Criminals Killing Criminals

How sad.

The majority of homicide victims and suspects involved in the 39 killings that occurred in Milwaukee in the first six months of 2009 were no strangers to crime, according to a report released Thursday.About 75% of the victims and about 86% of the suspects had prior arrests, according to the report, compiled by the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission.

Victims killed in the first six months of 2009 had an average of 12.4 prior arrests, the report shows. Suspects in those homicides had an average of 12.8 prior arrests.

“We know the majority of homicides are occurring in the highest crime, dense areas. We know that the majority of them are somehow crime-related,” said Mallory O’Brien, director of the Homicide Review Commission. “If you’re not involved in the drug trade and you don’t have a criminal record, the likelihood that you’re going to be involved in a homicide or shooting is very small,” she said.

Clearly, it’s better for your health to keep your nose clean. The police chief seems to be a good job locking up bad guys.  But it seems as though it would be easier to prevent people from beginning lives of crime than it would be to convince someone who had been arrested 12.8 times to suddenly give up that life for a 9 to 5. 

So what’s your solution?  What can we (or Milwaukee or the state or whoever you think is responsible) do to prevent people from starting criminal behavior? Is the answer gun control, education, tougher laws, more police,...What do you think would help so that this trend does not continue? 

[Same rules as our last discussion, please]