Oklahoma Has the Highest Arrest Rate in the Country

Oklahoma Takes Louisiana’s Place as the State with the Highest Incarceration Rate in The U.S.

Oklahoma Arrest Rate According to a study by the Prison Policy Initiative, Oklahoma has recently surpassed Louisiana in terms of the highest incarceration rates in the United States with 1,079 people being incarcerated out of 100,000.

In an interview by Jeremy Hobson with John Carl, a University of Oklahoma sociology and criminology professor, Carl says that it isn’t about the higher rates of crime. He added that across the entire southern part of the United States, there has been a large increase of incarcerations since the 80s.

Carl explained that incarcerations have exploded to a massive 700 percent since 1980 with crime rates in the state going up by about 20 percent.

When asked about the state of Oklahoma’s prisons Carl said that they are overcrowded.

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How to Protect Children from Sexual Predators

There is a Sexual Predator in Your Neighborhood! Guidelines to Help You Keep Your Children Safe

Shocking news continues to hit our television of scenes where young children and teens have been molested by trusted people such as long-distance relatives, trusted teachers, religious leaders, neighbors and entrusted caregivers. The act is both shocking and worrying leaving parents to wonder what they have to do to protect their young ones.

Not every child is confident enough to explain of this ordeal making it difficult for parents to determine the symptoms until it is too late. However, prevention is better than cure so parents should learn how to take care of their kids and protect them from sexual predators.

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The Three Most Dangerous Cities in Florida

The Three Most Dangerous Cities in Florida in Terms of Crime Rate

Being the 4th most populated state in the US, the cities in Florida do not contain good crime rates in florida news concerning crime rate. Out of the 100 most dangerous cities in Florida regarding crime rate, 11 are from Florida. The most common types of crime being; Murder, rape, robbery and assault. The following are the three most dangerous cities in Florida regarding crime rate.

Homestead

The chance of becoming a victim in the city of Homestead is one out of sixty. Homestead is the most dangerous city in Florida and is also among the top 100 cities in the United States that are susceptible to criminal activities.

The city of Homestead is situated between two of the best parks in Florida, Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park. Homestead is home to the Miami suburbs and a major agricultural area.

The City of Homestead has registered a total of 191 sex offenders, which makes this crime one of the most popular in the city. Other famous crimes that have been reported in Homestead include; murders, arson, burglaries and robberies.

Riviera Beach

The second most dangerous city in Florida regarding crime rate is Riviera Beach. The chance of becoming a victim of criminal activities in the city of Riviera Beach is one out of seventy-six. It is also among the top 100 cities in the United States that are most notorious regarding criminal activities.

Riviera Beach is situated in South Florida. The majority of the population in Riviera Beach are the African American. Riviera Beach is one of the most popular cosmopolitan cities in the United States. However, security of the City needs to be tightened to make Riviera Beach a more secure place to live.

Lake Worth

Coming third in the most dangerous cities in Florida, Lake Worth’s risk of becoming a victim is one in 78 individuals. Lake Worth is situated in Palm Beach County of Florida. It was named after the area’s eastern border which is a water body that was originally known as Lake Worth Lagoon.

Being among the 100 most dangerous cities in the United States in terms of crime rate, Lake Worth City has its share in common criminal activities such as burglary, theft, sex offense and robberies. Although it is a modern city that has access to pretty much everything you may need including infrastructure, it is a city to watch and security needs to be heightened.

Useful links:

1) How to do a background check in Florida – If you plan to move to Florida or open a business, you should know how to carry out an online search on a person’s criminal history (That can be your neighbor or your employee)

2) Crime rates in Florida – Official data released by the FDLA

Tracking a person criminal history

Doing a Criminal Records Search in the United States

There is nothing more important than being able to check the background of people with whom you come in close contact every day. For example, it is imperative to make sure the babysitter of your child is not, God forbids a former sex offender.

U.S. law-makers have taken this into account and passed the Freedom of Information Act, which is a set of laws obligating the government to reveal the records in its possession to the public upon demand.

