Violent Crime in America

 

The recent murders of Charlie Kirk, Iryna Zarutska, Dr. Julia Gard Schnuelle and subsequent sympathy for their murderers is unreal. In the case of Charlie Kirk, it has included celebrating in the streets, defacing memorials, attacks on mourners, and remarks so vile that many have been fired from their jobs. Even talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel wasn't immune. Since when do Americans celebrate the death of someone over a difference of opinions? 

The glorification of violence and disregard for human life has once again underscored the vast and deep divide between the Left and Right in this country. It has also brought to the national forefront once more the growth of violence in this country, with some calling for confiscating firearms (all though two of the murders involved the use of a knife).

Along with this rise violence has been the dramatic increase in vitriol anti-White rhetoric. Black on white crime is at a all time high, with Black assailants and White victims accounting for  63.9% of robberies, 58.6% of the rapes, and 51.8% of assaults. By contrast, Blacks are the victims in crimes involving robbery where the perpetrator was White just 8.3% of the time, and in 2.7% of assaults, and 5.5% of the rapes.

Hispanics also face a far disproportional rate of victimhood when it comes to murder, rape, assault, and robbery. They are more likely to be the victim of a violent crime 65% more often than someone who was White and 54% more likely than a Black  individual. Asians too are facing higher rates of violent crime. What is happening in America?

According to FBI statistics from 2019, the latest available, 51.3% of those arrested for murder were Black. 45.7% were White, while 1.83% were Hispanic and 1.1% were Asians. When it came to aggravated assault,  Whites were responsible for 62.2%. Blacks committed 32.7%. Native Americans were 2.2%. Asians made up just 1.8% of those convicted on aggravated assault charges. Note these are raw numbers and not based on their percentage of the population

Another form of assault is rape. In 2019, there were some 13,799 reported cases. Whites were reported as the offender in nearly 70% of the cases. Blacks were reported as the perpetrators in 26.8% of the incidents. Asians were arrested in 1.7% of the attacks while Native Americans accounted for 1.5% of the reported rapes.

Note that many cases of rape are not reported or the charges are withdrawn for various reasons. As of 2024, there are an estimated 225,000 unprocessed rape test kits currently lagging in storage areas. While the judicial system does consider rape a serious issue, many jurisdictions lack the funding or staff to process the kits timely.

A ScienceDirect Study from 2020 reported that from 2016 and 2018, there were approximately 300,000 to 400,000 untested kits awaiting processing. A 2022 Congressional Study reported an estimated backlog of anywhere from 90,000 to a staggering 400,000 untested kits were still pending. Some of the worse offenders are West Virginia, Louisiana, Oregon, and North Carolina.  

One of the states with the worse record is Kentucky. It received a test kit on January 7, 1993 and didn’t finalized the results until 28 years later, on September 27, 2021! But if you think that’s bad, consider Washington State. It received a test kit on January 14, 1984 and didn’t return the results until October 3, 2022, some 38 years later! While there should have been repercussions, it should also be noted that the there is no federal law mandating the tracking, processing, and reporting on rape test kits, which is obviously unacceptable on any level.

When it came to robbery, the FBI report indicated that in 2019 there were 104,595 reports. Of those apprehended, Whites made up the overwhelming majority at 69.8%. Blacks were 27.3% while Native Americans were 1.4% and Asians were 1.2%. Hispanics were 18, 584 of those arrested and convicted.

Unlawful weapon possession is another serious crime the FBI keeps track of. Their data shows there were 97,466 reported arrests made in 2019. Of those busted, 54,167 were White. 40,827 were Black. 18,756 were Hispanic. 1,073 were Asian, and just 988 were Native American, which brings up to another topic—gun violence.

Despite the rantings of a few, the prospects of any political or government agency actually seizing America’s guns are highly unlikely. Based on 2024 data, there are approximately 107 gun owning Americans, or roughly 32% of the adult population of the United States. In all likelihood, that number is higher. Much higher. There are approximately 120 guns per every 100 individuals. In addition, roughly 40% of the U.S. population live in a household where is at least one firearm present.

