Rise Seen in Black Victims
Sean Gardiner, Wall Street Journal, March 9, 2011
A 31% spike in murders of African-Americans in 2010 accounted for all of last year’s nearly 14% citywide increase in homicides, according to an analysis by the New York Police Department.
Black people, who comprise 25% of the city’s population, accounted for 67% of the 536 murders in 2010, according to the report released Tuesday. Black men 15 to 29 years old were most likely to be killed. They make up less than 3% of the city’s population but last year represented 33% of all homicide victims, according to the report.
{snip}
Ric Curtis, an anthropology professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said he {snip} doesn’t necessarily think gangs are to blame. “Whatever it is, it’s complex because it’s not readily apparent what is causing it,” Mr. Curtis said.
