2016 Homicides by City Compton, Ca: 35 Homicides (97,550 population) Do Now #1 - Look at the statistics from the two cities. Given what is known about these cities, what do you think most Americans would say account for the difference in murder rates? Compton, Ca: 35 Homicides (97,550 population) Culver City, CA: 0 Homicides (39,364 population)

Other High Crime Cities

Other High Crime Cities

Other High Crime Cities

Other High Crime Cities

Other High Crime Cities

But wait… why? Refer back to your Do Now – What are some of the reasons that you gave for the discrepancy in murder rates between the two cities?

Safe Cities Gadsen, Alabama: 3 Homicides (36,542 people) in 2016 4th poorest cities in the nation, 62% White and 35% Black El Paso, TX: 18 Homicides (674,433 people) Boarder town, center of drug trade, heavily Latino Southfield, Michigan: 4 Homicides (75,000 people) 70.3% Black and 25% White, middle class El Paso – POC Gadsen – Poor Southfield – Black

Want to fight crime? What is the author’s main thesis of the article? Summarize the article

(causes stress, frustration, and division) Poverty doesn’t necessarily cause crime, people of color don’t cause crime… so what does? INEQUALITY! (causes stress, frustration, and division)

Inequality in High-Crime Cities 1. Detroit: Adjacent to “Oakland County” the fourth wealthiest large county in the country. It is home to many executives of the auto industry. Also near by Ann Arbor, home one of the best universities in the country, University of Michigan. 2. St. Louis: East St. Louis is incredibly poor, West St. Louis is relatively affluent. From a St. Louis newspaper: "The ultimate terror for white people," says a local newspaper reporter, "is to leave the highway by mistake and find themselves in East St. Louis. People speak of getting lost in East St. Louis as a nightmare. The nightmare to me is that they never leave that highway, so they never know what life is like for all the children here.”

Inequality in High-Crime Cities 3. Oakland: Surrounded by San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. 4. Memphis: Highly racially segregated, and LARGE inequality of income between the whites and people of color. 5. Birmingham: 8th highest income inequality in the nation. ALL OF THESE CITIES ARE IN REGIONS WITH SOME OF THE HIGHEST INEQUALITY IN THE NATION. (CENSUS BUREAU)

Strategies for Economic Equality and Government Policy Which can work in Los Angeles?

1. Non-profit Job Programs “Non-profits” are organizations that do not seek to make money. Instead, they attempt to provide a service to people in need. They can be supported by both private donations and public funds (taxes). Some non-profits specifically target job access to disadvantaged groups. TODAY’S EXAMPLE: Homeboy Industries, based in Los Angeles, CA, offers jobs to ex-gang members to encourage them to leave gang life.

2. “Ban the Box” “Ban the Box” is a policy that would require that companies are not allowed to include criminal background checks as part of their job applications, so the “box” that requires you to check if you have any criminal history would be gone. Employers would still be allowed to ask at the interview whether or not applicants have been convicted of a crime. TODAY’S EXAMPLE: Richmond, CA has enacted this policy in hopes of providing ex-convicts with more job opportunities.

Primary and Secondary Sources Readings Make two Pro/Con T-Charts: Title: Non-Profit Job Programs Title: Ban the Box