Twenty People Murdered in Lansing This Year Alone
This is quite the scary scene these days when Lansing alone, has reported twenty people murdered since 2020 began.
It's bad enough that we have to hear about all those murders that have occurred in Chicago over the past several years, and now Lansing homicides reach numbers not seen in more than three decades.
According to the Lansing State Journal, the record high mirrors trends seen across the nation as Americans struggle with unemployment, isolation, mental health issues and rapid increasing numbers of cases of coronavirus.
This all hits close to home with me personally because my dad and my brother were both police officers for the Lansing Police Department. They are both retired now and enjoying life to the best of their abilities.
Even back in the day when they were heading out on the streets in their patrol cars, my dad and brother never saw anything like what's currently taking place in the Lansing area.
Here in 2020, Lansing Police Chief Daryl Green said he can't exactly pin down what is causing the increase in violent crime, especially the eight homicides in November and December. But he has seen a large increase in crimes committed with stolen guns. (LSJ)
The majority of the homicides, at least 14 of 20, were committed with guns.
Even the Lansing Police Department is asking the community for help. Another byproduct of the pandemic is the disappearance of the hundreds of positive engagements LPD usually has with the community throughout the year. (LSJ)
Those interactions can range from participating in community events to just having conversations with residents at parks or elsewhere in the community.