Guns in the United States are as much a part of the culture as the Old West and the Declaration of Independence. They were written into our Bill of Rights, to be used as a tool to protect us from government overreach and tyranny. They were as any essential tool in the exploration and settlement of this country. We still use them to hunt and for sport. Guns are as much as part of the American character as our belief in individualism and our sense of freedom.

In terms of the demographics of gun ownership, it should come as no surprise that males own 40% of the firearms compared to women who own about 25%. Those living in the country or in rural locations comprise 47% of gun owners. Those who live in suburbia make up some 30% while those living in urban areas are about 20%.

When it comes to age, older Americans, those 50 and up, are the mostly likely to own a firearm at 46% followed by those 30 to 49 at 42%.  The least likely was those individuals between 18 and 29. Only around 32% of them own any sort of firearm. The number one reason for gun ownership---72%---was for personal protection. An average of 31% said it was for hunting and target shooting. 15% said they were simply gun collectors, and just 7% said it was required as part of their job.

Academically, 47% of those with at least some college are most likely to have a gun. Next are those education extends up to high school. About 43% of them own a firearm of some sort. About 40% of college graduates are gunowners while just 30% of those with post graduate degrees are.

When it comes to race, the majority of gun owners---38%---are White. 24% are Black while 20% are Hispanic, and 10% are of Asian heritage. No data was available for Native Americans or Pacific Islanders. Another interesting statistic is political registration.

According to the survey, 45% of Republicans own at least one firearm while just 20% of Democrats own one or more guns. The survey, conducted by Pew, ignores Independents, the nations largest political demographic, so it has to be “presumed” that the 35% difference between Republican and Democrat ownership must be Independents. Unfortunately, a rare case of poor statistics gathering by Pew.

In 2023 there were over 46,000 deaths due to gun violence. Contrary to popular opinion, most of these weren’t the result of a crime, but rather the result of suicide or other self-inflicted injury (there were 26,700 gun related suicides in 2023). Gun related deaths are the leading cause of children ages 1 through 17, largely to a failure to properly secure the weapons and in the case of older kids, a lack of adequate gun safety training. The graphic violence is often portrayed and glorified in video games and in movie are also a significant factor. Unfortunately, there’s no reset button to push in real life.

In terms of gun safety, 58% of those surveyed said they supported tighter gun safety laws. 26% said that the current level of gun laws were about right and 15% thought they were too strict. 88% of Republicans and 89% of Democrats support restrictions on those with known mental illnesses from owning a firearm. 69% of Republicans would like to see the age requirement to own a gun of any sort raised to 21 across the board. 90% of Democrats agree. Mandatory gun safety and care training is also strongly recommended.

So where are the gun related deaths the worse? According to a 2022 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), which keeps track of these figures, Texas had the most gun related deaths at 4,630. California had 3,484, while Florida was next with 3,232 deaths. Georgia had 2,163. Other states with a high number of gun related deaths included Pennsylvania with 1,941, Illinois at 1,798, and North Carolina reporting 1,831, matching Ohio.

Indiana had 1,211 gun related deaths with the majority being in Gary and Indianapolis. Tennessee had 1,480, mostly stemming from Memphis and Nashville. Kentucky had 840 with Louisville leading the way. The District of Columbia, the nation’s capital, had 154. Meanwhile, Vermont experienced only 84 deaths. Hawaii had 66, and in  Rhode Island there were only 37 gun related deaths.  

It bears mentioning that while the United States is usually portrayed as the gun related death capitol of the world, there are countries far worse than the U.S.  According to a report by World Population Review for 2025, the overall death rate by gun in the United States is 4.42 deaths per 100,000, but first, who are among the lowest?  

