24 JUL 07: THE SUMMER OF BLOOD

No, our title's not a mistake. Yes, I know the "Summer of Love" tour of old rock bands performed at the Columbus Civic Center the other night -- though skeptics would look at the number of sexually transmitted diseases, and say the price of "free love" is not free.

Our title is based on new numbers revealed during the Monday evening news. They confirm violent crime is up substantially in Columbus so far this year -- even though police pay is up, public safety job openings are down and a former police chief is now mayor. It's as if all the criminals are trying to become Iraqi insurgents.

From January to June, Columbus Police handed 11 murder cases. That's four more than the first half of last year -- and that doesn't count the two homicides at the Cross Creek Apartments over the weekend. Sad to say, one of those victims should make all baseball announcers think twice before using the phrase "twin killing."

But the police numbers go beyond a rise in the murder count. Robberies in Columbus are up 20 percent from the first half of last year, and aggravated assaults are up more than 37 percent. So if you don't carry any money with you to avoid getting robbed, you're even more likely to be mugged.

What's the reason for this surge in the crime rate? Columbus Police officers tried to blame some of it on an increase in gang activity. If you see a spray-painted pitchfork on a building, it's probably NOT from an illegal immigrant seeking a farming job.

But other people in Columbus are putting the blame elsewhere - and starting at the top. I've actually read one e-mail calling on Mayor Jim Wetherington to resign. It's as if they expect him to patrol dangerous street corners late at night - or at least the family members he showed in campaign pictures.

It's as if some voters were naive enough to think electing a former police chief would automatically bring a big crackdown on crime, or scare all the criminals to the surrounding counties. After all, most Presidents don't start claiming victory for their agendas until at least their year in office.

I'd like to think the Columbus Police Department is investigating crimes as hard as ever. WRBL showed a C.S.I. unit at work Monday night - and the only disappointment for me was that none of the local scientists were as gorgeous as Emily Procter.

The real issue in all of this appears to be crime prevention. The community events calendar in The Courier's latest issue shows Columbus Police have scheduled "Crime Prevention Day" for the last Saturday in October. Can we reschedule some officers' vacations, to move that up a little bit?

BLOG UPDATE: Meanwhile, the Columbus NAACP is busy handling what it considers a crime from four years ago. Officials announced Monday they're still working for justice in the killing of Kenneth Walker. I hope they enjoy their upcoming trip to the World Court in the Netherlands.

Columbus NAACP President Bill Madison tried to move beyond the shots fired by David Glisson in 2003 - saying a grand jury should have indicted not only him, but the entire Muscogee County Sheriff's Department. So deputies on duty at the jail are to blame for a traffic stop on Interstate 185?! The patrol cars can't hurry down Macon Road to the interstate quite that fast....

Bill Madison also called for an investigation of the Metro Narcotics Task Force. David Glisson's attorney suggested the NAACP was again trying to make race an issue - but hold on a minute. Kenneth Walker was killed long before police officer Byron Hickey started hearing insults and slurs.

In the eyes of Bill Madison, the Kenneth Walker case is simple. The NAACP President told WRBL: "A man is dead, without due process of law." Perhaps this retired member of the military will demand lawsuits against Iraqi insurgents next.

These topics admittedly have been rather heavy, so let's see if Monday's other news brought anything lighter:

+ Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones was zapped with an electric shock device for five seconds. Area civil rights leaders were stunned by this news, in a different way - because some of them wanted an invitation to pull the trigger.

(Sheriff Jay Jones says he took the Taser for a five count to show the device is safe for law officers to use. OK, if you say so - but I won't be absolutely sure until I see that "Does It Work" reporter on TV try it.)

+ The Associated Press reported the swimming pool at the Alabama Governor's Mansion is being renovated. I didn't realize until I read this story that the pool is shaped like the state of Alabama. Hopefully no politicians have bellies so big that they've become stuck in Mobile....

+ The National Football League ordered Michael Vick NOT to report to the Atlanta Falcons training camp, because of the dogfighting charges against him. Somewhere Terrell Owens is wondering why the league didn't give him that treatment, when he wanted a new contract.

(Dozens of animal rights supporters protested outside the Atlanta Falcons' headquarters Monday. Their main goal was for the team to release Michael Vick - although I think a few also want the team logo changed, to show an old Ford Falcon car.)

+ Media blogs in New York reported the "Weekly World News" is going out of business. This is the tabloid that declared Georgia's Sam Nunn a "space alien," when he was a U.S. Senator. [True!] Time has proven that was NOT accurate - he was simply a conservative Democrat, well ahead of his time.

(It was Weekly World News columnist Ed Anger who responded to the fuss over Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore by urging everyone to display the Ten Commandments on their front lawns. Sad to say, people in some parts of Columbus would have overlooked the stealing commandment....)

+ Instant Message to all our loyal readers: The U.S. minimum wage goes up 70 cents today, to $5.85 an hour. If each of you sent only ONE hour's pay to this blog each week.... well, I wouldn't be nearly as tempted to drive to Biloxi and try playing poker in a casino.

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