Gang Violence is Soaring in Some Cities Despite Stay at Home Orders

In certain parts of the country, crime rates have actually been rising according to a report from Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms.

For example, Omaha, Nebraska police claim that the number of shootings in March was nearly two times greater than the number recorded in March 2019.

According to police chief Todd Schmaderer, this rise in crime was largely driven by an uptick in gang violence.

“Gangs feel this is an opportune time to commit acts of violence,” Schmaderer stated. “OPD and the community had a very good system in place, and that system is compromised right now, understandably.”

At the moment, Omaha police gang prevention specialists aren’t able to interact with youths susceptible to gang influence due to the threat of the Wuhan virus.

To tackle the increase in shooting, Schmaderer has brought additional officers to the gang unit and increased the levels of patrolling in the city’s northeast and southeast precincts

Going out west, Mayor Cathy Murillo of Santa Barbara, California claims there’s also been an increase in street crime. Murillo is countering this rise in gang violence with a new initiative called Youth Responders.

Participants can receive community service hours and gift card stipends by volunteering in food packing and distribution to help the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and grocery stores that have surplus food.

“Adult outreach volunteers are recruiting at-risk youth to this program that brings them new skills, teaches them discipline, and gives them a sense of purpose during this difficult time,” Murillo commented.

New York City has been hit by a wave of homicides since shelter orders were issued. In the past month, there has been a 55 percent increase in murders. On top of that, burglaries have increased by more than 25 percent. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea revealed before a group of reporters last week that officers are making arrests but suspects are immediately walking back on the streets.

“It’s frustrating. The cops are out there making arrests for these burglaries,” Shea stated.

But “[w]ith the existing law, what’s happening is the individuals are being released immediately and that’s something that ultimately in the end will have to be fixed,” Shea commented, alluding to bail reforms that were enacted in January.

From April 13 to 19, 259 commercial and residential burglaries were reported across New York City. This represented a 36.3 increase from April 2019 when there were 190 reported cases according to NYPD stats.

With these numbers in mind and a growing trend of lenient criminal justice policies, Americans have every reason to get armed.

Many local governments treat public safety as an afterthought and are not willing to exercise legitimate public security functions.

If they can’t do that, law-abiding citizens will eventually fill in the vacuum.

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