In Jordon, despite being surrounded by violence coming from neighboring Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Iraq, the number of civilian gun related deaths is just 0.3 per 100k. In Australia, it’s 0.09 and 0.02 in Oman.  In Spain and Algeria, the figure is 0.11. In Switzerland where gun ownership is mandatory, gun deaths are only 0.14 per 100,000. As impressive as those numbers are, the nation with the lowest number of gun related fatalities is African nation of Zimbabwe which reported a remarkable 0.01 deaths by firearm.  

The countries with the highest deaths rates due to firearms include Ecuador, where it’s 39.5 per 100k, nearly ten times higher than the U.S. In neighboring, Mexico it’s 17.2% despite all the drug cartel reported killings. Nevertheless, the nation at the top of the corpse strewn mound is Jamacia. Once known for its tourism, Jamacia now has the dubious honor of having the most gun related deaths with a whooping 42 per 100k.

Will stricter laws reduce the number of violence crimes by gun? Perhaps. It will certainly make it tougher for law abiding citizens. Criminals, of course, will have no difficulty getting their hands on gun any time they want, but that doesn’t account for knife attacks with are on the rise.

Knives, not guns, were what took the lives of Iryna Zarutska and Dr. Julia Gard Schnuelle for instance. They were the third most often used weapon in 2023. Random attacks, particularly involving “sucker punches” (aka “coward punches”) are responsible for many of the assaults on the elderly and handicapped along with weapons of opportunity.

So, are we going to impose bans on knives or other sharp objects along with guns? What about bricks, rocks, or pointy sticks? Then too, how do we combat the rise in race based attacks, often brought on by vile racist rhetoric which serves only to promote the violence without violating the 1^st Amendment? Unless civility can be restored, the violence will only continue and grow. We are facing dangerous times not seen since the late 1850’s. We are at the point where any act, no matter how benign or unintentional, could potentially be the spark to set this nation on fire and neither side, regardless of the bravado, is prepared for the consequences. 

 

 Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

How many rape kits are awaiting testing in the US? See databy state.

America tested 100,000 forgotten rape kits. But justiceremains elusive.

End The Rape Kit Backlog

FBI: 2019 Crime in the United States

WPR: Gun Deaths per Country 2025

Gun deaths and violence in the United States by state

 

Descent into the Abyss: Crime, Drugs and Homelessness in America's Major Subways

I'm sure most of us have seen short video clips on the internet (including TikTok and elsewhere) of individuals, mostly seniors, handicapped, and typically Asian, white, Hispanic, or gay are randomly being punched in the face and knocked out while the assailant either nonchalantly either walks off as if nothing happened or picks up the victim's cell phone, IPad, or maybe their wallet, and walks away without a care in the world.

In fact, it's become so common that it has its own name---the "knockout game". In a majority of cases, the victims  are chosen because they appear unaware and vulnerable. In mostly of these cases, the perpetrator will quietly walk up from behind and hit the victim as hard as they can, knocking them out cold.  By the time someone comes along to help them, their attacker is long gone.

 While many of these attacks happen on sidewalks or street corners,  a large number of them occur in subways. New York's subway system is the largest and busiest in the North America. It encompasses  472 stations on 25 different routes along 665 miles of track.  And despite some 400 surveillance cameras (which aren't live streamed) there's been instances where subway surveillance cameras have even caught individuals attempting to shove  a passenger onto the tracks and into the path of  a oncoming subway train.

There have been countless other instances where passengers are aggressively harassed by these street thugs. In most instances the harassment involves physical  confrontation and rummaging through the victim's personal possessions such as briefcases or purses in search for money or valuables, not to mention stealing laptops and cell phones. 

It's worth mentioning that reports of murder on subways aren't unusual. During an eight month period covering 2022-2023, the New York Transit Authority reported five murders. In 2022 there eight cases of reported rape. Robberies accounted for 396 of the crimes reported in 2022. In 2023, the number of reported robberies was 353, a 11% drop.

