Track Latino Arrests For Uniform Crime Report: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/fbi-latino-arrests_n_3492521.html

Trump Is Right. Illegals Have High Rates of Crime

11 million illegal immigrants make up 3.4% of this country's population. Yet, depending on which study you look at, the incarceration rates for illegals is many times that percentage.  For example, in 2004, the Department of Health and Human services found that 22% of the people in our state prisons were foreign born. The Federal Bureau of Prisons found that 26% of its inmate population were non-citizens.

In January, a Senate committee headed up by Chuck Grassley found that 1,000 of the 36,000 illegals released by the Department of Homeland Security went on to commit crimes. One of those released, as reported by the Washington Times, went on to commit the following: "convicted of inflicting injury on a domestic partner; child cruelty, with the possibility of injury or death; probation violations; speeding; driving without a license; and failing to appear for court."  The fact is that Hispanics represent 40% of federal crimes in this country of which 72% of those crimes are committed by non-citizen Latinos (see Wikipedia reference below).

In addition to all of the above, it now appears that some of the children crossing our border are members of the notorious and violent gang: MS-13.

The political left doesn't want you hear these kinds of facts because it could derail President Obama's and other Democrat's push for amnesty.  Ever since Donald Trump said that illegals were bringing crime, the left-leaning media has done everything possible to discredit him,  but the recent murder of a women in San Francisco by an alien who had been deported 5 times has brought Trump's words into a new light.

To counter that San Francisco killing, all you hear from the political left is that you can't use this one incident as an example that illegals commit crimes.  Really?  They should look at the stats. Illegals, in general, commit crimes at a rate that is at least 6-1/2 times higher than their population.

References:

Center for Immigration Studies: Immigration and Crime: Assessing a Conflicted Issue: http://cis.org/ImmigrantCrime

Race and Crime in the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_crime_in_the_United_States#Hispanics 

Illegal immigrants released from custody committed 1,000 new crimes: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/30/illegal-immigrants-released-custody-committed-1000/

Border Crisis: Illegal Immigrant ‘Children’ Include MS-13 Gang Members: http://freebeacon.com/issues/border-crisis-illegal-immigrant-children-include-ms-13-gang-members/

Suspect in killing of San Francisco woman had been deported five times: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/03/us/san-francisco-killing-suspect-immigrant-deported/

Surprise! Donald Trump is wrong about immigrants and crime: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/07/02/surprise-donald-trump-is-wrong-about-immigrants-and-crime/

Really? The Baltimore Cops are the Problem?

When it comes to crime, the Baltimore police have their hands full.  Baltimore is a city of just 623,000 people.  Yet, every year, they have more than 40,000 crimes. That's one crime for every 15-1/2 residents. Theoretically, that means that each resident will experience one crime every 15 years.  That 1-in-15-1/2 also creates  a helluva lot of suspects within that population; and may be why so many residents think they're being harassed by the cops. 

Based on the murder rate per 1,000 people, Baltimore's is 9-1/4 times higher than the national average.  The rape rate is twice that of the nation as a whole.  The robbery rate stands at 6 times higher, and assault is almost 3 times the norm. All together, the violent crime rate per 1000 residents is nearly 4 times higher than the U.S. average. 

According to the U.S. Attorney General and the Baltimore Mayor, the city has a civil rights problem within its police force.

To that, I say that the city -- which is 63% black and has a police force that is nearly half black -- has a civility problem.  Not a civil rights problem.  Police don't cause crime. They enforce the law and protect against it.  When you have 438 crimes per square mile each year, something is seriously wrong and it isn't the police.  They are simply being scapegoated for other more politically relevant problems; such as a 24% poverty rate and very high unemployment. Just 42% of the working-age adults in Freddie Gray's neighborhood have a job. Overall, young black men have a 37% unemployment rate in that city.  Also, 36% of Baltimore's adult population are functionally illiterate and can't read at even a basic level. High poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy have all been linked to higher crime rates. Baltimore has them all.