FOIA Laws

Each state has its own version of FOIA Laws and some states are considered more willing than others to put their archives at the disposal of the public.

For example, it is very easy to track a person’s history of arrests and convictions in North Carolina. All you have to do is go to your county’s Clerk of Court and demand access to criminal court dockets.

Moreover, in some NC counties, the information is presented online free of charge. For example, to track an individual’s criminal background in Mecklenburg County, visit the website of the sheriff. There you will find an electronic arrest search tool and an inmate locator.

On the other hand, there are states which are more parsimonious when it comes to disclosing criminal background information. In California, for instance, you can get access to your records only. Other’s records are sealed (unless you are a law enforcement agent).

It all depends on the state in which you live. In Texas, you will not have a problem tracking any person’s incarceration and prosecution history. There are statewide databases open to everyone (you will have to pay a fee, but apart from that, the information is fully available).

In Virginia, on the contrary, there are some limitations regarding the information you will be able to access if you are not a policeman.

Should Juveniles Be Trialed as Adults?

Teenagers as Young as 16 are Treated as Adults in Court – North Carolina as a Case Study

jail In North Carolina, a 16-year-old teenager who has committed a crime is prosecuted like an adult. This does not occur anywhere in the United States, only in New York.

However, NC legislators want to change it. Minors should be trialed as minors with the exception of especially serious crimes.

Legislators have so far avoided changing the law mainly due to rising costs: if juveniles are not treated as adults and do not go to jail, the state will have to spend plenty of money on rehabilitation programs. However, criminologist point to the fact that keeping teenagers out of the prison system will reduce recidivism and may turn out to save the authorities plenty of resources in the long run.

Another point worth considering – if the state decides not to prosecute juveniles, crime rates will decrease significantly. There will be less people considered criminals. Of course, if there are not rehabilitation programs available, this reduction in crime rate will be nominal only.

According to various studies, in terms of numbers, increasing prosecution age (“Raise the Age”) will initially cost tax payers in North Carolina around $50 million annually. However, in years to come, thanks to decreased recidivism rate, state’s spending will go lower by more than $100 per year.

The problem is that politicians usually lack the foresight needed for long-term planning. Huge costs entailed in reforming the justice system may hinder any prospects of change.

All other states understood long ago that juveniles should be treated not as harsh as adults. Apart from being immoral (and even unconstitutional), it is a mistake from an economical point of view to treat teens as adults. Let’s hope that NC legislators will come to their senses as soon as possible and will follow other states.

Trump against Crime

What can Trump Do to Fight Crime?

Trump and crime There a few major steps the new Trump administration can do to battle crime. First and foremost, it may empower police by reducing supervision over police activity, which will definitely lead to more aggressive law enforcement including the more frequent use of violent methods.

Second, trump can call the National Guard to suppress future anti-police riots. Third, he can equip states’ police forces with a whole new array of military –grade equipment. This, of course, will potentially increase police aggressiveness even further.

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Fighting Crime with Hi-Tech

Fighting Crime with Hi-Tech in Chicago May Help Police’s Law Enforcement Efforts

During 2016, the City of Chicago experienced a steep rise in crime rate. More the 760 cases of homicide were reported along with increasing shooting incidents on the streets. For this reason, decision-makers have decided upon fighting crime with hi-tech; that is, using what advanced technology has to offer to assist law officers in making the streets a little safer.

To begin with, police are going to use more efficient strategies to cope with criminals. Two centers for strategic planning will be established in cooperation with the University of Chicago Crime Lab. Police officers hope to use experts’ insights regarding the best way to react to events the moment they occur.

In addition, daily police work is going to rely more and more on ShotSpotters, which are sophisticated sensors meant to give indication of shooting incidents in real time, thus allowing police officers to respond instantly.

This surveillance technology, it should be mentioned, is not novel. Currently, there are a few sensors installed in various parts of Chicago. The plan is to increase the number to 44 sensors mainly in areas where shooting is frequent.

