D.C. Chief Sees No Drop in Killings Until Drugs Are Curbed: [FINAL Edition]
Horwitz, Sari. The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. [Washington, D.C]27 Oct 1988: a11.
D.C. Police Chief Maurice T. Turner Jr., for the second time this year, stepped before a sea of microphones and television cameras yesterday to talk about one of his department's most critical problems: the District's escalating homicide rate.
The city is on the verge of breaking its homicide record for one year, with 286 killings, just one short of the record set in 1969.
Police officials estimate that 60 percent of all killings in the District this year are drug-related. The latest slaying, which occurred last night in Southeast, also was believed to be tied to drugs.
"The police alone cannot solve the drug problem," Turner said. "Any society whose appetite for illicit narcotics cannot be satisfied, must suffer the consequences of eroding morality and deteriorating values which result in alarming increases in violent crime."
"Until . . . society can curb that hunger, we will not experience a reversal in this alarming spiral of drug-related homicides," he said.
Turner called on the federal government to embargo trade with countries tied to the cocaine trade, and urged "hard-core addicts" and "casual users" to stop using drugs.
"This department has done its utmost to stem the flow of drugs," said Turner. "But, under the Reagan administration, not enough is being done about interdiction."
Gary Hankins, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police labor committee, took issue with Turner's remarks.
Hankins said that the police department could do more to fight crime, but it is desperately short of officers and resources.
He sharply criticized Mayor Marion Barry for not allocating more manpower and funds for public safety.
Barry said recently that he will not authorize the hiring of 200 more police officers because the D.C. Council has not provided the money to hire them.
"The mayor should quit giving lip service to how tough we are on crime when we have 1,300 officers less than we did 10 years ago, and this is one of the worst crime epidemics the city has ever seen," Hankins said.
At its peak, the police force had about 5,100 officers; the department is now authorized to hire 3,880.
Turner said many of the city's killings are the result of criminal groups trying to carve up the city into their own territories, and he pointed to the increase of violent crime in other cities when crack, a cocaine derivative, was first introduced. "We can't prevent homicide," Turner said. "Our job is {law} enforcement. And this department is locking up record numbers of people. We will continue to lock people up."
For the first eight months of 1987 and 1988, 16,000 people were arrested in the District on drug-related charges, compared with 13,516 during the same period in the two previous years.
Aaron Settles, of 1369 Savannah Street SE, became the District's 286th homicide victim when he was found fatally shot in the head about 10:30 p.m. at 15th Place and Congress Place SE.
Police said Settles, 31, was clutching a plastic bag containing powder that was thought to be cocaine.
Police said they had no suspect in the case.
Horwitz, Sari. The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. [Washington, D.C]27 Oct 1988: a11.
D.C. Police Chief Maurice T. Turner Jr., for the second time this year, stepped before a sea of microphones and television cameras yesterday to talk about one of his department's most critical problems: the District's escalating homicide rate.
The city is on the verge of breaking its homicide record for one year, with 286 killings, just one short of the record set in 1969.
Police officials estimate that 60 percent of all killings in the District this year are drug-related. The latest slaying, which occurred last night in Southeast, also was believed to be tied to drugs.
"The police alone cannot solve the drug problem," Turner said. "Any society whose appetite for illicit narcotics cannot be satisfied, must suffer the consequences of eroding morality and deteriorating values which result in alarming increases in violent crime."
"Until . . . society can curb that hunger, we will not experience a reversal in this alarming spiral of drug-related homicides," he said.
Turner called on the federal government to embargo trade with countries tied to the cocaine trade, and urged "hard-core addicts" and "casual users" to stop using drugs.
"This department has done its utmost to stem the flow of drugs," said Turner. "But, under the Reagan administration, not enough is being done about interdiction."
Gary Hankins, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police labor committee, took issue with Turner's remarks.
Hankins said that the police department could do more to fight crime, but it is desperately short of officers and resources.
He sharply criticized Mayor Marion Barry for not allocating more manpower and funds for public safety.
Barry said recently that he will not authorize the hiring of 200 more police officers because the D.C. Council has not provided the money to hire them.
"The mayor should quit giving lip service to how tough we are on crime when we have 1,300 officers less than we did 10 years ago, and this is one of the worst crime epidemics the city has ever seen," Hankins said.
At its peak, the police force had about 5,100 officers; the department is now authorized to hire 3,880.
Turner said many of the city's killings are the result of criminal groups trying to carve up the city into their own territories, and he pointed to the increase of violent crime in other cities when crack, a cocaine derivative, was first introduced. "We can't prevent homicide," Turner said. "Our job is {law} enforcement. And this department is locking up record numbers of people. We will continue to lock people up."
For the first eight months of 1987 and 1988, 16,000 people were arrested in the District on drug-related charges, compared with 13,516 during the same period in the two previous years.
Aaron Settles, of 1369 Savannah Street SE, became the District's 286th homicide victim when he was found fatally shot in the head about 10:30 p.m. at 15th Place and Congress Place SE.
Police said Settles, 31, was clutching a plastic bag containing powder that was thought to be cocaine.
Police said they had no suspect in the case.
