Possible Causes of Homicide in Puerto Rico - Term Paper Example

? Homicide in Puerto Rico Task Table of Content 0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………4 2.0 ment of the Problem…………………………………………………....………………4 3.0 Possible causes of Homicide in Puerto Rico………………………………………………...5 3.1 Drugs...............................................................................................................................…... 6 3.2 Presence of the Guns……………………………………………………….……………….7 3.3 The Puerto Rico Culture…………………………………………………….………………8 3.4 The police response and the correction scheme…………………………….………………8 4. Strategies for preventing Homicide crimes in the region……………………………………9 4.1 Community policing…...........................................................................................................9 4.2 Instituting a strong correction policy…..................................................................................9 4.3 Preventing crimes though geographical design……………………………………………10 4.4 The Disarmament Strategy…...............................................................................................10 5.0 Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………10 6.0 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………11 7.0 References…………………………………………………………………………………12 Abstract Puerto Rico is marked as the worst crime site in United States. As such, exploring the concern presented by the region is important. This report hence investigates factors that promotes the homicide crimes in the region and institutes effective strategies for addressing the problem. It is equally apparent that the authorities play fundamental roles in the process. Introduction Homicide is a crime of considerable concerns and very government is bound with the responsibility of eradication such crimes among its citizens. Establishing a crime-free society is practically hard; however, a government that remains silent to crimes attracts blame. Crimes undermine community’s welfare and have detrimental effects. However, informed mind is essential in establishing effective policies (Mankkonen, 1992). As such, carrying out an investigative study to identify potential cause of Homicide crimes in Puerto Rico becomes an ideal approach. With knowledge about the matter, tactical procedures are accessible which may provide an effectual solution to the challenge. This is of the essence since superb police activities and prosecutorial policy can of minimizing such killings. This script hence carries an investigative study to identify the cause of Homicide crimes in Puerto Rico and proposes strategies for preventing this type of crime. Statement of the Problem The homicide rate provides an imperative indicator of the community health. Consequently, regions recording large numbers of such crimes hold poor social environment. Studies observe that Puerto Rico has a homicide rate, which is three times that of New York and eighteen times to the one of Paris (Bosque-Pe?rez, 2006). Importantly, prospects account that with the present rate, an individual born and living in the island has one chance in twenty of dying by Homicide. As such, the scenario is severer hence demands an urgent response. Indeed, under this consideration the Puerto Rico is in a deficient condition. Notably, the police force has the task of curbing homicides and failing to execute this duty effectively shames the force and affronts the conscience of the society (Mankkonen, 1992). Interestingly, unsolved homicides further assassins when promoters of the practice escape the wrath of the law. Of worth, the present police practice at Puerto Rico is not effective in responding to the region’s concern comprehensively stating that developing novel tactics is of must (Mankkonen, 1992). The concern of insecurity has multifaceted effect on Puerto Rico hence cannot be dismissed. Evidently, with insecurity, the Island is facing a challenge of losing its huge tourism returns. Importantly, the question of homicide is of great controversy hence tactical analysis only can unveil the concealed reality. Simply, we may seek to establish the knowledge regarding the case but achieving this is extremely hard (Mankkonen, 1992). The predicament associated with the subject emerges with the fact that, homicide is influenced by social attributes that surpass the short-term stretch of any public policy. Consequently, factors like attitudes toward impunity, child-nurturing activities and the authority of informal social regulations are of essence (Hammergren, 2006). As such, regulations monitoring social services like health and education can affect homicide with time while an assortment of social service and employment interventions may have an immediate effect. However, disregarding the complexity of the matter, institutions of policing and correction have a task of enforcing law and imposing rational punishments to individuals who contravene such regulations (Bosque-Pe?rez, 2006). This presents a dilemma to such agencies hence an informative piece would be of great importance. Possible causes of Homicide in Puerto Rico Reliable studies and investigations have explored the case of homicide in Puerto Rico and have indentified various factors of significance interest. The