References:

After Freddie Gray death, U.S. starts civil rights probe of Baltimore police: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-justice-announce-20150508-story.html#page=2

Baltimore Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/24/24510.html

Baltimore Police Department: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Police_Department

Just 42 percent of the residents in Freddie Gray’s neighborhood are employed: http://fusion.net/story/127163/just-42-percent-of-the-residents-in-freddie-grays-neighborhood-are-employed/

Baltimore's economy in black and white: http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/29/news/economy/baltimore-economy/

The Relationship between Crime and Unemployment: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1069&context=parkplace

Poverty and Crime | National Dialogue Network: http://www.nationaldialoguenetwork.org/poverty-and-crime/

Baltimore Literacy Rate: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1999-04-19/news/9904170418_1_adult-literacy-literacy-rates-welfare-recipients

Two-Thirds of Students Who Can't Read by the Fourth Grade Will Either Wind Up in Jail or on Welfare: http://www.begintoread.com/research/literacystatistics.html

Our Broken Educational System Is Feeding Our Prison System

In a recent speech at Columbia University, Hillary Clinton addressed the Baltimore rioting by saying that there is something "profoundly wrong" with our justice system.  Then she gave a litany of likelihoods that face black males.  Things like higher rates of incarceration and longer sentencing and that statistics on black incarceration and employment, are an embarrassment to this country. What she doesn't seem to understand is that our justice system exists as a result of crime; not the other way around.  So, the objective in improving crime statistics -- especially for blacks -- is to go after the root cause and not apply a band aid after the fact.

According to the President's own Education Department, 70% of prison inmates in this country can't  read at a basic level.  So, obviously, much of all criminal behavior can be traced back to functional illiteracy.   When blacks make up 40% of the prison population, also understand that nearly 1-in-4 (24%) are functionally illiterate.  So, then, what is the solution to race and the justice system?  Better policing and lighter sentencing?  Or a better educational system?

Also, high black illiteracy rates also lead to higher unemployment rates, lower wages, and higher rates of poverty.   More importantly, high rates of poverty and unemployment are also linked to higher rates of crime.  Thus, if black unemployment and poverty is high, higher crime rates will also follow.  In Baltimore, for example, the black unemployment rate for ages 20 to 24 was 37%. 

The bottom line is that, if we want to lessen the frequency by which blacks have to interact with the police and, in doing so, lessen the possibility that they will die at their hands, we need to improve black education and black attitudes towards being educated.

One of the most disturbing statistics from the Department of Education is that almost 1-in-5 (19%) of all high school graduates can't read.  So, then, how is one who can't read able to test and graduate from high school?  The only way something like that can happen is if we have a lot of teachers who are willing to push students out of the doors of their high school without an education.  Until that changes, black crime and overall crime will remain high in this country.

As far as Hillary Clinton is concerned...her trashing of the justice system is simply telling blacks what they want to believe and not the truth.  

References:

Hillary Clinton: 'There Is Something Profoundly Wrong' In Our Criminal Justice System: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/29/hillary-clinton-baltimore_n_7170668.html

Hillary Clinton: It's time to confront 'hard truths' about race and justice: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/hillary-clinton-justice-race-baltimore-reaction-117466.html

Illiteracy Statistics: http://www.statisticbrain.com/number-of-american-adults-who-cant-read/

The U.S. Illiteracy Rate Hasn't Changed In 10 Years: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html

Breaking Down Mass Incarceration in the 2010 Census: State-by-State Incarceration Rates by Race/Ethnicity: http://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/rates.html

How Baltimore’s Young Black Men Are Boxed In:  http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/how-baltimores-young-black-men-are-boxed-in/

Poverty and Crime: Breaking a Vicious Cycle of Discrimination: http://www.poverties.org/poverty-and-crime.html

Why "Broken Windows Policing" and "Stop and Frisk" Are Successful

In the wake of the death of small-time offender Eric Garner at the hands of the police,  -- black leadership and many, mostly on the political left  -- have questioned New York City's policy of "Broken Windows Policing" that had been established by Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his Police Commissioner Bill Bratton (now the current Police Commissioner under Mayor De Blasio) in 1990.  Simply, Broken Windows Policing is a policy of zero tolerance of low level crimes in the belief that small crimes lead to bigger ones if not addressed.

