Murders of young black men rise

In Detroit, as jobs and hope have evaporated in the wake of a gnawing recession, the fallout has been more than just economic. For a tiny slice of the population, it's become increasingly fatal.

For black males in the city between ages 15 and 24, the chances of getting murdered have risen rapidly in recent years, increasing from 79 in 2005 to 102 last year. The number reached a high of 115 in 2008.

"We are aware of it," said interim Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. "We are concerned."

Young black men account for just 7 percent of the city's population, yet more than a quarter of all homicides. They have a murder rate -- 200 per 100,000 residents -- nearly seven times higher than the rest of the population. If they had died at the same rate as everyone else in Detroit, there would have been 16 killed last year, or one every three weeks.

Instead, police were investigating, on average, the murders of two young black men a week.

"There's a lot of young kids dying," said Lyvonne Cargill, a 39-year-old Detroiter whose son Je'Rean "Blake" Nobles was gunned down May 14 a few blocks from her eastside home. He was 17.

Most of Detroit learned about Je'Rean's killing because of what happened days later: Police looking for his killer raided an east-side home and accidently shot and killed a 7-year-old girl, Aiyana Stanley-Jones.

But Aiyana's death wasn't the only tragedy to follow. Cargill said two of her son's best friends, both 17, also have been killed. One was shot to death, the other beaten to death.

"It's so bad what's going on around here," she said.

Environment needs change

Antonio Webster, strolling through his crumbling neighborhood off Grand River north of I-94, is a 17-year-old high school dropout who doesn't have a steady job. He recently finished a stint in a juvenile detention center.

Webster admits trouble is always beckoning. But he said he wants to avoid getting labeled, as is happening more frequently in Detroit, as young, black anddead.

"It's around me all day, every day," Webster said.

Police have long known that youths like Webster are overrepresented at the county morgue. Yet, they and others have been surprised by an increase that can be found in area cemeteries, in graffiti memorializing the dead and in the fear that pervades the living.

"Nobody thinks positive," Webster said. When asked what he wants to be doing in five years, he shrugs.

It's not just in Detroit; national crime experts have noted the increase across the country. A 2009 report showed that young black males were both dying in greater numbers and committing more crimes, including murder.

As city leaders acknowledge and grapple with the problem, they find themselves trying to solve the murders -- and the problems that are causing so many.

Cargill wants her son's accused killer, Chauncey Owens, to go to prison. But she wants to see changes so her 11-year-old son can grow up safe. She said the city needs more opportunities for children to work and play.

"Us people have to step up," she said.

In a city struggling to keep cops on the street, it's been difficult to expand the types of recreation programs Cargill advocates. And jobs have been scarce in much of the city.

Godbee said the police department recently participated in a national youth violence prevention forum in Detroit hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice and city officials will travel to San Jose, Calif., in the fall for another forum.

In the short term, Detroit police will use data to determine how officers are deployed to head off crime. The practice started last year under former chief Warren Evans and is continuing under Godbee. Under this strategy, officials analyze crime trends and deploy patrols and sting operations accordingly.

To address the issue of youthful homicide victims over the long term, Godbee said mentors, jobs, better education, more involved parents and community-based programs will be needed, as well as anger management training.

"The end game is a holistic approach," Godbee said. "We have to change the systemic environment that leads to violence."

Mayor Dave Bing held a youth forum recently. Godbee said young people at the event cried out for mentors and for more involved parents.

Godbee praised community-based efforts like the Made Men patrols that started last fall at schools. The effort was spearheaded by the Rev. Edgar Vann, pastor of Second Ebenezer Church.

Vann also offers mentoring programs through his church and the Vanguard Community Development Corp.

"There is a lack of hope with many young people and we have to help them get that back," Vann said.

He agrees with Godbee that education is the key, but says many city schools are not up to par and threats of violence keep students away.

"It is easy to tell a young person to stay in school, but what if there are gangs?" Vann said. "What then?"

'Well out of control'

For Yusef Shakur, 37, a one-time gang member who went to prison and now counsels youths like Webster on how to improve their lives, the solution is simpler.

"The culture, it has to be changed," said Shakur, who has gotten a college degree and written two books on his experiences since his release from prison. "The normal has become abnormal and the abnormal has become normal."

Too many youngsters are numb to the possibility of death, he said. For them, it's a potential "badge of honor." High school isn't a viable option for many and most can't see beyond the boarded-up and fire-damaged homes in their neighborhoods.

That people find life cheap doesn't surprise Shakur. "It's a reflection of a deteriorating city," he said.

With the exodus of many of the city's middle-class families, what remains are homogenous neighborhoods filled with the poor and less educated. Far more boys drop out of high school than graduate and only one out of four has a job.

Common disputes can quickly escalate into gun battles; the results are often fatal.

"They're not abiding by anybody's rules," said criminologist Carl Taylor of Michigan State University. "It's a total breakdown of social norms."

When he grew up in Detroit, Taylor said, his teachers were his neighbors, as were area businessmen. There were standards to meet and social rules to follow.

Not so today, he said: "In some neighborhoods, there is almost anarchy and no one wants to address that."

Taylor said public officials have to acknowledge the problem first. He said many leaders have been reluctant to talk about Detroit's murder problem because it's bad news few want to share. Then, they have to act.

"This is well out of control but it's been well out of control for some time," Taylor said. "If you don't do something, the facts I'm looking at, it's only going to get worse."

On the east side, Lyvonne Cargill is recovering from back surgery and getting ready to relive her son's death with Owens' upcoming trial. She's still mourning the loss of her son.

Cargill is urging leaders and parents to work on a solution so no one, she said, has to follow in her shoes.

"Listen to your kids and pay attention to your kids," she said. "Our kids need us."

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