Troy King on Crime

Troy King got a lot of attention this past week when he traveled to New York and went on the Today Show to discuss charging that now infamous Alabama man who murdered his wife in Australia with a capital crime in Alabama. First, let me say that I have been really outraged by this case, and I really applauded King sending a letter to Australia criticizing the decision. I would also point out that the decision was criticized almost as fervently in Australia as it was in the United States. This man has definitely escaped justice.

Unfortunately, I think we all know the story here. Jurisdictional rules apply, and this man will not be able to be charged with murder in the state of Alabama. It's a media ploy, although a very smart one, and it gives the victim's families false hope. So, let me be clear--justice was not done in this case, and it is a tragic failure. However, attempting to try this case in Alabama is nothing more than a media ploy on the part of Troy King, and it unfortunately masks broader problems about crime in Alabama.

When I heard about Troy King's decision in this case, my first response was to do a little digging on crime in Alabama itself. Before Troy King tries to bring people to justice for crimes committed in other countries, perhaps he should make sure we are doing everything possible to solve the crimes committed here in Alabama. Well, I looked up some stats from the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center and found some really interesting things. First, the number of offenses is on the rise in Alabama. Overall criminal offenses increased 6% in 2007 and 4% in 2008. Violent crimes are on the rise as well. In 2008, there were 20,446 offenses in Alabama, up 3% from 2007. Now, that's a lot of crime. There were also 342 homicides in Alabama and 1524 cases of rape. There is another statistic, too, and that is clearance. "Clearance" is a term used to mean that there is enough evidence for an individual to be charged with a crime, and the crime is "solved." In Alabama, there were 37,525 clearance in 2008, but the rate was just 19%, meaning that some 81% of crimes didn't end with folks being charged. There was a clearance rate in 2008 of 67% for murders, which is good, but that still means that 33% of all murders in 2008 still have criminals out there getting by. Meanwhile, the clearance rate for rape was just 36%, robbery was just 32%, and burglary was actually just 11%.

I know these statistics are long, but I point them out to point out this--there are a whole lot of problems with crime right here in Alabama which need to be addressed. Our law enforcement officers are doing all they can, but they always need more support. AG King always pledges to stand for the victim, but this is why I criticize Troy King on the issue of victims.

Here is the fundamental problem--Troy King always stands with particular victims, but he never stands up with all the victims. Troy King takes a particular case, becomes interested, and these cases often happen to be the same cases that have attention in the media. He discusses that case, but he eventually moves on with the case unresolved. Let's face it--this man will not be convicted in Alabama, and the ludicrous Australia verdict will stand. The cameras will move on, and the focus will be elsewhere. Our focus as voters will be elsewhere, too.

Well, I am here to remind voters that there are crimes, every day, happening in Alabama, which need to be solved. Instead of solving them, Troy King is flying to New York and basking in the limelight. I like visiting New York--it's a fun city, and there always seems to be a tv camera in every corner. At the end of the day, though, someone needs to remind Troy King that there are real crimes, right here in Alabama, which need to be solved. That's what he was elected to do--to support our law enforcement and ultimately guarantee that justice is done for the people of Alabama. It looks like we still have some work to do, and I'm just not convinced that Troy King is up to the task. When he starts looking at the statistics, and the real problems, instead of a smattering of individual cases chosen to garner media attention, perhaps then I will start to believe.