The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • A4

CCI 1ST SECTION, ZONE: OPINION, DURHAM 17:7:25 4A Sunday, September 28, 2014 The Durham OPINION When you live in Durham, crime and the fear of it are never far from your mind. Thus, Deputy Police Chief Larry recent report to the City Council on crime in the first half of 2014 was not exactly a surprise: More rapes, assaults and robber- ies. Only homicides declined from the same period in 2013. Not exactly a surprise, but nonetheless disappointing, for Durham had been bask- ing in a dip in crime. And hope that the city recovers that momentum, because it has a perception to overcome not only in North Carolina, but also the nation.

A surfeit of good eateries amid a downtown renaissance do it alone. The Internet has upended how America accesses information. No matter where you are, now possible to see a city like Durham from the inside out just by typing NC into search box. No site seems to agree totally with the others, but all spew out numbers putting Durham outside the norm on crime. One site that struck me as more reliable than others is Areavibes.com, which eval- uates everything from neighborhoods to entire cities.

The statistics are based on 2012 data, usually the latest that you can find. Whether you accept statisti- cal portrait of Durham or not, the data cre- ate a portrait of the city that is, to be blunt about it, unpleasant to read. For example, Areavibes reports 738 vio- lent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants (a standard statistical measure), more than twice as many as for North Carolina. The figures for property crimes per 100,000 here were 4,874, compared to 3,370 for the state, which in turn was high- er than the nation. In personal terms, Areavibe says Dur- ham is safer than 6.1 percent of cities (other sites say 7 percent), in part because the city has 2.6 police officers per 1,000 residents compared to 3.9 for the state.

What does all this mean for you and yours? Areavibe distills the stats for being a vic- tim of violent crime here to one in 136. The probability of property crime in one in 21. Other crime stats matter little. Crime, like politics, is local. What happens in your neighborhood or to you forms an indelible imprint of the city as a whole.

A caveat regarding crime stats reported by outfits such as Areavibe and Neighbor- hood Scout.com: Zip code 27517, the in southwestern Durham County, is actually a Chapel Hill address. I find out whether Areavibe in- cludes crime stats for 27517, but Neigh- borhood.com The crime rate in 27517 is fairly low, so it likely would have a minor impact on overall statis- tics. Ground zero Anyone who has lived in Durham long enough to know the city can pinpoint where most violent crime, and much prop- erty crime, occurs: Northeast Central Dur- ham. This quadrant is ground zero for black- on-black crime, home base for violent gangs adept at drive-by shootings, and the realm of the poorest in Durham. Under Mayor Bill Bell, the city is making another attempt to get a grip on Northeast Central Durham.

The boots on the ground are working their way through the most impoverished census tract, collect- ing data for an action plan. This may be the equivalent of juggling Jell-O, but wish the effort well. far better to do something instead of noth- ing. The something is getting Northeast Central Durham out of poverty, and the only way to do it is with jobs. There, crime is real and immediate not a perception.

But for those outside Durham, this is where their perception of the city originates, cold and unforgiving, in statistics. Bob Wilson lives in southwest Durham. Crime confounds renaissance Commentary Bob Wilson Other Views RALEIGH Gov. Pat crisscrossed the state last to promote his 25-year tr tation vision. It was lar ceived favorably wher went, even from editorial writer and others who like to criticize the Republican head of st But when the General Assem- bly comes back to work in ear 2015, McCrory will have to criss- cross the halls of the Legisla Building to garner support if he wants money to realize sion.

And building leg support for his goals ha ways been easy for the fir leader (see Julie White, a lobbyist and ecutive director of the ropolitan Mayors Coalition, told the News Observer she lik plan becaus compasses all modes of tr tation, from roads and bridg trains and public transport real question going to pay for White said. the money to come Great question. Flying around the build support for a glossy plan complete with a flashy, 7-minute video is easy. Convincing publicans who control the legis- lature and abhor tax spending increases that billions of dollars for anything is not. Anyone followe portation issues in North Car na knows that the lack quate funding for roads, bridg ports, railroads, bike pa public transportation been a sore topic among Depart- ment of Transportation and transportation pl Needs are well-documented, but many proposed funding options easy to stomach political- ly.