Felony assaults stayed about the same from 2022 through 2023 at 374 to 372. There were 700 reports of grand larcenies in 2023, down from 730 the year before. Burglaries, which aren't typically associated with transit related crime and often involve breaking into public lockboxes or storage containers jumped from four in 2022 to ten in 2023. Recently there has been several reported cases of knife attacks in members of the LGBQT community, which has gained a lot of national attention.

Vandalism is rampant when it comes to New York's subway system as dozens of subway stations are "tagged" with graffiti. At the same time, trains, both inside and out, are regularly spray painted ("tagged"), costing New York taxpayers millions to have the "street art" removed.

Nevertheless, the New York Police Department reported just under 9000  transit related arrests in 2023. Meanwhile, some 115, 908 summons were issued by the NYPD for reported crimes. By comparison, let's look at subway related crime in Chicago. So, what else are authorizes doing to make riders safe?

In a unique move, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has announced the purchase of 5,400 cameras to be installed in 2,700 transit cars, including several hundred "hidden" cameras. In addition, the governor is ordering 1000 security professionals to man the various stations and subway cars. This will include 750 members of the New York National Guards, state police, and MTA officers to check all bags at the busier stations.  Way to go governor!

Chicago's subway system covers 224 miles of track along 145 stations. According to the Chicago Transit Authority, it spent $26 million dollars to install 3,600 surveillance cameras  along the line, with extra emphasis along Belmont Street and the "Red Line". 

Still, in 2023, there was 4.7 violent crimes per every one million rides, which is down from 6.2 in 2022. Even non-violent crimes, such as pick pocketing and petty larceny, are showing signs of dropping. The CTA also reported that just 43.5% of reported crimes took place on a CTA train and of those, 35.6% took place on a CTA platform. 

Overall, violent crime, however, was down 16% from August 2022 through August 2023. So, what's the most common complaint about the CTA now that crime seems to be down? It's that many of the stations and some of cars have a strong smell of urine due to the city's large homeless population.

One of the key reasons is that authorizes in City Hall have agreed to spend more money to hire additional police and security officers as well as increase the number of patrols (many of these private security firms include officers with K-9 units, which historically have proven to be a serious deterrent, along with the addition more security cameras, bringing the total to  33,000.

San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (aka "BART") operates the largest subway system on the West Coast.  BART was established in 1957 as a means to link San Francisco, Oakland, and Sausalito to the numerous "bedroom" communities which were sprouting up throughout the Bay Area such as Fremont and Daly City. 

BART operates 50 stations along 131 miles of track, including a nine mile spur to Antioch. It also operates a 3.6 mile tube under the San Francisco Bay connecting Oakland and San Francisco. which has a maximum depth of 135 feet below sea level. (and having traveled it countless times, it was very cool!).

Unlike Chicago's subway system, BART has continued to see a rise in crime, especially open drug use, particularly among the city's burgeoning homeless population. Other complaints is just how filthy the cars and stations have become due to the increase in illegal immigrants as a result of the city's ill-conceived "sanctuary city" policy and changes in laws concerning the homeless.

As a result, ridership on the BART has dropped significantly while those who continue to ride say they routinely bring disinfectant. However, like with Chicago's subway system, it doesn't help much with stench, even for individuals who regularly wearing air filter masks.   

46% of BART riders have reported actually witnessing a crime, ranging from simply stepping over fare gates without paying to open drug use to physical assaults. When it comes to crime, robberies at knife or gun point, are up. In 2023 there were 224 reported violent crimes (in 2022 it was 180).  Of those, armed robberies made up 136 of those while assaults make up the balance.

Rapes have also increased, including attacks during broad daylight. In one instance, a mentally handicapped woman was sexually assaulted, and while he was caught and arrested, he was ultimately changed with two counts of misdemeanors battery, thus avoiding jail time. 

The Bay Area, and San Francisco in particular, has the largest gay community of any major city in the United States. Nevertheless, officials report attacks on gays have significantly increased, especially in the BART. The attacks range from ordinary harassment to assault. But many of the attacks are intentionally hate oriented crimes directed toward gays. One such series of attacks involved the attacked using a razor blade and cutting the victims hands. Many of the assailants arrested are Muslim asylum seekers, though not exclusively.

