Zone 5; 10 shootings in 18 days. What should be done?

[IrvAdams]

No, you are wrong.  Most arrests within a "drug bust" (tv term) are sellers.  The users, be they weed or cocaine, usually get arrested for those things as a secondary offense, such as traffic offenses, theft, etc.  The folks selling and running the nacrotics are not nice people who would otherwise seek legal employment, if not for the few measely bucks you get slinging dope.  I don't personally see drugs as the reason there are some many shootings in Z5.  I see the drug usage in that area as a symptom of the core problem.

The point in bringing up pills is to show a regulated drug that is causing a massive problems.  "Legalization" is not curbing that problem... the draw to become addicted to too great.

As far as "putting people through programs" to cure their addiction... well, easier said than done. 

If Legalization cannot cure the problem of addiction (and I heartily agree) then how does criminalization help? How are we benefitted by continuing to selectively decide which drug is legal and what is illegal? Alcohol, Ok. Various and sundry multisyllabic pills and liquids for damn-near-everything, Ok. Marijuana, oh no. Evil.

[Rob68]

Addiction does have something to do with the deaths but too much attention is being put on that...the maddness is mostly because of being poor and uneducated..parents who couldnt keep their shit together have kids who usually cant get their shit together and so on and so on..

[Dog Walker]

Human beings are always going to alter their states of consciousness (get high) one way or another.  Little children spin around in circles, adults use chemicals, fasting, chanting, meditation, etc.

Some people are going to become addicted to one or more of these ways.  Making things illegal creates horrible side effects among which are raising barriers to helping people who become addicted and financing criminal gangs.

[urbanlibertarian]

If people could get the drugs they want peacefully and legally that would eliminate most of the violence and corruption.

[AKIRA]

I disagree with dwindling down the problems of Z5 to criminalization/legalization of drugs, as I think that it is more often than not a myoptic and self serving proposal who don't have the first clue about whats actually happening in those nieghborhoods. 

I agree that it can all be taxed, but considering that drugs (legal or not) will still cost money, where/how do you think addicts or the very poor is going to get the money to buy them?

Malt liquor is cheap and legal in poor, disinfrancised nieghborhoods.  How is that taxible product working out?  Lots of money going to alcoholic programs?  Less violence?  Not really.

If an addict has a legal and cheap means to suppy his need, why is he all the sudden going to see the light and find his way to helpful services?

You all make good points about de-criminalization/legalization, but also put that idea on too high a pedestal, particularly Libartarians with too much faith in the market and Liberals with too much faith in taxation.

[twojacks]

So in this discussion, drugs are the culprit and cause of the violence....Maybe.  But I bet it has just as much to do with the need for machismo. When men don't have much, they cling to what they do have in amplified ways.  Don't have a nice house, family, education?  A nice pair of rims will get you some respect and 'female' attention.  Someone looks at you or your girl funny, it's 'dis' respect.  And violence is called into play to teach someone the manners of the hood.

There is plenty of white collar drug use...and it doesn't lead to violence.  I'm talking coke, crack, pot. Not that legal means are less harmful, just that to think only those in section 5 are drug fueled, is misguided. The violence is a direct result of not having anything of real value and not having a way to legally obtain it.  9 of 10 (my guess) of those on the wrong path would accept a $9.99/hour job.  Not a minimum wage job, those are stigmatized in the community.  When you can make better other ways.   

[BridgeTroll]

For addiction treatment to work... the addict must want treatment... if not it is doomed to failure.  Even addicts who voluntarily accept treatment...50/50 are pretty good odds.  There is of course involuntary treatment.  I think we call it incarceration.  Legalizing cocaine, meth, heroin is not the answer.

[urbanlibertarian]

For addiction treatment to work... the addict must want treatment... if not it is doomed to failure.  Even addicts who voluntarily accept treatment...50/50 are pretty good odds.  There is of course involuntary treatment.  I think we call it incarceration.  Legalizing cocaine, meth, heroin is not the answer.

Getting rid of the black market criminals and organizations that import and sell cocaine and heroin is the answer to ending the violence and corruption that they are responsible for.

[coredumped]

I don't disagree, and I'm for legalization, but Jacksonville has very high crime for a city of its size. Most drugs are illegal all over the country, and its not as bad here. why is our per capita crime so high?

[BridgeTroll]

I don't disagree, and I'm for legalization, but Jacksonville has very high crime for a city of its size. Most drugs are illegal all over the country, and its not as bad here. why is our per capita crime so high?

I don't have much issue with pot... cocaine?  Meth?? Heroin??  seriously?

[coredumped]

Yes, seriously. What if people found a way to get high on toilet paper, would you ban that too? No victim no crime in my opinion. Besides, it's not like people aren't ALREADY doing Crack.

[Dog Walker]

Stephen, that is both interesting and hysterically funny!  Good find!

[urbanlibertarian]

Stephen, that is both interesting and hysterically funny!  Good find!

I agree, but not as funny as the Mayor Bloomberg and the Giant Sugary Soda escapade. 

[coredumped]

Not confined to Zone 5, but we're at 88 homicides this year! Way to go jax, that's how we attract millennials and companies!

There have been 88 homicides so far this year, and at least 71 of those are classified as murders. About this time last year, the statistics were similar: 87 homicides with 71 murders.

In 2012, for the entire year, Jacksonville had 108 homicides with 93 murders and in 2011 there were 90 homicides with 72 murders.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/city-leaders-react-to-recent-crime-in-jacksonville/28978716

And what does the sheriff say? Give me more money! How about we give him money, and if the crime doesn't go down we take it away? Accountability, there's an idea.

[Tacachale]

Generally speaking, laying off 100 cops thanks to the mayor's budget doesn't do wonders for the crime rate.