Republican Jerry Kilgore gets to say that he’s “worked hard” to fight gang activity. He gets to say that “it’s been a focus” of his work. But he does not get to say that he has a “successful record” of fighting gangs, because he doesn’t.
In the time that Kilgore served as the Secretary of Public Safety (1994-96), gang activity increased 220% (“The Study of Youth Gangs in Virginia,” Virginia State Crime Commission and Virginia Commission on Youth, 01/08/97). Damn. When he started the job, 10 municipalities reported that youth gangs were active there. When he finished, the total was 32. You can call that many things, but you cannot call that a “successful record.”
Now, I suspect I know more about gang violence than your average bear, so I know enough to say that gangs likely would have spread no matter what Kilgore (or whomever) did. Perhaps they would have grown 1,000% without Kilgore’s work. Or perhaps they would have grown 220%. I can’t say. But, if I were Kilgore, I wouldn’t go bragging about having a “successful record” when it comes to gang activity. Because a 220% increase in gang activity is by no metric a success.
I suspect you know that Allen and Kilgore made a change in the way that required gang statistics were collected during that time. So you are talking about two different sets of numbers, which makes your 200% number misleading.
OK John, What would you say the increase was?
I suspect you know that Allen and Kilgore made a change in the way that required gang statistics were collected during that time.
Nope, I know nothing about it. Tell me more — it sounds interesting.
What’s misleading is saying that gang “activity” increased. Gang “activity” did not increase, only the identification of various criminal activities as being gang related. Which, in turn, aided law enforcement in combating said gang activity.
And, again, I’d like to know more about this. I understand that you’re saying that’s the case, but where can I read about this?
FWIW, I’m just not buying that gang activity has decreased in the past decade. Six weeks ago, I sat through a lecture by Sen. Mark Obenshain and a police officer who heads up a gang violence program, and if there’s one thing that was made very, very clear in the presentation, it’s that gang activity has exploded in Virginia in the past decade. Perhaps it hasn’t increased at the rate that’s claimed by the Virginia State Crime Commission (though one would think that if anybody would know, it would be them), but I really don’t think that there’s any question that gang violence has increased dramatically in Kilgore’s time as Secretary of Public Safety and, subsequently, Attorney General.