Pin-pointing the cause of a spike in violent crimes in Stanislaus County is difficult to pinpoint, but some say it could be a combination of drugs, mental illness, and realignment.
So far this year, six people have been shot and killed by law enforcement in Stanislaus. Of those, five were involved with what are called Part 1 crimes, which tend to be the most serious forms of violent crime – rape, murder, burglary, or aggravated assault. For four years, Part 1 crimes had been on the decline in the county, but this year those crimes have seen a sharp resurgence in frequency.
While hard evidence creating a causal relationship, officers on the ground say that the spike in violent crime coincided with the implementation of realignment. While violent offenders are not necessarily being released early or unsupervised, they are forcing other offenders and convicts to re-enter the community prematurely due to overcrowding.
From the Modesto Bee:
The sixth officer-involved shooting in Stanislaus County this year was a reminder to many in law enforcement of the desperate actions some suspects are willing to take.
Police and sheriff’s personnel say they are seeing an increase in violent crimes and criminals willing to flee from or fight with officers, rather than surrender.
Read the full article here.