City homicide rate still appalls

At first glance, one easily could conclude that the city of Youngstown has gained considerable ground over the past two decades in dramatically reducing its horrendously high murder rate. Vindicator Police Reporter Joe Gorman’s 20-year retrospective on murders in Youngstown last Sunday reminds us that the number of killings in the city reached a historic high of 68 in 1995.

Compare that with the 19 homicides reported in 2014 – a 358 percent reduction – and the uninformed might conclude that the city has virtually won its war on violent crime.

Those who live and travel through some of the mean streets of Youngstown in 2015, of course, know otherwise. Yes, progress has been made. But no, the city has not yet escaped its onerous reputation as a hotbed for homicides that far eclipse state and national averages.

RAW DATA MISLEADING

The raw data showing a continuing drop in killings over the past two decades do not tell the full story. For starters, today’s city of about 65,000 has lost about 30,000 people over the past two decades. That steep population decline makes apple-to-apple comparisons meaningless.

More importantly, the average number of homicides in the U.S. is 4.5 per 100,000 people, according to the newest FBI Uniform Crime Report released two months ago. Using 2014 data, the murder rate in Youngstown is 29 per 100,000, nearly seven times the national average.

Clearly, much more must be accomplished to slow the slaughter. Some strategies that have worked to cut violent crime must continue, such as heavy police patrols in areas known for gang activity and the involvement of crime-fighting community organizations such as the exemplary Community Initiative to Reduce Violence.

More, however, must be done. Police Chief Robin Lees’ plan to launch a community policing program with officers devoted to specific wards in a proactive attempt to thwart crime before it occurs holds promise. It should be put in place expeditiously because, as last week’s slaying of an elderly West Side man illustrates, there is no time to waste to minimize the life-threatening dangers still lurking in the killing fields of Youngstown.