According to authorities, there are over 4000 security cameras throughout the system. While station activity can reviewed within seconds, incidents on the trains cannot. Only certain cars have cameras and those record events and are reviewed later!  Not surprising, 85% of BART users have said they've reduced or stop their ridership because of rising crime, open drug use, and not feeling safe. A lack of adequate sanitation is a serious problem too. 

However, if those issues could be resolved, 64% of former BART riders said they would resume riding. 79% said they would feel safer if BART would increase the number of security or police officers on each train. Ironically, 33% added that they wouldn't trust the officers to treat everyone fairly. Guess they're concerned about being "PC".

As an aside, London's famous subway system, known as the "Underground" is having similar problems, thanks primarily to the recent increase of "migrants" from Africa. and parts of the Middle East Thefts and robberies have increased 83% over last year---10,836 just between April and September 2023 alone; Assaults have risen 30% to 22,294 in 2023 while ridership has dropped 11% and shows no signs of coming back.

Meanwhile, crime on Moscow's "Metro" subway system is virtually nonexistent, but that's not to say its crime free. Instances of pick pocketing are not unusual. However, reports of violent assault, armed robbery, or rape are practically unheard of.  In addition, the trains are clean, well lit, and typically free of  a homeless population. The reason is because of the presence of security (which can be pretty aggressive toward offenders) and strict laws. The stations are bright, well lit and clean. The public too are very proud of their Metro. Regular riders of Moscow's Metro are known for having a low tolerance of crime no matter how petty.

So what does this all mean? It means that the three more prominent cities, known for their liberal illegal immigration policies, are facing a crisis of their making due to their open door policies. Compounded by this has been their traditionally liberal judicial policies when it comes to crime and punishment. As a result, these major engineering achievements have become dangerous and unsafe for the average resident as well as unprofitable to operate.

Not only has crime become a serious problem, but so has the issue of homelessness as each of the stations have become de facto "shelters". Public restrooms, which were known for being clean and well stocked, are now no longer open, which means the homeless will use anything and everything as their personal restroom, including the trains.

San Francisco's recent changes in laws concerning the homeless permits them to freely occupy public park as camp sites, as well as sleeping in alleys and doorways without being disturbed. Businesses may not keep them out of their stores (including restrooms). They're free to roam about in the stores (even high end ones) without interference. They are free to panhandle and pretty much anything else without interference by law enforcement. In addition, they are allowed to use public sidewalks, trash cans, sewer drains or whatever as restrooms. Can you imagine?

Speaking of stores, a change in a Californian law prohibits taking steps to prevent shoplifting and petty theft. Employees are no longer allowed to detain, block, or say anything to these thieves. All they can do is call the police (who may or may show up to take a report) and alert their managers. The result is a 81% increase in thefts. One example is San Francisco's main business center along Market Street, which is now almost totally deserted, costing the city millions in tax revenue.

The thefts have also had a ripple effect. It's resulted in dramatic price increases as stores pass along the costs to consumers. It's also resulted in stores closing, some are moving while others are closing permanently. Either way the result is the same, and while depressed communities are complaining about the loss of access to grocery and drugs stores, they ignore the economics of the thefts.

What further proof do we need that the United States needs a comprehensive immigration policy to eliminate its  de facto "open door" policy and halfhearted enforcement. Along the same lines, the federal government needs to take steps to end "sanctuary" cities.

Some have suggested that the best solution is to restrict any taxpayer assistance directed toward the city. New York alone receives $396 billion in federal aid.  However, of that just 9% of New York City's budget is derived from federal aid and of that, the majority goes to 11 agencies which deal with poverty relief.