Billion-dollar bond McCrory plans to make mendations on how to pa vision to the 2015 Gen sembly. Last week, he ga tle but not much insight into that strategy. One thing he plans seek legislative support billion state transportation bond to take advantage of low inter rates to help get additional tr at i ro ground. That would mak dent in projected funding $86 billion to $148 bil 2040. Gas tax revenues th source of transportation funding in North Carolina aren ing up with needs as vehicles be- come more fuel-efficient same time, constructio are rising and more people ar moving to the state, more stress on transporta frastructure.

One revenue opt io charge drivers based on ho ny miles they drive, with truck drivers paying more because of the greater damage the cles inflict on roadways. Other options identifi recent study for the DOT include tolling more highways and con- gestion pricing where motori- sts pay for using special lanes a peak times. Another possibility is a surcharge added to auto in- surance bills. All of the options are contr versial, which is probably why lit- tle has been done to replace or supplement the gas tax to da decision A recent report from the Insti- tute for Transportation and Education at N.C. St versity noted that raisi money for roads bold decision making and swift And probably an understatement.

In his first two years, McCr has done little to cement a last- ing legacy. Perhaps history will remember him as the tation But he has much convincing to do first. Patrick Gannon is the editor of the NC Insider News Service. Finding the mone McCrory tough se NC Insider Patrick Gannon THEDURHAMNEWS A PUBLICATION OF THE NEWS AND OBSERVER PUBLISH- ING COMPANY AND THE MCCLATCHY COMPANY Published on Wednesday and Sunday by The Durham News 505 W. Franklin Chapel Hill, NC 27516, 919-932-2000 For Circulation, call 919-687-0207 thedurhamnews.com Mark Schultz, Editor, 919-932-2003, Jim Wise, Staff Writer, 919-932-2004, Harry Lynch, Staff Photographer, 919-932-2006, Mark Alston, Advertising Director, 919-836-5630, Sean Circulation, 919-932-8757, All advertising copy is subject to acceptance by the publisher, who reserves the right to revise, Your Letters note: Mary column in which she expresses fears for her black safety based on the way he dresses, continues to generate discussion.

Carey wrote in part that when her son leaves for college she will tell him: your pants sag and your hat is crooked on your head, people will judge you harshly. They want a simple world where bad people dress a certain way and they have to consider each person as an individual. If the police pull you over, turn the car off, take your hat and sunglasses off, and put your hands on the door. Say and Stay quiet and do what he says. If he hits you, do not hit back.

When you get to the police station you will call us and we will take it from there. We will take care of Column touches maternal heart I know Mary Carey and her amazing Saggy Pants son and I worry about his safety too (DN, bit.ly/1yoCEIa). I am ashamed to say that it has taken a white mother I know of a black young man I care about to really bring this deep and profound issue of hu- man rights home to me and it has hit me right in the middle of my maternal heart. Lately there is so much in the news about the impact of not enough female voices being heard in the NFL, Congress and campus sexual assaults to mention just a few. The safety of all sons is an issue I hope we can rally round.

Thank you, Mary Carey, for your beautiful and thought- filled essay. It is a real wake-up call for the mother in us all. Sally Maslansky Chapel Hill Observations heartbreaking I read Mary article, over the week- end. It touched me so that I de- cided I needed to write this let- ter and perhaps change the per- ception so many have when they see a young black man with saggy pants! Mary has a firsthand experi- ence of what it means to be the mother of a young black man she also has a white son just a year younger and the obser- vations made about the differ- ence in perception of these two brothers must be startling and heartbreaking! There is much in the media about profiling, and for the suburban her latte at I am not sure there is ever malicious in- tent when judging a kid it is this profile that we are used to seeing and reading about. It is often not until after a tragic death that we realize the young man was a good student, loving thought- ful son and more! I have more questions than answers about this situation, but I am hopeful that ar- ticle made us more aware that we should NOT be so quick to judge every book by its cover! Gwen McWilliams Chapel Hill pluses and minuses Profiling is a way of life.