D.C. Chief Sees No Drop in Killings Until Drugs Are Curbed: [FINAL Edition]
Horwitz, Sari. The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. [Washington, D.C]27 Oct 1988: a11.
D.C. Police Chief Maurice T. Turner Jr., for the second time this year, stepped before a sea of microphones and television cameras yesterday to talk about one of his department's most critical problems: the District's escalating homicide rate.
The city is on the verge of breaking its homicide record for one year, with 286 killings, just one short of the record set in 1969.
Police officials estimate that 60 percent of all killings in the District this year are drug-related. The latest slaying, which occurred last night in Southeast, also was believed to be tied to drugs.
"The police alone cannot solve the drug problem," Turner said. "Any society whose appetite for illicit narcotics cannot be satisfied, must suffer the consequences of eroding morality and deteriorating values which result in alarming increases in violent crime."
"Until . . . society can curb that hunger, we will not experience a reversal in this alarming spiral of drug-related homicides," he said.
Turner called on the federal government to embargo trade with countries tied to the cocaine trade, and urged "hard-core addicts" and "casual users" to stop using drugs.
"This department has done its utmost to stem the flow of drugs," said Turner. "But, under the Reagan administration, not enough is being done about interdiction."
Gary Hankins, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police labor committee, took issue with Turner's remarks.
Hankins said that the police department could do more to fight crime, but it is desperately short of officers and resources.
He sharply criticized Mayor Marion Barry for not allocating more manpower and funds for public safety.
Barry said recently that he will not authorize the hiring of 200 more police officers because the D.C. Council has not provided the money to hire them.
"The mayor should quit giving lip service to how tough we are on crime when we have 1,300 officers less than we did 10 years ago, and this is one of the worst crime epidemics the city has ever seen," Hankins said.
At its peak, the police force had about 5,100 officers; the department is now authorized to hire 3,880.
Turner said many of the city's killings are the result of criminal groups trying to carve up the city into their own territories, and he pointed to the increase of violent crime in other cities when crack, a cocaine derivative, was first introduced. "We can't prevent homicide," Turner said. "Our job is {law} enforcement. And this department is locking up record numbers of people. We will continue to lock people up."
For the first eight months of 1987 and 1988, 16,000 people were arrested in the District on drug-related charges, compared with 13,516 during the same period in the two previous years.
Aaron Settles, of 1369 Savannah Street SE, became the District's 286th homicide victim when he was found fatally shot in the head about 10:30 p.m. at 15th Place and Congress Place SE.
Police said Settles, 31, was clutching a plastic bag containing powder that was thought to be cocaine.
Police said they had no suspect in the case.
Horwitz, Sari. The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. [Washington, D.C]27 Oct 1988: a11.
D.C. Police Chief Maurice T. Turner Jr., for the second time this year, stepped before a sea of microphones and television cameras yesterday to talk about one of his department's most critical problems: the District's escalating homicide rate.
The city is on the verge of breaking its homicide record for one year, with 286 killings, just one short of the record set in 1969.
Police officials estimate that 60 percent of all killings in the District this year are drug-related. The latest slaying, which occurred last night in Southeast, also was believed to be tied to drugs.
"The police alone cannot solve the drug problem," Turner said. "Any society whose appetite for illicit narcotics cannot be satisfied, must suffer the consequences of eroding morality and deteriorating values which result in alarming increases in violent crime."
"Until . . . society can curb that hunger, we will not experience a reversal in this alarming spiral of drug-related homicides," he said.
Turner called on the federal government to embargo trade with countries tied to the cocaine trade, and urged "hard-core addicts" and "casual users" to stop using drugs.
"This department has done its utmost to stem the flow of drugs," said Turner. "But, under the Reagan administration, not enough is being done about interdiction."
Gary Hankins, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police labor committee, took issue with Turner's remarks.
Hankins said that the police department could do more to fight crime, but it is desperately short of officers and resources.
He sharply criticized Mayor Marion Barry for not allocating more manpower and funds for public safety.
Barry said recently that he will not authorize the hiring of 200 more police officers because the D.C. Council has not provided the money to hire them.
"The mayor should quit giving lip service to how tough we are on crime when we have 1,300 officers less than we did 10 years ago, and this is one of the worst crime epidemics the city has ever seen," Hankins said.
At its peak, the police force had about 5,100 officers; the department is now authorized to hire 3,880.
Turner said many of the city's killings are the result of criminal groups trying to carve up the city into their own territories, and he pointed to the increase of violent crime in other cities when crack, a cocaine derivative, was first introduced. "We can't prevent homicide," Turner said. "Our job is {law} enforcement. And this department is locking up record numbers of people. We will continue to lock people up."
For the first eight months of 1987 and 1988, 16,000 people were arrested in the District on drug-related charges, compared with 13,516 during the same period in the two previous years.
Aaron Settles, of 1369 Savannah Street SE, became the District's 286th homicide victim when he was found fatally shot in the head about 10:30 p.m. at 15th Place and Congress Place SE.
Police said Settles, 31, was clutching a plastic bag containing powder that was thought to be cocaine.
Police said they had no suspect in the case.
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