Prevention Works

The Economy and Crime

As the economy worsens, there is debate about whether it is to blame for the rash of shootings that have recently occurred across the country. In the past month there have been at least eight mass homicides with 59 casualties. In the most recent shooting, in Binghamton, NY, a man entered the American Civic Association building, killed 13 people, and took his own life as well. Reports said that the shooter was angry about being laid off and being shown a lack of respect because he did not speak English well. In another shooting, three policemen were killed in Pittsburgh, PA, after they responded to a domestic disturbance call. Friends of the gunman said the shooter was upset about being laid off from work.

Some experts are saying the reasons for these acts of violence are the dismal state of the economy. When people are frustrated and angry with how the economy directly affects them, they will take desperate measures because they feel as though they have nothing to lose.

We can't anticipate what's in the minds of murders and criminals, but we all should look for warning signs that a loved one or friend is in distress. It is important to recognize suspicious behavior. For example, is the person making "jokes" that are hurtful and mean-spirited? Is he or she making passing comments about violence or saying things that seem unusual? We shouldn't ignore odd behavior from a loved one or friend; they may be expressing a need for help.

Are the recent tragedies cited above a coincidence—or a window into the effects of the declining economy?

Gunplay

"Curiosity killed the cat." Remember this phrase, because never have four words had graver implications.

Recently, the television program 20/20 released the results of an experiment among curious 18- to 22-year-olds about their lack of familiarity with guns. These teens and young adults responded to a newspaper advertisement and each volunteered to clean out a garage in their neighborhood. Inside, two unloaded guns were hidden among the clutter. The video footage illustrates a shocking outcome: teens and young adults handles unfamiliar weapons no more responsibly than toddlers who had been similarly observed ten years earlier.

An expert from the New Jersey Firearms Academy, Lateif Dickerson, predicted that the teens would avoid contact with the guns because guns are foreign to much of the U.S. population. However, the youths handled the guns recklessly, pointing them at others, holding them to their own heads, and staring down the gun barrels. Though no participant attempted to hide the gun in his pants pockets as several young children had, ten years earlier.

Experts explain this teenage desensitization and, frankly, morbid fascination with handguns to the highly publicized campus gun violence of the past decade. The fact is that more 18- to 22-year-olds die in accidental handgun deaths than any other age group and peer pressure has been shown to play a large role as well. In the experiment described above, one 20/20 producer posed as a participant in cleaning the garage. He came across a gun and handled it and he proved influential in recruiting the subjects to do the same, rather than avoid the gun, in all but two cases.

It turns out food isn't the only thing we should be taught not to play with. These startling results demonstrate that the college-age population requires a serious lesson in gun safety and personal responsibility. Aren't we too old to think that gunplay is okay?

Thinking About the Unthinkable

Homeland security is rooted in hometown security. The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, once etched vividly in every American's memory, may be receding in the country's collective consciousness, but it is up to all of us to make sure that our country stays safe—and prepared—for any eventuality. Each citizen, civic official, faith leader, and business leader must be confident that his or her community's first responder organization can react effectively to any assault and, more importantly, knows exactly what is expected of him or her if the unthinkable should happen again.

Some tips for effective emergency preparedness include those below.

• Define the role of your first responder organization.
• Ensure that each member of your organization fully understands his or her individual role within the organization's plan.
• Ensure that all equipment needed for your role is ready for use at any time.
• Ensure that communications equipment is working at all times and that a communications protocol exists with other first responder agencies and local, state, and federal authorities.
• Work with other first responder agencies in your area to ensure that all parties agree on their roles, amend roles as necessary, and develop a comprehensive first responder area plan.
• Welcome local civic groups and others active in the community to take part in planning exercises.
• Ensure that all citizens know what to do in case of an emergency.
• Designate shelters and first aid locations in advance in conjunction with local and national agencies and religious groups that provide appropriate services.
• Ensure that evacuation plans and routes are developed and communicated to the public in case they are necessary. Mark evacuation routes with signs.
• Ensure that citizens always have supplies on hand in case they have to shelter in place and ensure that there are plans to supply public shelters from close by.
• Ensure that there is a communications plan for keeping citizens informed of developments.

Thinking about terrorist attacks isn't fun. But there was a domestic one—the Oklahoma City bombing—and then the September 11 attacks with their massive casualties in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon. It's been a long time since anyone has attacked American soil. It would be nice to think it would never happen again, but we can't afford that luxury.

Beware of the Black Dollar

In recent months, new versions of the infamous Nigerian money and banking scams have come to the attention of the national news media. An unfortunate incident in a New York City condo last week provides an example of the latest variation: the Black Money Scam.

This is how the scam plays out.

First, a scammer will contact individuals via email with their story of their plight—which is always dire—in their country and ask them to provide an advance for fees and taxes to import a case of money into the United States in exchange for a large percentage of the money. They tell the intended victims that the money has been dyed black so that it can be imported and that they can purchase a cleaning solution for the money once the money is in the country. Many targets are quite naturally suspicious of this story, but some are curious enough to pay the advance and ask to see the money. The scammer then shows the target the case full of currency-sized paper (which, in reality, is usually black construction paper) and will use sleight of hand with a “cleaning solution” to produce a clean bill.

However, the scammer doesn’t bring enough solution to clean more than one bill and counts on victims to be gullible enough—and some are—to assume that the rest of the case is full of cash that has been dyed black. The scammer tells his target that he cannot pay the target his share of the money because taxes have not been paid, but once the black money is washed it will be used to pay the taxes. Next the scammer will inform the target that he needs more money to pay for the cleaning solution. In some cases the scammer will even set up a website for victims to purchase the cleaning solution, providing yet another opportunity to take advantage of victims who believe that the existence of a website adds credibility to the scammer’s story. The scammer will continue to give the victim the runaround, asking for more money for fees, taxes, and other charges. This will continue until the victim realizes that he or she is being scammed or refuses to give any more money.

These crimes often go unreported to law enforcement or are reported too late for anything to be done about them. By the time the authorities find out, the scammer is long gone with the victim’s money. If you receive an email from someone offering a percentage of money if you help them export it, it’s likely to be a scam. Don’t respond and report the email address to your Internet Service Provider and law enforcement. If the email address is caught early, it’s possible that action can be taken. Be aware of these scams and don’t fall victim to these heartless people. And remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.