Tag Archives: 2015

FBI report expected to show violent crime rise in some U.S. cities

Phone banks of the FBI

By Julia Harte

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Violent crime in certain big U.S. cities in 2015 likely increased over 2014, although the overall crime rate has remained far below peak levels of the early 1990s, experts said, in advance of the FBI’s annual crime report to be released later on Monday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s report was expected to show a one-year increase in homicides and other violent crimes in cities including Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., based on already published crime statistics.

Coming on the day of the first presidential campaign debate between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, the report could “be turned into political football,” said Robert Smith, a research fellow at Harvard Law School, in a teleconference on Friday with other crime experts.

A rise in violent crime in U.S. cities since 2014 has already been revealed in preliminary 2015 figures released by the FBI in January.

A recent U.S. Justice Department-funded study examined the nation’s 56 largest cities and found 16.8 percent more murders last year over 2014.

Trump last week praised aggressive policing tactics, including the “stop-and-frisk” approach.

Clinton has pushed for stricter gun control to help curb violence and has called for the development of national guidelines on the use of force by police officers.

FBI Director James Comey warned last year that violent crime in the United States might rise because increased scrutiny of policing tactics had created a “chill wind” that discouraged police officers from aggressively fighting crime.

Increased crime has been concentrated in segregated and impoverished neighborhoods of big cities. Experts said in such areas crime can best be fought through better community policing and alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent crime.

“We’re just beginning to see a shift in mentality in law enforcement from a warrior mentality … to a guardian mentality,” said Carter Stewart, a former prosecutor for the Southern District of Ohio, on the teleconference. “I don’t want us as a country to go backwards.”

In Chicago, 54 more people were murdered in 2015 than the year before, a 13 percent jump in the city’s murder rate, according to an April study by New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice.

(Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Matthew Lewis)

2015 Word from the Lord (Pt. 2)

Boots on the Ground

This New Year is the time to dress up in righteousness, put your “glad rags” on and be prepared to preach and minister the word of the Lord. It’s also time to put some “boots on the ground,” dig ditches and help build what God wants to build for the days ahead. Morningside is a place of safety and a refuge for the last days. We need to be ready.

A recent guest on our program said, “Everything could change in a day. A Mega-quake may actually be the first domino that will push us into the tribulation period.”

Spiritual warfare is at the door. The church has got to have their boots on – we have to be ready to do some work! Christian soldiers need to have “boots on the ground.” Continue reading →

Healthy Choices in 2015

Healthy choices in nutrition and lifestyle is something that all of us can learn to make. It’s not too late for you to learn, no matter what your age!  Jim and I started making healthy choices a few years back, and I can truthfully say that we have never felt better! We hope to inspire others to get started on a healthy course. It’s a perfect time for you to make a change!  In fact, getting healthy in 2015 is very achievable!

The greatest challenge is just getting started! Continue reading →

2015 Word of the Lord

Seeking the Lord for a word for the new year is always a very serious pursuit and this year is even more crucial as we see the “red lights of prophecy” flashing all around us and God’s plan unfolding at breakneck speed. The Lord began to speak to me while we were in Israel, and the word that I give to you I sincerely pray will resonate with your spirit and cause you to be more prepared for these times we see looming on the horizon. Remember that in the midst of all the turmoil there is a promise of His Return and that is cause for great rejoicing! Continue reading →

The Year Ahead

As we look forward to the New Year of 2015 we realize that there is nothing more important than our health; physically, mentally and more importantly, spiritually.   After all . . . what will we be able to do for the Lord if we cannot face each new day with energy and the strength to accomplish what He has set before us?

This past year has been a rough one for me; however it is the joy of the Lord that is my strength! I have determined in my heart of hearts that this year will be a better one for all who are following the Lord Jesus and are led by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Continue reading →