FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Fort Wayne Police say drugs and gangs are the reason for a record-breaking year for homicides, but the city’s Urban League disagrees.
Fort Wayne Police spokesman Michael Joyner told WOWO News earlier this week the biggest cause of violence is gang activity, with crimes compounded by witnesses not coming forward, but Urban League President and CEO Jonathan Ray thinks it’s all about income inequality.
He tells our news partners at ABC21 the city needs more good-paying jobs “for people who are hopeless,” pointing out that Fort Wayne is the fifth-worst in the nation when comparing income gaps between zip codes.
So far there have been 46 homicides in Fort Wayne and Allen County this year. 41 of those were shootings.
1 comment
While I don’t disagree with the income disparity, the larger issue is the collapse of the family.
My family was about as poor as you could get, but we were happy and NOT violent. How do you explain THAT? Failing schools? Absent fathers? 40 years ago, this was NOT the case. Life wasn’t perfect but we didn’t settle our differences with firearms / knives / etc.
Until the family unit becomes strong again, nothing is going to change. I challenge ANYONE to disprove me, especially if you grew up around the time I did.