Deadly violence in Oklahoma City may hit a two-decade high by the end of the year.
Oklahoma City Police officer Karl Pulliam talks to children at Sooner Haven Apartments, a federally subsidized housing complex that has experienced three homicides in 2012.
That’s why, as of late, I had to take a break from blogging, and Tweeting and other distracting things, and tighten my focus on the good old fashioned information gathering process that explored the rising homicide rate.
I spent time at a Baptist church, in a squad car and at a community center, talking to preachers, police, children and others working and living in a pocket of violence on the northeast side.
I spoke to a gang investigator and learned that Oklahoma City is tracking more gang members than ever before and drive-by shootings are on the rise this year. At the same time, there are fewer cops on the street than in 1989.
At the church, I met smiling kids with dreams of being firefighters or hip hop dancers. Bad stuff, like drugs, gangs and violence, is everywhere in their neighborhood near the state Capitol.
Hopefully, besides reporting on a high number of deaths, I’ve painted a picture of life around one of the places where the bodies most often fall.
This is what I wrote.
These are the people who died in the small area I explored.
View our maps that track the violence.
Below, read what people are saying about the homicide rate.
“This year in particular, some of our gangs in that part of the city that have been very active. They have been responsible for a lot of the violent activity going on the east side of town. We’ve had several homicides and tons of drive-bys. It starts a perpetuating cycle. It’s hard to stop sometimes, until you get both sides locked up.”–Tim Hock, an Oklahoma City police gang investigator and president of the Oklahoma Gang Investigators Association
“It’s discouraging to know our children are involved in this type of activity, but it is our responsibility as a community to redirect them. We are making every effort to do so.” –Deena Thomas, a former Douglass Mid-High School English teacher whose former student, Israel Jackson, was shot to death in June. Thomas grew up on the northeast side and returns to tutor at Prospect Baptist Church.
“We’re in the heart of the ‘hood. We’re here on purpose. Every day you’re going to see homeless people walking. You see lots of things, definitely drug activity going on. Prostitution, you name it. You’re going to see it in our neighborhood.” –Youth pastor DeWayne Walker, who founded a nonprofit called Earthquake to facilitate events like the weekly Youth J.A.M. (Jesus and Me) at Prospect Baptist Church. The program gives children a safe and positive place to go.
I absolutely can’t stand all this mayhem going on in OKC and pray to God that all of these murderers are brought to justice sooner than later. On the other hand, I absolutely have nothing good to say about OKC homicide detectives or police department at this time. My son was murdered Dec. 14, 2009 and his case has still not been solved. I suppose the detectives were overloaded on murder cases at that time as well because they have done nothing to stay in contact with me regarding my son’s murder even after I’ve contacted and left many messages with no return phone calls to acknowledge they’ve received my messages. A few months before the 3rd year anniversary of my son’s death while doing lots of research on my own, I ran across a warrant for my son’s arrest which prompted me to contact the district attorney’s office with not so nice things to say about those who are suppose to protect us and bring justice to those who murdered my son. Instead they decided to victimize my family again and I refuse be victimized again especially by those who are suppose to help find my son’s murderers. Shortly after contacting the district attorney’s office regarding the warrant and no responses from detectives, of course, they blamed the sheriff’s department and that department blamed the district attorney’s office. Nevertheless, the warrant was dropped. I finally received a phone call from one of OKC cold case detectives who apologized for the warrant mix-up and failure of responses from their detectives working my son’s case. His apology really didn’t mean anything to me because I know in my heart it wasn’t sincere, just something to shut me up for the time being. I loss any trust I had in OKC police department and judicial system and have put my son’s case in our Lord Jesus Christ and Savior’s hands who I know will do a supreme job in bringing his murderers to justice. I’m sure if it was one of their family members there would be someone arrested and brought to justice quickly. It’s a wonder why so many felt the need to obtain license to carry because there are always excuses of why there are not more officers on our streets protecting what our tax dollars pay them to do.