As much as ibera idea i sm preaches it is it has a place to be put to good use. Profiling is math, statis- tics and both can be used for good and bad. Unfortunately the profile the son chooses to associate his ap- pearance with has a long nega- tive record. I did not create it. We profile and make assump- tions nearly every five minutes when we are out of our houses.

It generally keeps us out of trouble, but not always. I learned the hard way whom not to hang out with growing up. I learned to profile then I learned that profiling does not always work as the had some bad in it as well. But for the most part the paradigm I created (we all create) does a great job of keeping us out of trouble in social settings, on the highway, walking down the street. The worst thing we can do as a society is to act as if this tech- nique is wrong; the second worst thing is to teach that it is wrong.

Bad people with bad habits and particular patterns will always be with us. If citizens of society embrace a characteristic that makes them outwardly indis- tinguishable from the or be that is their choice. But they better be ready for the choices others make on account of historical perception. It is what keeps us safe, and no one needs to be chastised for trying to do that. Chris Weaver via Facebook Who is more dangerous? I believe the investment bankers that gutted the econo- my of our nation all had their shirts tucked in, and their ties on straight.

Dressing neatly hides the sociopaths quite well. So, who is actually more dan- gerous to our country the street corner kid in slouchy pants smoking a joint or the BP oil executive? One judge a book by its cover, and, even if profiling ex- ists, the consequences have proven to be a disaster for young black males. It has been proven that blacks and whites use illicit drugs at about the same rate, but far more young black men end up in prison than young white men. In light of the multiple police shootings of black youth in many states, it time we stopped, and thought about the consequenc- es of our actions? Mary Sonis Carrboro Tillis Ignorance Tax Gene recent op-ed regarding why North Carolina a i a i be any clearer bit.ly/1tXClxj). The regressive and mean-spirited political ac- tions by Speaker Tillis and Gov.

McCrory blocking expan- sion in hopes to secure votes this November is reminiscent of the politics of George Wal- lace. The moral imperative of sav- ing thousands of our neigh- lives that are now dying shows that you truly value life. Denying access to health care to 500,000 North Carolina citi- zens who are our waiters and waitresses, who look after our children and provide other val- uable services is reprehensible. The economic imperative is also a no-brainer. Other states have reported saving hundreds of millions of dollars, stopping hospitals from closing that af- fects us all, finally ending the $1,000 per family cost-shifting hidden tax (higher insurance premiums to pay for uncom- pensated care), and the eco- nomic benefit list goes on.

This cost-shifting tax should now be called the Tillis Ignorance Tax. We all remember the picture of Gov. Wallace standing in the doorway of public schools de- nying educational access. Now we have a new picture: Speaker Tillis and Gov. McCrory stand- ing in the doorway of public hospitals blocking access to 500,000 North Carolinians.

Shame on you! Jim Duffett The writer for 26 years was the executive director of largest health care coalition, Campaign for Better Health Care. Tillis out of touch If the first senatorial debate between U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan and N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis had been Gong moderator Norah would have played a judge.

But instead of gonging Tillis, she would have merciful- ly put him, and us, out of mi- sery by handing him the mallet, ushering him back to the judg- table and allowing him the honor of doing himself in. When given the opportunity to answer accusation of his denying Medicaid expan- sion to 500,000 desperate North Carolinians with the re- percussive effect of wiping out North Carolina community hospitals, rather than man-up and at least try to defend the in- defensible, Tillis blathered on about role in destabi- lizing 250 million Americans who were happy with their health insurance. How does filing bankruptcy to ward off creditors because a junk insurance policy cover the flood of medical bills make anyone unless someone is a bankruptcy attorney hap- py? Maybe if Tillis had said with until they used he would have hung on a little longer. This guy is so out of touch he is not fit for rabid raccoon catcher let alone U.S. senator.

Lou Meyers Durham believe the investment bankers that gutted the economy of our nation all had their shirts tucked in, and their ties on MARY SONIS What do you think? The Durham News welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, as well as online comments on our stories. All submissions may be edited for space and clarity, and become the property of McClatchy Newspapers and The Durham News. Email submissions to.