As a part of this overall program, something called "Stop, Question, and Frisk" was developed, whereby suspicious people -- either on foot or in cars -- would be stopped and questioned as to why they may be loitering or driving around in high crime areas; usually at late hours of the night.  If the answers seemed suspicious, the person or persons were then frisked; sometimes yielding illegal drugs, weapons, or stolen property.

The opponents of "Broken Windows Policing" -- and, especially "Stop and Frisk" -- complain that the program primarily targets high crime areas and, as such, unfairly targets minorities; especially blacks.  They also point to the fact that in 2011, nearly 686,000 stops saw 88% of them yielded no convictions of any kind.  This is why Bill De Blasio ran against the program in his mayoral campaign. 

However, that 88% statistic ignores the fact that 12% did yield arrests and convictions.  Simply, 12% of 686,000 stops, represents 82,000 criminal actors being taken off the streets of New York.  Thus, crime was avoided and, more importantly, murders may have be prevented; especially, in high-crime, minority areas of the city.  Also think about this.  Would you prefer that we stop TSA screenings at airports just because there is such a low rate of catching any terrorists attempting to board our airplanes?

New York City has done a more than excellent job in reducing crime.  The best of any major city in the U.S.

Since 1990 -- when the program was implemented -- crime in New York City is down 79%.  Murder is down 85%; and burglary 86%; and mostly in minority neighborhoods. Times Square, which had turned into a broken down sleazy area, is again a shining star.

Those who complain about "Broken Windows Policing" are either uninformed or biased, racial activists.  New York's reduction in crime has benefited all; especially those in once high-crime, minority neighborhoods.

References:

Opinion: ‘Broken windows,’ broken policy: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/12/29/broken-windows-broken-policy/WM8hUySUL0YerJq2S2Ay1N/story.html

Stop-and-frisk in New York City: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop-and-frisk_in_New_York_City

Bill De Blasio Stop and Frisk - Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/bill-de-blasio-stop-and-frisk/

New York City Crime Statistics Since 1990: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cscity.pdf

William J. Bratton and George L. Kelling: Why We Need Broken Windows Policing: http://www.city-journal.org/2015/25_1_broken-windows-policing.html

Serener streets: http://www.economist.com/node/14327168

Why The Ferguson Police Force Is Too White

All too often, since the Michael Brown shooting, I've heard the media and activist blacks question the racial makeup of the Ferguson Police Department.  The City of Ferguson is more than two-thirds black.  Yet, despite this, the police force is made up of 50 whites and only 3 blacks.  Of course, this would imply that the Michael Brown shooting would never have occurred if only African Americans patrolled those primarily black neighborhoods.

However, the racial disparity in Ferguson is indicative of all too many minority cities and neighborhoods through the country.  As a New York Times study reported, white police dominate black police an average 30 percentage points higher in nearly all predominately black communities.

But, no one seems to want to analyze why there aren't more black police officers; especially when a city has a black mayor and a black police chief.  For example, Dellwood, Missouri is 84% black and the police force is 94% white.  They have both a black Mayor, Reggie Jones, and a black Police Chief,  Lt. Norman Campbell.  Yet, no one is talking about the disparity between the racial makeup of the police force and the community. This is because it would expose the reasons why these neighborhoods, in general, have low black police participation rates and, why blacks, have high rates of unemployment and low pay.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one of the main requirements for becoming a police trainee is having a high school diploma.

