More Murders In Akron Than Ever Before

I woke up to this headline: Man, 19, killed in West Akron shooting, adding to record year for killings

And then the article is mostly spent trying to unwind how Akron defines a murder compared to a homicide.

That's the plan in Akron Ohio. If you don't like the statistics just confuse people. (We have also invented an Akron-only way to grade our schools so they don't look so faily.)

This is exactly how you can tell your dear leader, Dan Horrigan, is completely in over his head.

The highest murder rate EVER does not happen in a vacuum. You can't explain it away with the condescending quip, "kid's these days."

Murders are going up because the street is taking charge. The street is taking charge because the city is failing the communities.

Look at where we are right now in Akron:

• Akron has a 26% poverty rate.
• Police recorded 186 gun-related crimes in the first six months of 2018, 247 in 2019 and 317 through July 1 of this year. That represents a 70% increase in gun crime.
• 42% of children are below the poverty rate.
• Akron facing highest eviction rate in Ohio, 24th highest in the country
• Over 2000 kids are reported homeless every year in Akron.
• Household income is growing in the state of Ohio but falling in Akron.
• Akron is the only large city in Akron that saw its poverty rate increase.
• Only Lorain and Akron experienced a decline in household income.
• Our schools are failing. Our overall district grade is a D.
• We have over 100 arson investigations every year.
• Over 400 sexual assaults were reported in 2017.
• 902 vehicles were stolen in 2019.
• Akron has nearly $1 billion in debt.

We are being lead kamikaze-style right into the ground by a mayor who has no idea what to do.

His "plan" is to let people build tax-free houses and somehow magically get his population to 250,000 people. I assume that he thinks he can turn Akron into a large Medina and gentrify all the poor people to somewhere that isn't his problem.

The majority of Akronites have no hope. They are living in the Hunger Games while a few people on the west side are merrily and ignorantly carrying on like everything is great.

Akron is a hope-free zone for most people. It's every man, woman and child for themselves.

Until there is hope there will be MORE drugs, MORE murders, MORE crime.