The need for

The main problem police are facing today is the unwillingness of the public to cooperate with them in solving shooting crimes. Most people are reluctant to assist law enforcement agencies fearing retribution from gangs. Others tend to rely on street justice rather than the law.

With advanced surveillance technology at their disposal, police hope they will not need to rely on the public to catch shooters.

Grim violent crime statistics

The number of reported homicide and shooting cases in Chicago has increased by 65% and 88% respectively in 2016 Compared to 2015. 762 people were murdered in 2016 compared to 496 a year before. 66% of the murders occurred in the south and west sides of the city and were the results of gang activity. On Christmas weekend alone 12 murders were recorded.

Further reading:

New York Police Department is also using the technology of ShotSpotters in order to track shooting incidents

Big Walls Prevent Crime

Big Walls around Vacant Lots Prevent Crime

It seems that erecting walls or even a simple fence around abandoned urban lots can significantly help reduce crime. These lots turn out to be the gathering places of criminals which use them to sell narcotics and firearms. The wall signals potential criminals that the area belongs to someone and thus they cannot use it for their own needs.

It appears there are plenty of vacant areas in industrial cities – such as Chicago, Detroit or Cleveland – as a result of population decline after the economic crisis of 2008. In Chicago alone, there are more than 13,000 vacant lots which are owned by no one. The situation is especially severe in New Orleans. The destruction caused by the 2005 Hurricane Katrina left many areas in the city deserted.

City authorities have realized that besides crime, vacant areas lower the value of nearby real estate and so effort is made to create a sense (even if it is a false one) that the territory has an owner.

Some cities have even gone further by turning vacant areas into green recreation sites with lawns. In Cincinnati, Ohio – the city cleaned more than 1,200 lots last year alone. Other cities have even hired private contractors to handle the problem of vacant lands and states have allocated millions of dollars for this project.

There are clear findings that attest to the beneficial effect of walls encircling vacant lots. In Pennsylvania, gun violence went lower by 5 per cent. Installing windows and doors in houses which are abandoned made gun violence decrease by close to 40 percent.

The residents are highly satisfied. They feel that for the first time their government is adopting actual measures to combat crime with no need for police intervention and the use of force.

Radicalism in the United States

Radical Movements in the America – from KKK to Bernie Sanders

Radicalism has always been an inseparable part of the American society and culture. When we talk about radicalism in the United States, people automatically think of right-wing racists movements such as the notorious Ku Klux Klan. However, left-wing radicals have also had their say in America’s recent history. In fact, some of the most important changes that occurred in American society (e.g. equal rights to females, the end of slavery) started from radical and unconventional ideologies.

In 2016 elections, Bernie Sanders represented a new wave of radicalism in American politics. Socio-economic inequality came to the fore in the most explicit way. It was probably the first time that a social democrat was running for presidency. Sanders’ surprising popularity among voters at the ages of 18-24 may indicate a growing opposition to traditional capitalism in America.

There is a direct connection between the growing support for socialism in the country and other “radical ideas” such as the struggle against police maltreatment of Afro-American or movements fighting against the deportation of immigrants.

Donald Trump is the manifestation of radical thought. Although his world view is far from that of American social democracy, we can say for certain that he is not a hardcore conservative and surely does not represent the mainstream thought of the Republican Party. He comes with his own set of values and beliefs, some of which are unpalatable to the most extreme rightists.

A lesson to learn

We have to remember that changes come slowly; that is a lesson that all American radical movements learned. It took more than 100 years for Abolitionism in the United States to accomplish the goal of ending slavery. The women’s suffrage movement began in the middle of the 19^th century. Women voted only after 1920 thanks to the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It takes time till radical ideas are socially internalized and become a part of our mainstream thought.

Afro-Americans and Police Brutality – The Victimization of a Whole Community

police brutality against afro-americans A study conducted by the British Guardian on the subject of Afro-Americans and police brutality shows that in 1 out of 65 cases dealing with the killing of Afro-Americans in the United States, a police officer is involved. In addition 25% of the Afro-Americans killed by police officers were not armed in comparison to 17% of white people.

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