Police Chief Suggests Protests May Have Led to an Increase in the Number of 2014 St. Louis Homicides

[xocet]

Last edited Sun Oct 26, 2014, 05:43 AM - Edit history (1)

Homicides in St. Louis poised to pass 2013 total
| Thursday, October 23, 2014 at 12:30 pm

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Homicides are up more than 25 percent in St. Louis this year, and the city is already poised to surpass the total number of killings for all of 2013.

Four more deaths in the next two months would put the number of slayings above last year’s total of 120 homicides, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. From Jan. 1 of this year through Wednesday, 117 people have been killed in St. Louis. Ninety-one homicides were reported in about the same time frame last year.

...

“What’s the only thing that’s changed since the middle of August?” Dotson said. He said one answer could be the protests that followed the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug. 9 by a Ferguson police officer.

“I believe there is some segment of the community that feels empowered by what’s going on,” Dotson said.

...

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/homicides-in-st-louis-poised-to-pass-total/article_f0005e70-54bd-5841-8fe5-b26430748bd4.html

Bizarre. Perhaps it is time to get a new police chief in St. Louis. However, I might be misreading his remarks.


Access to St. Louis crime statistics seems to be here:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stl-info/st-louis-crime-reports-for/html_9ffe4219-05aa-526d-92a1-3661d6b66842.html?appSession=50323288894223%22

[Downwinder]

1. Are police shootings included in their figures?

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Great question!

Answer is no, since they are rarely classified as homicides.
Which is something that needs to be looked at.

[Mercy_Queen]

5. Actually, a fatal police shooting is always classified as homicide.

[gordianot]

3. You should hear the absolute racist bullshit coming from white people in St. Louis.

A couple years ago I never heard this sort of talk beyond a few snide remarks today it comes from people I would never have suspected. Anything that has anything to do with St. Louis is off my agenda especially Cardinals baseball. (Cardinals Baseball was a very old family tradition) The people who feel empowered are not exactly black, the KKK is openly operating in surrounding counties of St. Louis including in the city. The "I am Darren Wilson" wrist bands are Klan inspired and have been sold by them. My house is for sale I am moving. St. Louis disgusts me I am not alone.

[Iggo]

4. And what led to the protests, Chief?

Uh-huh.