report ventured into such publications to identify the most influential attributes. This study notes that the Homicide cases in Puerto Rico are attributable to the subsequent factors. Drugs According to Hammergren (2006), most of killings in Puerto Rico have a close association with the use and drug trafficking. Evidently, estimates account that years 1993, 1994 and 1995 had 55.6%, 71.2% and 73% cases whose motive related to drugs (Bosque-Pe?rez, 2006). Tactically, Mankkonen (1992) acknowledges the position of the influence of drug by noting that with the notion that Puerto Rico is a site of heavy drug abuse, users of such drugs can barely escape from malpractices. To justify the position, Mankkonen (1992) argues that most of crimes realized in the region are not murder but “property destruction” asserting social magnitude in the crimes witnessed. Evidently, individuals mainly engaged in such crimes comes from housing projects initially established to provide good homes for the poor urban dwellers but have changed to become sites of misery. Bosque-Pe?rez (2006) explains the drugs as the cause by noting that drug’s usage may encourage violence in various ways. As such, he notes that when investigating the position of drug, we need to account for the “Goldstein’s three-factor” model which evaluates the systematic, psychopharmacologic and the economic compulsive influence. Psychopharmacologic crimes emerge in cases where drug abuse leads to violent behavior. This mainly becomes practical with the drug’s effect that leads to intoxication or addiction, which promotes careless and aggressive habits (Bosque-Pe?rez, 2006). Economically compulsive crimes are offenses promoted by the financial ideas, particularly the desire to attain money for purchasing drugs while systemic violence describes crimes occurring in drug trading course such us one entailing dealers and buyers. These concepts assert the prudence of linking drugs with homicide cases. Apparently, individuals who are under drugs influence present high potentials of committing Homicide crimes and considering the drug trade is a dirty endeavor; partners in practice can easily engage in violent crimes. Presence of the Guns According to Hammergren (2006), the Homicide cases committed through the guns continue to escalate in the region. Presently, gun-related killings account for about 65% of the total cases recorded in Puerto Rico. Of worth is the fact that the youth has access to these weapons since as Hammergren (2006) notes, if the number of juveniles involved in crimes is increasing, then the availability of the guns should be blamed. Evidently, Bosque-Pe?rez (2006) asserts that from the total homicide cases committed in Puerto Rico in 1976, 56% were committed using guns. The island has maintained this trend and Bosque-Pe?rez (2006) observes that by 1994, four out of five homicide casualties were executed through guns. Concerns exist that the Puerto Rico state needs to develop tactical approaches that would dispirit juveniles from accessing weapons, carrying them, handling them and firing them. Indeed, critical observation accounts that each of these procedures provides a sizeable effort in curbing the homicide. According to Mankkonen (1992), most juvenile crooks have had experiences with guns at their early ages. For instance, a study carried out on juvenile states that nine out of ten such crooks have encountered with a gun by age of 14, and less than half of adult violators lacking juvenile records had encounters with weapons by the same age (Hammergren, 2006). Importantly, Bosque-Pe?rez (2006) notes that a huge quantity of weapons circulate illegitimately on the Island is a promoting factor linked to rivalry between the gangs engaged in drug-control battles. This indicates that the question of weapons is of great significance in establishing the cause of the Puerto Rico Homicide. The Puerto Rico Culture An imperative factor to account for is the Island’s culture since the values observed by the community would be a probable cause of most homicide cases. The community observes a culture that encourages impunity exemplified by practicing gangster like life (Hammergren, 2006). As such, the Puerto Rico has realized a community comprising of the drug abusers who have a ‘don’t care attitude’. To such individuals committing homicide crimes and the consequences of practicing such actions is of less bother. Additionally, a child born in an aggressive culture has high chances of adopting brutal behavior and since such a child has witnessed killings throughout his entire life, committing one is of less difficulty. According to Bosque-Pe?rez (2006), impunity in the Puerto Rico society is attributable to augmentation of the Murder wave, a factor that continues building insecurity in the Island. Indeed, Hammergren (2006) explains the concern of moral decadency in the region when he notes that the motive behind the killings is diverting from the customary idea of drugs. For instance, figures present that so far this year has recorded 150 killings committed in quest for revenge and simple clashes. Notably, culture has a strong silent influence, which indeed triggers or builds other causes (Bosque-Pe?rez, 2006). The police response and the correction scheme