Audio: Homicide in the U.S, Plenary Panel from the 2009 NIJ Conference
June 2009
The NIJ Conference kickedoff with a blue-ribbon panel of leaders with expertise in urban issues as they relate to homicide. These experts will discuss promising approaches that have resulted in reduced violence and community empowerment.
The nation's homicide clearance rate was 91 percent in 1965 but by 2007 has dropped to 61 percent. Law enforcement attributes the decline to the rise in drug and gang-related murders, which are difficult to solve.
James Fox, Ph.D., from Northeastern University, has found that homicides of young black males surged from 2002 to 2007. The increase was consistently true for every region of the country and nearly all population groupings of cities.
Many people believe the concern about homicide among at-risk youth will increase over the next decade because of current demographics. Yet homicide is dramatically decreasing in many places throughout the country. A large part of the decrease is due to strong leadership from law enforcement. Kim Ward is another example. Another key ingredient is innovation — like that used by Gary Slutkin, M.D., in Chicago — where law enforcement, city officials and the community collaborate.