Another related and just as serious issue is that of homelessness especially veterans, the disabled, mentally ill, and children. There is simply no excuse whatsoever that this country, as wealthy as it is, should have a homeless problem of this magnitude. Many are homeless due to lack of affordable housing. Others because their salaries are unable to keep up with the rising cost in practically everything (especially medical and prescriptions), as well as mental illness and chronic drug and alcohol abuse.

In December 2022, President Biden proposed a "housing first" strategic plan to reduce homelessness 25% by 2025. So far that plan is showing no signs of working. In 2023, there was an estimated 653,104 chronic homeless individuals in the United States, a 12% increase over the previous year. The number of homeless veterans is estimated at 35,574, an increase of 7% over 2022. 

As an aside, California, and in particular San Francisco and Los Angeles, leads the nation with the highest homeless population. It's followed by New York, with the Big (Rotten) Apple being the epicenter. Illinois is 11th in nation. It should be pointed out that since 2020, homelessness has dropped an overall 40%, which obviously contributes to drop in crime in Chicago's subways.

All these are the consequences of a inadequate immigration policy, a lack of affordable housing, a failed healthcare system, and substandard education (which includes a serious lack of discipline), and poor planning. Crime must be seriously addressed, especially race based assaults which get brushed off by the media. Current efforts at non-stigmatizing so-called "petty theft" and shoplifting or dismissing it because as a side effect of race is destined for economic and social disaster in short order.

America could still have a "Silver Age " ahead of it, but only if these problems are seriously addressed in a open matter free from politically correct ("woke") imposed censorship. That will require a focused effort, dedicated and well informed individuals and non-partisan discussion. if not, then a our decline will not only continue, it will accelerate exponentially.  

 

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New York subway crime sees downturn so far this year whilearrests and summons soar

Gov. Kathy Hochul sending National Guard members to New Yorksubways combat ongoing crime

Chicago transit violent crime down as police, securitypatrols increase

CTA Crime Continues Downward Trend

BART commuters say crime, open drug use keeping people awayfrom the transit system.

46% of BART riders say they witnessed crime in the system,poll shows

Moscow's Metro

London's lawless Underground...

Knockout Game

Making Crime Pay Through Legislation: California's Senate Bill 553

There's an old expression which says that crime doesn't pay. Well, tell that to the hundreds of individuals brazenly walking into retail establishments throughout California and helping themselves to whatever they want while store employees either stare helplessly or run to another part of the store and hide.

Some bring large garbage bags with them while others just bring large garbage cans. Even little kids as young as 8 or 9 are getting into the act! Security cameras and cell photo phone camera doesn't faze these criminals. Some even stop to pose in front of them.  

The result has been the loss of millions of dollars worth of merchandise and the closure of numerous businesses throughout the state, with some choosing to pull up stakes and move. The result is the loss of billions in tax revenue for city, county and state's coffers plus the loss of jobs and the cascading effect that brings.  Crime apparently does indeed pay, particularly if you have the help of inept politicians. What is happening to California?

The answer is Senate Bill 553, otherwise known as the "Occupational Safety: workplace violence: restraining orders and workplace violence prevention plan" which was introduced in February 2023 by State Senator Dave Cortese of San Jose. The bill was intended, at least in principal, to reduce violence in the workplace, particularly mass shootings, murders, and assaults.

However, the bill has a unintended effect. It prohibits employees from taking any action in the event of a robbery, be it petty shoplifting or armed robbery. Specifically, the bill makes it illegal for employees or managers to confront or defend themselves against looters, shoplifters, burglars,  or run-of-the-mill thieves or face a fine up to $18,000 dollars.  

While the bill calls for employers to provide "active shooter" training for all employees and maintaining a log of all violent incidents on store property, it still prevents anyone from physically confronting thieves.  As a result, an event such as shoplifting for example, employees may not to interfere in anyway (referred to as the "hospital standard").  All they can do is watch as their merchandize and profits go out the door, and for many of the employees, their jobs are going out the door too.

