Kern County on track to set all-time high for homicides
| Thursday, Jul 23 2009 06:56 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Jul 23 2009 06:56 PM
Homicides in recent years
2009 (to date) -- 60
2008 -- 63
2007 -- 56
2006 -- 69
2005 -- 79
2004 -- 59
The record for Kern County is 98 in 1994.
During the 1990s the county averaged 71 homicides a year.
That was up from an average of 56 per year in the 1980s.
Since 2000, Kern has averaged just under 59 per year with the highest being 79 in 2005.
Kern County is on a pace to have a record 103 homicides this year, which would pass the all time high of 98.
Police say they don't know why there are more killings.
In the city nearly 90 percent of the "unlawful" homicides have been gang killings, including two this week.
In the county, gang homicides aren't as overwhelming, accounting for less than half of the 24 total.
The rest of the homicides are spread throughout the other cities in the county.
A homicide is the killing of a person by another. It could be anything from murder to an accident.
The city has had 23 homicides, including justifiable officer involved shootings or accidental shootings. But 16 are unlawful and 14 of those -- 87.5 percent -- were gang related, Detective Mary DeGeare said.
Gangs have a history of one act of violence leading to another. Top police investigators recently said they are worried about the lack of cooperation by witnesses to solve gang killings.
When gang members lose their fear of getting caught, they are more bold in their violence, DeGeare said. If witnesses come forward, it helps reduce the bloodshed, she said.
Sheriff's homicide Sgt. Craig Rennie said his staff has been overwhelmed with the spate of killings.
"There's nothing specific (about the type of homicides)," Rennie said. "They are all over the place.
"We've had our share of gang murders, but we also have had killings over minor disputes, domestic violence and accidents."
Rennie said he couldn't say whether a depressed economy is contributing to the killings.
The summer has seen a picking up of the pace in both the city and county.
"The last couple weeks has been going crazy," Rennie said.
For example, there was a homicide a day in the first three days of this week.
"I wish I knew why," said Rennie. "It's killing me."