According to Mankkonen (1992), homicide deaths stretch in any population but a comparatively small population of serious, constant, and dangerous offenders who mostly have earlier experience of criminal systems commits most of serious crimes such as one involving murder. In fact, most analysts blame the Island’s correction system accusing it of lacking tactical laws, prudent juries and prosecutor who would focus their regulation towards crime control rather than on conviction rates. Evidently, instead of holding dangerous criminals in custody to withdraw them from the community, the system releases such convicts on fines (Bosque-Pe?rez, 2006). Absurdly, such criminals with accumulated finances from their illegal endeavors pay such fines comfortably and resumes to their ill behaviors. If the hardly caught criminals, gets back to the community and continue with their activities, the problem will ever persist. Hammergren (2006) attributes the reason for the rise of Homicide cases in the region is that only 42% of the criminals have been caught. Therefore, the police failure in tapping the criminals continue to worsen the situation. A critical observation by Hammergren (2006) identifies that the poor performance of the police is attributable to the factor that the force lacks a good knowledge about the geography of crimes occurrence in the region. As such, an ideal reaction system would be the one with strong knowledge. Strategies for preventing Homicide crimes in the region With knowledge about the major causes of Homicide crimes in the region, the subsequent strategies are ideal in curbing the situation. Community policing As noted, the situation on the ground needs an immediate response. As such, the police need to study, listen and relate with the community in resolving the realized challenges. Adopting such a scheme broaden the police function sifting their services from a narrow focus that targets crime fighting or law implementation only. Tactically, such schemes should entail maintaining order, corporate services and general assistance services. With the communal effort, the force can effectively track and minimize the perpetrators of homicide crimes. Instituting a strong correction policy This study identified that the present system is not effective hence needs a restructure. As such, the state should develop a system, which accords crime prevention as the central aim. Hammergren (2006) observes the present system targets conviction rate rather than focusing on crime prevention. Indeed, such a system promotes the crimes instead of curbing them. The State should hence introduce tools that will progressively examine the functionality of their system. As such, after successful corrective measures, freed criminals should be monitored to assert their full change. Preventing crimes though geographical design As the study has identified, developing a geographical crime prevention scheme can minimize homicide crimes in the region. To establish such a scheme, the authority should first study the geography of crime spots in the region then develop a tailored response structure. An ideal approach would be restricting access to hot spots and increasing police forces to such spots. Other strategies such us developing strong building structures that can sustain breakage and inviting surveillance could be effective. The Disarmament Strategy Guns accessibility is a factor that demands critical attention. The authority should develop effort that can help them confiscate illegal guns from the wrong hands. This should entail instituting disarmament schemes and stiffening regulations monitoring the procedure of acquiring guns. Recommendations This study observes that the subsequent recommendations are essential in addressing homicide problem in Puerto Rico. i. The State should assume zero tolerance to impunities and drugs use. ii. There is a need of Instituting advocacy campaigns aimed at changing the community’s culture and attitude towards homicide and substance use. iii. The State should reorganize the correction and jurisdiction policies. iv. The police force should redesign their operation procedures to emphasize on crime prevention rather than conviction. v. The Homicide crime is of great magnitude hence the Puerto Rico State should increase budgetary allocations reserved for the crime prevention and drug fight. Conclusion The homicide in Puerto Rico demands serious attention since failing to address the concern is detrimental. The society cannot remain ignorant to the consequences of the case. It is noteworthy that the Puerto Rico case has a solution since utilizing the concepts indentified by this report is beneficial if an amicable solution is to be established. References Bosque-Pe?rez, R., & Colo?n, M. J. J. (2006). Puerto Rico under colonial rule. New York: State University of New York. Hammergren, L. (2006). Latin american experience with rule of law reforms and its applicability to nation building efforts*. Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, 38(1), 63-93. http://search.proquest.com/docview/211121981?accountid=45049 Mankkonen, E., (1992), Crime & justice in American history: Historical articles on the origins and evolution of American criminal justice. Westport: Meckler. Read More