Blogging Blue

So says Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn. Compared with the first half of last year, violent crime has decreased 19.4% in the City of Milwaukee, most notably in the following categories:

• Homicide, 33 in 2008, compared with 48 in 2007.
• Rape, 88 in 2008, compared with 124 in 2007.
• Robbery, 1,392 in 2008, compared with 1,607 in 2007.
• Aggravated assault, 1,703 in 2008, compared with 2,210 in 2007.

What’s most notable to me about the numbers released by Flynn is the fact that crime is down in Milwaukee even during the summer, when crime rates typically increase. As someone who works in Milwaukee and spends a lot of time in many of the worst neighborhoods the city has to offer, I’ve noticed a difference on Milwaukee’s streets, and while Milwaukee’s worst neighborhoods still don’t feel totally safe, they don’t feel quite as dangerous as they used to.

And now I know some folks might say they don’t feel like Milwaukee’s much safer now than it was last year, but a nearly 20% drop in violent crime rates is damn good, and it’s something to be proud of. Some folks will always consider Milwaukee to be unsafe and dangerous, no matter what, but I think these most recent numbers bode well for Milwaukee.

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I’ve heard a lot of conservatives talk about how Wisconsin’s citizens need more guns, as if our state’s lack of concealed carry laws have made our citizens somehow unsafe. “More guns” seems to be a common mantra among conservatives, but their rationale that more guns equals less crime simply doesn’t hold water if one takes a look at crime statistics.

For example, let’s compare crime rates per 100,000 inhabitants (2006) for Wisconsin as well as Florida and Texas, both of which allow residents to carry firearms:

Wisconsin:
• Robbery - 100.2
• Forcible Rape - 20.4
• Murder - 3.0
• Burglary - 485.8
• Vehicle Theft - 226.6

Texas:
• Robbery - 158.5
• Forcible Rape - 35.6
• Murder - 5.9
• Burglary - 917.3
• Vehicle Theft - 405.9

Florida:
• Robbery - 188.8
• Forcible Rape - 35.8
• Murder - 6.2
• Burglary - 944.6
• Vehicle Theft - 422.5

One look at the statistics and it’s obvious Wisconsin has much lower crime rates than states like Texas and Florida. Unless there’s something I’m missing, I’m not exactly sure why Wisconsin needs citizens roaming the streets packing heat, considering how safe our streets are when compared to other states.

Edit: In response to a comment asking for data for states closer geographically to Wisconsin, here’s some data for Minnesota and Michigan:

And since you asked for it, here’s the crime rates per 100,000 residents (2006) for Minnesota and Michigan:

Minnesota:
• Robbery - 105.1
• Forcible Rape - 31.8
• Murder - 2.4
• Burglary - 583.9
• Vehicle Theft - 258.9

Michigan:
• Robbery - 140.7
• Forcible Rape - 52.2
• Murder - 7.1
• Burglary - 753.9
• Vehicle Theft - 495.4

One look at the statistics for Minnesota and Michigan show they both have higher rates per 100,000 residents for Robbery, Forcible Rape, Burglary, and Vehicle Theft, and Michigan has a higher Murder rate while Minnesota’s Murder rate is slightly lower than Wisconsin’s. It doesn’t appear concealed carry laws have made for lower crime rates and increased safety in either state.

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That’s the charge Kelly Clough is facing after she allegedly stabbed a man last week:

A 27-year-old West Allis woman is facing a charge of mayhem after police say she stabbed a man with a bread knife last week.

The victim, a 27-year-old Milwaukee man, was cut in the back, arms and genital area and required 40 stitches and staples to close the wounds, according to Milwaukee County court records.

Kelly Clough, who was identified as a cook/server at George Webb in an arrest report for the May 19 incident, is being held at the Milwaukee County Jail with bail set at $25,000.

According to online court records, Clough filed for a temporary restraining order against the stabbing victim in July 2005. Electronic court records also show that Clough was convicted on misdemeanor charges of battery and disorderly conduct in 2003.

Throughout my years in the criminal justice system, I’ve not run across anyone who’s been convicted of mayhem, and I’ve often wondered what exactly constitutes mayhem, according to Wisconsin Statutes. Wisconsin Statutes define mayhem as follows:

940.21 Mayhem. Whoever, with intent to disable or disfigure another, cuts or mutilates the tongue, eye, ear, nose, lip, limb or other bodily member of another is guilty of a Class C felony.

What strikes me about the statute is the fact that there has to be an intent to disable or disfigure; it can’t just be the unintended result of the attack, so based on the news report, Clough was likely attempting to disable or disfigure the man’s genitals.

Crazy stuff…

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Apparently, pretty low:

A Florida football player was kicked off the team Friday after turning himself in on charges he used the gas credit card of a woman who was killed along with another player in a motorcycle accident.

Jamar Hornsby, a 21-year-old junior safety, learned Thursday that a judge had issued a warrant for his arrest on charges he used the dead woman’s gas card for six months, so he surrendered on charges of credit card theft and fraudulent use of a credit card, lawyer Huntley Johnson said.

…

The credit card belonged to Ashley Slonina, a Florida junior. She was riding a motorcycle with another football player, redshirt freshman Michael Guilford, last October that hit a median at a high rate of speed, police said. The two died at the scene. They were not wearing helmets.

Hornsby started using the gas card the day after Slonina died. The card was used 33 times in Alachua County and another 37 times in Jacksonville, where Hornsby is from. The total amount was $3,000, said Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Stephen Maynard.

As someone who works in the criminal justice system, I’m not often surprised or shocked by an account of criminal activity, but this story shocks me. It takes a truly depraved individual to stoop so low as to use a dead person’s credit card, and all the more disturbing is the fact that Jamar Hornsby started using a dead woman’s credit card only a day after she had died.

Truly despicable.

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Just two weeks ago, the federal government released results of a study it completed regarding the frequency of drunk driving in Wisconsin. According to the study, more than 25% of adults in Wisconsin drive under the influence of alcohol, putting Wisconsin at number one in the nation when it comes to people who admit to driving drunk.

Fresh off the heels of that report being released came the terrible tragedy of Jennifer Bukosky, who along with two of her children was killed by Mark Benson. At the time of the accident that killed Bukosky, Benson was driving without a license and while under the influence of at least three different prescribed medications, and only two days before the crash, Benson had been in court pleading guilty to a 2007 drunken driving conviction, his third, in Brookfield. He was ordered April 23 to not drive and was sentenced to 75 days in the county’s work release jail, but was given until May 9 to report there.

The fact that Benson was still driving despite having just been convicted of his third OWI is simply outrageous, but thankfully lawmakers are already starting to take notice that Wisconsin is at a crossroads when it comes to how we handle repeat drunk drivers. Today Governor Jim Doyle announced that he believes a third conviction for intoxicated use of a vehicle should be made a felony. Lawmakers have already started to take action, with some calling for revocation of driving privileges and confiscation of vehicles for people convicted of a third offense of driving under the influence.

I’ve always felt Wisconsin needed to do a much better job of being tough on drunk drivers, especially repeat offenders, because a car isn’t much different than a loaded gun in the hands of a drunk driver. People can be - and have been - seriously injured or killed at the hands of folks driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and it’s time lawmakers took a tough stand. I’ve never been a strong advocate of depriving folks of property as the result of their criminal activities, but in this case I think someone who’s been convicted multiple times for drunk driving should face the possibility of losing their vehicle forever. It’s a steep price to pay, but perhaps it’ll serve as a deterrent.

Patrick over at Badger Blogger has more on this issue, as does Cindy over at Fairly Conservative

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