TOPIC: US Murder Rate Skyrockets by 29.4% in 2020

“It’s time to make the rule of law great again. Good policing is not hard—it’s common sense. Commit a crime—do the time. Mayors have abdicated their elected duties to allow crime to run rampant in the cities which hurts innocent residents. Statistics do not lie—policing strategies to reduce crime and violence do work.” Michael Letts, CEO, InVest USA.

On Sept. 27^th, the FBI announced that murders rose by 29.4 percent in the US in 2020 compared to 2019—one of the largest single-year increases ever recorded in America’s recorded history.

Shockingly, the murder rate was higher in cities with smaller populations—between 10,000 and 250,000 people—than in cities between 250,000 and 1 million according to the FBI data.

This summer, the National Fraternal Order of Police (NFOP) tied the dramatic rise in violent crime can be directly associated with the anti-police animus stemming from Black Lives Matter protests and riots.

Minneapolis voters may decide on changing the police department when they vote on an amendment to the city charter to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with the Dept. of Public Safety. The measure would remove the police chief and the mayor’s power over the agency and instead would be led by a commissioner appointed by the city council.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the basic solutions for keeping communities safe outlined by the NFOP?
   1. Restore the Rule of Law
   2. Oppose rogue District Attorney’s not prosecuting violent crime and letting criminals roam free.
   3. Embrace the broken windows theory (Mayor Guiliani used this to clean up NYC).
   4. Support and fund the police
2. Does this indicate a long-term trend? Or unique due to the pandemic last year?
3. Minneapolis could get rid of their police department structure – how would that work? Are social workers going to be able to address needs of community policing and public safety?
4. A recent survey of criminal justice experts said that increasing police budgets would improve public safety, can you explain.
5. Is there an all of the above strategy to make policing more effective for crime-fighting, while addressing some of the challenges within communities?

GUEST: Michael A Letts is the CEO and Founder of  In-VestUSA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bullet-proof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.   

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