Violent crime went down in America again last year. According to preliminary statistics from the FBI, the number of violent crimes dropped by about 5 percent from 2008 to 2009. Given population growth, that means that the rate of violent crime dropped even more. (So did property crime.) This is a puzzle because (a) violent … Continue reading »
crime
The Crying Game: The Mehserle trial starts in L.A.
The opening of the murder trial of Johannes Mehserle on June 10 in Los Angeles once again brings the issues of race, criminality, and police violence back to the foreground where they have so often been in Los Angeles and Oakland, the city where Mehserle admittedly shot Oscar Grant on the platform adjoining a BART … Continue reading »