In light of that, blacks fall well short.  First of all, only 68% of blacks graduate from high school; the lowest rate among any other ethnic group.  As a result,  one-third can't even apply to take the police academy exam.  But, having a high school diploma means nothing if the person holding it is functionally illiterate.  That is a big problem. Studies have shown that by the ninth grade, less than 44% of black children are literate relative to that education level.  This is down from a 50% literacy rate for those tested in the 4th grade.  So, essentially, blacks tend to fail police academy tests because all too many are illiterate.  After all, one of the major duties of any policeman is to write up a police report to be used as a legal document in a criminal court.  If you can't effectively write, you can't be a police officer.  But, instead of recognizing this deficiency and addressing it on an educational basis, Eric Holder's Justice Department is trying to increase the number of blacks in heavily minority neighborhoods by dumbing down the written Police Academy entrance exams.  All that means is that there will be less quality policing these communities.  In my opinion, this is what Holder will do with the Ferguson Police Department when he completes his Department of Justice investigation.

Another problem standing in the way of potential black candidates entering the force is the high rate of those having criminal records.  Nearly one in three African American males, aged 20 to 29,  are under some form of court supervision.  Meaning that, again, another third of blacks are automatically disqualified from entering any police academy.

Lastly, I think that the supposed distrust of police is another reason that some blacks don't want to become police officers.  Why would anyone who distrusts an organization want to become a part of it?  Of course, the opposing argument there, is that a more racially balanced police force in minority communities would ultimately aid in dispelling that distrust.

To me, black leaders -- including Barack Obama and Eric Holder -- need to stop focusing in on what is wrong with white America and start focusing in on what is wrong with black America in terms of education, literacy, and criminal behavior.  Only then will minority policing by blacks increase. In a city like Ferguson, that same leadership needs to understand that the police are doing their jobs to primarily protect blacks.  While, at the same time, never knowing if their life could end at any moment while on duty. They are not there to just protect the one-third that is white.  To this last point, please view the Milwaukee Sheriff's video commentary in the link below.

References:

Ferguson, Mo., has 50 white police officers, three black: http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/aug/17/andrea-mitchell/ferguson-police-department-has-50-white-officers-t/

New York Times:  The Race Gap in America’s Police Departments: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/09/03/us/the-race-gap-in-americas-police-departments.html?_r=0

Dellwood, Missouri:  A Message from the Mayor: http://www.cityofdellwoodmo.com/908/A-Message-from-the-Mayor

Real median household income by race: http://migrationfiles.ucdavis.edu/uploads/rmn/2013/10/16/real-median-income.png

Requirements to becoming a Police Officer: http://education-portal.com/articles/Police_Officer_Educational_Requirements_for_Police_Officers.html

Study: Record High School Graduation Rate On Track for 2020 But low-income and minority students still lag behind, the study finds: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2014/04/28/high-school-graduation-rates-reach-record

What’s up with African American literacy rates?: http://ourweekly.com/news/2013/oct/03/whats-african-american-literacy-rates/

Dumbing down police recruitment exams - World Magazine: http://www.worldmag.com/2011/03/dumbing_down_police_recruitment_exams

Statistics of incarcerated African-American males:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistics_of_incarcerated_African-American_males
 
Crime rate in Ferguson, Missouri (MO): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map: http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Ferguson-Missouri.html

 David Clarke, black Milwaukee sheriff: Eric Holder has ‘disgusted’ me: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/3/david-clarke-black-milwaukee-sheriff-eric-holder/

A New Style Of High End, Low Risk Burglaries: Facial Recognition

Recently, a new app hit the marketplace for your smart phone. Its called "NameTag".  It gives users access to a powerful facial recognition system that is able to isolate and identify the photo of someone against the millions of other photos on social media sites.  Simply snap a picture of someone, and if they are out there on the internet, their name and other information will be displayed.

Now, picture this.  You're fairly well to do, and you and your family pull into a local sports stadium for the big game.  Your high-end car attracts attention and a picture is taken of you and your wife.  Using NameTag, the person taking the pictures is now aware of  at least one or maybe both of your names. Combine that with some inexpensive background check service and voila', any criminal in the world will not only know where you live but, also, know your wealth status and, most importantly, can assume that you'll be away f rom home for at least a couple of hours watching a sporting event.  Just enough time to ransack your whole house.

This is just another reason to be as discreet as possible when using social networking sites.

Reference:

Facial recognition app matches strangers to online profiles: http://www.cnet.com/news/facial-recognition-app-matches-strangers-to-online-profiles/