Homicide in Puerto Rico

As many immigrants arrive in the United States of America and begin to call it “home”, comparisons between such immigrants are certainly inevitable. In particular, the U.S. Hispanic population gives more room for such comparisons since their cultures and traditions are very similar. Most of their similarities stem from a common Spanish heritage. However, there is a lot more to being Hispanic than just speaking Spanish or eating rice and beans. What most people do not understand is that there are also many differences amongst Hispanics and that, most of all, there are many differences between people born and raised in Hispanic countries and people born and raised in the United

Homicide is one of the most destructive crimes worldwide. Around the globe, more than 40% of homicides are committed with firearms. There are assorted groups of risk factors for example relationship, family, and personal problems. According to statistics, Honduras has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Race and jurisdiction are one of the leading causes of why homicides are highly prevalent. According to FBI Expanded Homicide Data, there were 742 justifiable murders in the year of 2013. Furthermore, the FBI data also states that 461 felons, were justifiably killed. Homicide is a threat that has become a large conflict to our society, affecting children, teenagers and families.

The 1980s and early 90s were home to an extreme wave of criminal activity that swept across much of the country. The dramatic uptick in crime can largely be attributed to the spread of the crack-cocaine epidemic and subsequent “War on Drugs.” New York City, for example, suffered from 2,605 murders and 208,813 burglaries in 1990, at the height of the violence . Much of this criminal activity centered around and affected the poorest individuals in those communities – which often included minorities.

It is irrational to think that the death penalty – a remote threat at best – will avert murders committed in drug turf wars or by street-level dealers” (Bedau). This shows that the death penalty is not stopping murders from occurring. The introduction to the death penalty conducted a survey were top criminologists stated that the death penalty does not deter homicide rates (Introduction). “For 2009, the average Murder Rate of Death Penalty States was 4.9 [Murder rates by the 100,000], while the average Murder Rate of States without the Death Penalty was 2.8” (Introduction).

Economy at glance, Puerto Rico. (2011, 06 07). Retrieved 04 25, 2011, from United States Department of Labor: http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.pr.htm

Crime rates in Los Angeles are the lowest they have been in decades, and they are continuing to drop. In 2014, the city of Los Angeles and the county of Los Angeles reported less than six hundred homicides, a dramatic reduction in an area that averaged over twelve hundred homicides a year just two decades ago. In fact Los Angeles – a city in which over thirty-five percent of resident were not born in the United States – has actually seen crime rates drop drastically faster than other major cities with fewer immigrants, and this isn’t the only study supporting the link (Perez,

While neutralization and differential association theory both explain the homicides committed by Ortiz, the elements of differential association provide a more in-depth explanation. Ortiz learned from a very young age what attitudes and values were viewed as acceptable by his gang affiliated parents and peers. Ortiz was jumped into the 500 Block gang when he was only eleven years old. He was the youngest member of the gang ever allowed in. Considering his role models included his father, mother, aunt and older brother, which were successful gang members, he did not observe or experience an adequate exposure to conventional norms. Becoming a gang member was part of the family business. Many generations before Ortiz served in the gang and it had became a family tradition that Ortiz was expected to carry on. His friends were also in the gang because they lived in the same housing project as he did. The housing project that the gang formed due to where Ortiz was raised. The gang thrived from the poverty and disparity that was present in the housing development.

Another major, and widely covered issue with the territory of Puerto Rico is the drug and crime violence sweeping the region. According to the Puerto Rico Police Department, 63% of the 744 murders on the island during 2001 were related to drug distribution activities. Also 70-80% of homicides involving firearms are attributed to disagreements over drugs and turf. Common and easy to obtain drugs include; cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. Also keep in mind that drugs such as heroin and cocaine are not cheap at all, so how do you expect addicts to afford to use them, that is right crime. Puerto Rico is situated in the middle of three trans- Caribbean smuggling routes. While Dominican traffickers control the shipment of cocaine and marijuana from Puerto Rico to the United States Caribbean nations also serve as offshore banking centers used for money laundering and income tax evasion. Also its constant flights to and from The