Case in point is Nordstrom, a high end department store which has been located in the heart of San Francisco for 35 years. Due to a dramatic increase in crime (especially violent crime), runaway homelessness, the ramifications of being a "sanctuary city", and all the problems that brings, are only partly to blame.  The chief cause for the closures is the dramatic increase in shoplifting, costing millions in stolen merchandise, since the introduction of Bill 553 this past January (thanks to the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014, shoplifting merchandise with a value up to $950 dollars is now treated as a misdemeanor. Such thefts are longer investigated or actively prosecuted).    

Along with Nordstrom, 37 other major retailers in downtown San Francisco such as Whole Foods, Home Depot, and Anthropologie are calling it quits too. Target reported  a "organized retail crime" network for costing the retail store some $400 million dollars worth of stolen merchandize in 2022.  Drug stores, liquor outlets, high dollar boutiques and jewelry stores, as well as gun shops have also become popular targets for these cheap wannabe "Dillingers".  

To make matters worse, California is facing a serious shortage of law enforcement officers. The number of sworn officers is down by over 13.2%, which is the lowest level since 1991, with nearly every major county facing shortages in double digit percentages.  Los Angeles County is down 12%, which represents 9000 officers while Riverside County, which includes the upscale community of Palm Springs, is down by 25%.  Sacramento County, which takes in the state's capital, has lost 21% of its police force.

The effects of the "peaceful" riots by Antifa and BLM have also played a role too. Demands to "defund" the police has had a serious negative effect on police moral. Polls reflect a new lows in confidence for the police, especially among Democrats and the black community.  Police budgets have been reduced, resulting in fewer promotions or pay raises and more mandatory overtime (which often leads to increased on-the-job stress and burnout). In many instances, police departments have become more dependent on federal grants to cover budgetary short falls.  

The result has been large numbers of police officers are taking early retirement, switching career paths within law enforcement, with a significant number seeking law enforcement careers outside of California, or simply quitting. 

As an aside, the stress and strain of being an "good cop" has resulted in increase cases of alcohol abuse, divorces, psychological issues involving professional counseling and increased suicide rates by officers (officers have a 54% higher rate of suicide than civilians according to 2022 McAward report. In fact, more police officers die by their own hand than are killed in the line of duty).

Senate Bill 553 is one of those instances where good intentions went astray. It was an attempt to reduce violent crime in the workplace, but due to a failure to fully grasp the problem and poor wording only made it worse, which has triggered a serious crime wave effecting the entire state.

While the bill has passed several key hurls, it's still has a ways to go before it reaches Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. The bill has already faced one amendment by its author, Senator Dave Cortese, the changes simply weren't adequate. As it exists, Bill 553 is like punching a hole in the hull of the Titanic for the water to drain back out.  

Senate Bill 553 is in need of a serious rewrite before becoming law if it is to prevent store owners from being forced into handing over the keys to the business to the criminals. In a state plagued by "feel good" intentions gone amuck, one can only hope common sense at some point intervenes before then.  

In researching this article, I came across literally dozens of videos showing the thieves brazenly walking into stores, sometimes alone or in pairs, and in other cases, in packs, and stealing everything they can get their hands on. I've included several links below (most are five minutes or less in length).

As an aside, some of links mention that this type of behavior has started to spread to other cities such as New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago. Apparently a bill isn't always required, but it sure doesn't hurt.

 

Video: California bill aims to prevent retail theft,business groups oppose

Video: SF stores install exit gates, chain locks to stop shoplifters

Video: Thieves target Oakland 7-Eleven stores

Video: Police say shoplifted merchandize beingsold at Bay Area flea markets

Video: Raw video captures dozens of thieves swarming Nordstrom  department store in Los Angeles

Video: Warnings about surge in 'organized retail crime": GMA

 

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What crime? Calif. advances bill barring retailers fromconfronting thieves

Calif. Senate passes bill to stop employees confrontingshoplifters

California's Notable Declines In Law Enforcement Staffing

Commentary: Stop retail thief? Store owners say this billwill promote it