Q: What the heck is going on in Trenton?
A: It’s getting pretty dangerous out there. A lot of artillery is going off in Trenton. Yesterday, two men – one only 17 years old – fired off between 17 and 20 shots at each other in broad daylight on Oakland Street in the West Ward. A couple of dozen shots were fired on another occasion last week in the South Ward. And in yet another, very disturbing, incident Monday night two Police Officers on patrol in the West Ward were ambushed and deliberately targeted by an unknown shooter who unloaded at least half a dozen apparent rifle rounds in the direction of their vehicle; five rounds hit the police car.
In all of the above incidents, despite at least over 50 total shots being fired no one was hurt. Not so lucky was this man shot in the chest Monday night; or these two men shot in unrelated incidents Sunday night; or this poor unlucky homeowner stabbed outside his house last Thursday night as he was taking his garbage out, attacked by a guy stealing his pocket change, for crying out loud!
Q: Why is this happening?
A: This kind of violence has unfortunately been the “new normal” in Trenton for months now. Trenton has long had a high crime rate, but the pace of crime and its outright brazenness has spiked since last fall, when the Police Department was eviscerated by the layoff of one-third of its strength. Although the last couple of months thankfully haven’t seen the number of murders that we saw in December, I think we can only consider that as the result of poor marksmanship more than anything else.
The last week has shown, in just those first three incidents mentioned above, that the city’s criminals have little hesitation to let loose massive amounts of bullets, in the middle of the day and in densely-populated neighborhoods. And targeting police in this last assassination attempt is clearly an attempt to intimidate the hollowed-out force and push them off the streets, or at the least force an already-thin department to patrol in greater numbers for safety, and in fewer areas.
The recent uptick in crime follows the pattern from some months ago, when warm weather in December surely contributed to the murder rate in that month, and a mild January contributed to Open Season then. I look at the calendar and dread what may happen this summer.
Q: How dangerous is Trenton?
A: Well, to cite one statistic – for what it’s worth – the murder rate in Chicago for the year of 1926, during the height of Prohibition in a city legendary in American history for its violence and brutal gang killings, was 16.7 per 100,000 of population.
In 2011, Trenton suffered 24 homicides, a murder rate of 28.5 per 100,000.
Q: So, you are saying that modern-day Trenton is more violent than Al Capone’s Chicago?
A: By that one measurement, yes it is. And if Trenton’s shooters had better aim, its murder rate would no doubt be much higher.
Q: WTF?
A: I wish I knew, man. I wish I knew.
Trenton has the Trauma Center @ Fuld to thank for keeping the murder rate lower than what it would have been 10 years ago. SO MANY people are now being saved at the hospital. I can’t even imagine how high the murder rate would be if there was no Trauma Center in the city. Even a ride of a few minutes more to say, Hopewell, Hamilton or Bucks County would have spelled doom.
Moe, You are absolutely right. The Trauma Center has been awfully important in – literally – reducing the blood-letting. My point, (and I was trying to be a little snarky) was that – especially considering all the rounds going off just in the last week – it is truly amazing that more people are NOT being wheeled into Fuld in the first place.
Sigh… If only these punks would take advantage of the Mayor’s Learning Centers…
I could never understand why the governor’s mansion wasn’t located in the capital city, as in most states.
now i know why.
i still think that the city should threaten, via eminent domain, to take over state offices and charge rent( and back rent), to replace the property tax moneys the state owes Trenton.
any attorneys care to comment
peace