Puerto Rico's local Taíno population whose hunter and gatherer predecessors settled the island over 1,000 years previously the Spanish arrived called it Borinquén, and referred to themselves as boricua, a term that is as yet utilized today. Amid his second expedition to the Indies in 1493, Christopher Columbus restored a few Taíno prisoners to Borinquén and asserted the island for Spain, calling it San Juan Bautista. In 1508, Juan Ponce de León established the main European settlement, Caparra, close to a bay on the island's northern drift; Caparra was renamed Puerto Rico or "rich port" in 1521.

The chapter goes on to overview the crime crisis happening the United States in the 1980s through the 1990s. After exploring possible causes of the problem and how bad everything has gotten, the authors go on to explore possible solutions to the crime epidemic. The solutions are quite varied, well thought out, and are supported with statistical facts. For example in talking about the effect of gun buyback programs and their effect on homicide: “Given the number of handguns in the United States and the number of homicides each year, the likelihood that a particular gun was used to kill someone that year in 1 in 10,000. The typical gun buyback program

“I know what's enchanting about my beautiful Puerto Rico. That's why I love her so, and I'll always call her Precious”. This verse is part of a song called “Preciosa,” which is cataloged as another anthem of Puerto Rico. I was born and grew up knowing the island of Puerto Rico as Borikén, the island of charm. I had the opportunity to know the rural paths of my blessed island, its culture, and its history. Every year in school, I learned about my roots, the “Indio Taino,” the African slaves, and the Spanish colonizers. As I was part of a folkloric dance group, I was able not only to learn of the Puerto Rican culture and history, but to represent it as well. Along with the Puerto Rican history, I always knew Puerto Rico was a territory of the United States, but I

In chapter 4 the chapter considers a variety of possible explanations for the significant drop in crime and crime rates that occurred in the 1990s. Based on articles that appeared in the country’s largest newspapers, the authors compile a list of the leading, commonly offered explanations. The next step is to systematically examine each explanation and consider whether available data support the explanation. What the authors, in fact, demonstrate is that in all but three cases–increased reliance on prisons, increased number of police, and changes in illegal drug markets–correlation was erroneously interpreted as causation and in some cases, the correlation wasn’t even that strong.

The United States has been a world leader in homicide for centuries. Indeed, “since the early 19th century ...[America has been] the most homicidal country in the Western world” and holds that title today (Kelley, 2009). In a 2007-2008 list of 31 nations, only two nations, Mexico and Chile, had higher homicide rates (Comparison, 2010). Nations with higher populations, such as India and China have fewer homicides (Comparison, 2010). Further, a nation such as Japan, which has a lower population but a higher population density then the United States, has one of the world’s lowest homicide rates (Comparison, 2010). Population size and density, therefore, cannot be the chief reasons for this nation’s higher homicide rates.

Handguns were used most often in homicides, most cases being in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s before falling to a low in 2008 (Cooper, et al.). Most gun involvement occurs with gang related activity, which increased from 73% in 1980 to 92% in 2008 (Cooper, et al.). The percentage of homicide victims killed with a gun increased with age of the victim until age 17, where it peaked at 79% and declined thereafter (Cooper, et al.). The sharp increase in homicides from the mid-1980’s through the early 1990’s, and much of the subsequent decline, is attributable to gun violence by teens and young adults (Cooper, et al.). From 1980 to 2008, more

In 1973, homicide was the seventh highest cause from death, but since has become the first since 1990. More than 165,000 have had a violent death between 1980 and 1990. During this decade, the homicide rate was 77.5% per 100,000 people. In comparison, the United States has been regarded as a violent country, but yet the homicide rate was only 8.0%. Contributing to this violence in Colombia is the possession of firearms. Colombians possess more than three million firearms, and more than half is possessed illegally.