Crimes in Urban America: The Wire Series

Urban crime is a significant issue that authorities have been trying to solve since time immemorial. For America, urban crime has become a major issue that needs an urgent solution. Every month, dozens of homicides are reported, hundreds of cases involving violent robbery, muggings break-ins, drug trafficking and money laundering and violence go unsolved. Crime has become a central theme in today's news outlets in America. This problem is so complex that law enforcement officers, working with thousands have failed to provide the solution. Many American cities and towns are ever becoming unsafe. Measures undertaken to try to root out criminal elements responsible for perpetrating the crimes in urban areas have failed to yield the desired results. Some American cities such as Baltimore have particularly been experiencing violent crimes every day. The Wire is an HBO fictional movie that has tried to explore crime in American cities through the eyes of the criminals themselves and law enforcement officers. This movie, to a great extent, reflects the reality that forces mainly young people to engage in illegal activities leading to crime.

The season 1 episode three of the series wire closely depicts many reasons why the youth involve themselves in urban crime, particularly dealing with drugs.This episode shows how the law enforcement officers face a very rough time trying to catch up with the drug traffickers. There are many barriers encountered by police officers in trying to investigate and press charges against the drug lords in the streets of Baltimore. Providing a solid solution to the chains of homicides related to the drug trafficking and multiple crimes perpetrated is, therefore, a big challenge. One of the reasons, as shown in the episode why the youths involve themselves in drug trafficking is weak economic conditions. The youths are so constrained by unemployment that they resort to dealing with drugs in exchange for cash.The drug lord, DAngelo recruits jobless and poor youth such as Wallace and Bodie Broadus to work for him.He also motivates them and rewards them with the hierarchical promotion when they successfully deliver their tasks to the letter.

The problem of youths and employment is the main compelling factor that is driving young people into crime in American urban centers today.In episode three of the first season of the wire, the perpetrators of crime, including homicides and violent shootouts with the police are the youth who work for the drug baron D'Angelo.The youth in this episode were lured into DAngelos cartel with a promise of a better life only to find themselves thrown into ever increasing crime and collisions with the law enforcement officers. It is of paramount importance that jobs are created for the youth to solve the issue of crime in urban centers, therefore,.Almost all the criminals depicted in this episode are the youth.Another factor that forces the youth into a collaboration with DAngelo in selling illegal drugs in the streets is insufficient formal education.The youth mainly involved in cases of violence such as those involved in violent robbery working for Omars Gang are mainly black who lacked formal education.

This episode also highlights the shortcomings of law enforcement officers when it comes to solving organized crime in American urban centers.There are cases of police brutality in the episode.For example, Lieutenant Cedric Daniels officers respond with severe beatings to the criminals in the tower, therefore, causing a lot of chaos in the building.Police officers.In Americas recent past, have always been accused of dealing too harshly and unlawfully with drug suspects in the urban streets.Cases of social profiling in responding to crime have always rallied many people against the police and this set to intensify crime in the urban centers.For many, police officers are regarded as brutal individuals who dispense harsh and unlawful punishments on site to the perpetrators of a crime. People, therefore, seem to keep a distance with the police for fear of intimidation. They are reluctant to give valuable evidence to the police due to lack of trust. This makes solving crime in American cities an arduous task.Authorities have taken some measures in a bid to solve this issue.For example, in this episode, the officers accused of beating the drug suspect Bodie were given warnings and restricted in their operations.The officers deny any wrongdoing since there is no evidence to show that they were involved in criminal activity at the tower.This has always been the trend when law officers are accused of mishandling crime suspects in American cities.They deny wrongdoing citing lack of evidence to prove the accusations leveled against them.To solve this challenge, law enforcement officers should be equipped with body cameras.

Witness intimidation and lack of eyewitnesses are some of the challenges encountered during the prosecution of major crimes in American cities.For example, in this episode, there are very few witnesses that come forward to testify against the notorious drug kingpin DAngelo.This does not mean there was lack of witnesses who could identify him with dealing in narcotics.People often fear for their lives.The key witness who came forward to testify against D'Angelo Barksdale changes her account and therefore DAngelo is acquitted for lack of substantial evidence to charge him.There are reports that the witness was intimidated by D'Angelo Barksdales criminal gang.The police also fail to secure informants beyond Wallace on the whereabouts of the DAngelo after he is acquitted. The informants are so few because of everybody fears for their lives should they be suspected of co-operating with the police to expose the criminal activities of the gangs. This episode reveals the fact that most of the key witnesses significant crimes are not availed the required police protection. They place their lives on the line by offering to testify against powerful criminal such as D'Angelo Barksdale. To help in solving crime, key witnesses should be protected from intimidation by criminal elements to help in making significant breakthroughs in solving urban crime in America.

Various steps should be undertaken by authorities to help in solving the crime in urban America.Such measures involve improving policing of streets and empowering officers with state of the art technologies that can help in solving the crime. In this episode, more police officers are availed in the streets of Baltimore to help in dealing with the increasing homicide cases and violence in the streets caused by narcotic deals gone sour. The investigators in this episode and law enforcement officers lack the proper technologies to help them in investigating the crime.For example, the police officers accused of beating the drug suspect Bodie are not charged since they did not have body cameras when they did the beating. Some harsher penalties should be given to those charged with crimes in urban cities in America.

Crime in urban America is a major challenge that should be solved. Increasing cases of insecurity in urban areas threaten the lives of Americans and weaken the economy of the country at large.The authorities should deal with the underlying issues that force youth into criminal activities in urban areas. Such issues include joblessness and homelessness, a lack of proper education and skills among the youth and drug addiction. The third episode of season one of The Wire succeeded in exposing the reality of criminal activities in urban America. Efficiently solving the crime is a complex process and all factors revolving around the crime should be taken into account.The drug problem is one of the leading causes of crime in urban America. Youth start abusing illegal drugs from a tender. If narcotics and contraband that perpetuate crime were dealt with more closely in urban areas, there would be major breakthroughs in the fight against crime in urban areas.The American federal government should equip the police with the latest crime investigation technologies and skills.There should be concerted efforts to improve the economic condition of the youth as this is the greatest cause of crime in urban America.