Violence is not a new plight to the City of Detroit, but the recent protest against it allows for new reflection. Just last month there was a protest by funeral directors on the murder rate, and the recent launch of a patrol effort to stop child shootings gives attention to an unacceptable condition. At a time when economic revival is a top priority, an important hindrance is the increasing level of violence. There can be no incentive large enough for the American family or the entrepreneur, than the lure of a safe and productive community. One that is supportive of a common desire that not only wishes for better days, but acts towards them. The rising homicide rate is a bitter smell floating between the grandiose gems the city has to offer. Unless the city is sanitized of the criminal perpetrators, the future is but a haze.
The number one priority in the talks for a stable financial future must be a comprehensive and agreed upon solution for the crime problem. "The crime problem" is an austere title given to a widely un-kept secret that has never been addressed with the attention that it deserves. It is not a reflection on the community, or the people who live in the city, but an honest realization of the infection that lingers in the liver causing a un-healthy hue. This is what is seen from an outside perception, and what is dispelled by those who take the time to know the great souls of the communities.
It could be the chicken and the egg scenario when talking about how to correct the problem. The obvious solvent is to catch more criminals, and to do so is to use a larger police force. Yet, how can there be money for a larger force before a business revival? How can there be a business revival if there is a crime problem? What it takes is a moral resurgence that upholds the sanctity of human life in quality and prosperity. This is not just a city problem, regional problem, or state problem, but a problem for humanity that every American should feel honestly in their hearts. When a community calls for action, there should be a response from government. When leading officials request support, there should be engagement.
Crime statistics always weigh heavy on the minds of those elected in the City of Detroit. Even Governor Synder addressed the issue in his State of State Address saying that there needs to be more done with the violence in Michigan's inner cities. Recognizing the problem falls short of a solution when it has been obvious for years. The fight against crime should be a search for the most effective means of controlling the situation. It may mean an overhaul of the way things are viewed, or it could be a relearning process that invigorates the people's confidence in the force. In any light, there must be an open and honest discussion that utilizes the best minds in the field, present and past. It is a time to reach out to surrounding communities, reach out across the state, and seek shelter from where it is given.
The human side of violence is sometimes lost in the back door budget battles, late night newscast, or the oblivious understanding that things are bad. The reality is that people are dying in one of America's great cities, and since most go unaffected it can be a silent killer of hope. Yet in the moments it takes to report a murder, it takes years for the friends, families, and parents to heal the wounds provided by inexcusable acts, which should have been prevented. The justified charity that pours out should be more than a kindred spirit. It needs to be a resolve to fight for a city plagued by the vile and malice criminal that robs the warranted pride from the hearts of numerous souls.