Black-on-black murder rates: What are the solutions?

The new intern at the Capitol Fax blog seems to have an interest in minority crime and violence. I'll have to hand it to him to bring it to the attention of the general audience over there. As long as there are something of that worth sharing you'll see it here. Not that I want this blog to be known as a black-on-black crime blog.

Article from St. Louis Post Dispatch:

A story today by the Associated Press tells of a study by Northeastern University that black teenagers are killing each other in rising numbers, despite an overall falling crime rate across the nation.

FBI crime statistics show overall decreases in murder and other violent crimes. The a report by criminal justice professors James Alan Fox and Marc Swatt uncovers other disturbing trends within that data. (Related: Updated FBI crime statistic)

Among their findings: an increase of more than 39 percent in the number of black males between the ages of 14 and 17 killed between 2000 and 2007, and an increase of 34 percent in the number of blacks that age group who committed homicide.

Easy question, what can we do about this?

Brown says that families and community groups and churches need to do more to help solve the problem.

But with dysfunctional and broken family units in many areas where there are high unemployment rates, high school drop-out rates and preponderance  of drugs and guns, how should civic and city leaders better address the high murder rate among young blacks – by young blacks?

Coming up with a solution will surely take some time and some creativity. One place to start might be in the schools. Of course there's only so much education can do if the home situation isn't ideal for sure.