Memorial Day's solemn tribute to America's fallen military heroes risks being overshadowed by a nationwide bloody killing spree. Last year at least 108 people were murdered during the three-day holiday. Indications are this year the senseless assaults may eclipse the 2015 record.
The epicenter of the crime wave last Memorial Day was Chicago, where 56 people were gunned down. The victims included a four-year-old girl and three teenagers. In Baltimore, 28 citizens were fatally wounded during the same period. New York recorded 23 homicides over the holiday.
The murderous binge in these cities followed on the heels of outcries over police violence in the three metropolitan areas. Some law enforcement experts are convinced the tsunami of savagery was in part attributable to a reduction in proactive policing after the Ferguson police altercation in August, 2014.
Police officers in some major cities are more reluctant to confront minor offenses that often escalate into violence. This so-called Ferguson Effect has been soundly rejected by the White House because it does not fit their narrative of assigning blame to oppressive white police enforcement.
However, the Journal of Criminal Justice studied violence in the aftermath of Ferguson and found that homicides spiked in the 12 months after the Michael Brown shooting. The cities that experienced the biggest increases have large black populations and persistently high violence rates.
FBI Director James Comey addressed the Ferguson Effect during a recent news conference on civil rights and law enforcement. He acknowledged the need for police scrutiny but cautioned against handcuffing police from proactive crime prevention.
His words should be heeded in the light of the violent rampage sweeping America's 63 largest cities. In the first three months of this year, reported killings mushroomed nine percent according to a Violent Crime Survey released by the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association.
This surge follows a 6.2 percent rise in murders in 2015, which signaled a reversal of a decades long trend of declines. Murders nationwide fell six percent in 2014, 6.9 percent in 2013 and 1.7 percent in 2012, FBI statistics show.
The evidence is indisputable that murders have mounted since the Ferguson upheaval. The only honest debate should be over whether a change in law enforcement methods contributed to the uptick after Ferguson's police came under investigation from the Department of Justice.
The FBI's director admits the reason for the murder hike is difficult to pinpoint. "It's hard because it's almost surely not one reason," Comey told reporters. "And there's likely not to be a single answer in a single place." Hardly comforting words from the nation's top law enforcement official.
Cities experiencing an upsurge in violence this year are the usual suspects. In Chicago, homicides have ballooned 41 percent in the first quarter, earning it the dubious designation as America's Murder Capital. Ironically, Chicago has some of America's stiffest gun laws.
In Los Angeles, murders have risen 24 percent over the first quarter of 2015. Homicides are also on the upswing in Baltimore, Las Vegas, Memphis, Atlanta, San Antonio and about 18 other large cities spread across the country.
If these trends continue, America will have to confront this growing menace threatening to turn cities into killing fields. The nation should look to its law enforcement leaders for answers before its too late. Police need community support, not heckling from politically-motivated activists.
This Memorial Day would be a good time for citizens of all color to show their respect for the men and women who honorably wear the badge of law enforcement. Without these peace makers, America's cities are in danger of the collapsing into civil chaos.
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