Advertisement
America’s ‘murder capital’ which was plagued by 42 killings per 2.5 miles in 1992 has experienced a huge transformation, with zero homicides recorded last year. Police in California’s East Palo Alto have radically revamped their approach to tackling poverty and crime over the past 30 years, with jaw-dropping results.
East Palo Alto became notorious for spiraling gang violence in the 1980s and 1990s – thanks to a crack epidemic and a police force riddled with corruption. The Bay Area city reached a bleak record in 1992, when it was convulsed by 42 murders among a population of just 24,000 – the highest rate per capita in the US that year.
But on New Year’s Day this year, the city’s Chief of Police announced the ‘momentous milestone’ of not a single murder recorded among its now 29,000-strong population in 2023. ‘The East Palo Alto community, once marked by adversity, has triumphed with zero murders this past year,’ said Police Chief Jimmy Liu. ‘Your collective commitment to safety and unity has transformed our city, evolving from the challenges of 1992 when we faced 42 murders, to now, a community that stands resilient and stronger than ever. I extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable partnership in fostering a safer and thriving East Palo Alto. This achievement is a testament to the power of community, and I am proud to share in this success with all of you.’
Liu, who took the reigns in early 2023, credits a mix of increasing local initiatives in churches and educational institutions along with a community-based policing approach for the city’s transformation. An explosion of development in the early 2000’s both within the city and in surrounding Silicon Valley also fueled its flourishing. East Palo Alto’s crime problem began with the growth of gang culture in the early 1980s, thanks to a combination of under-funding and a crack epidemic particularly among the predominantly African American population, according to San Mateo County.
The area experienced ‘erratic growth and frequent conflict, particularly between different ethnicities’, the county’s website says. Coupled with a corrupt police force, this created a breakdown between residents and law enforcement. But things began to change at the turn of the millennium, when East Palo Alto Police Department was revamped with a community-based approach. A succession of mayors and police chiefs fostered better relations with locals, while federal agencies cracked down on gangs, and violent crime was gradually driven down.
The city’s popular Four Seasons Hotel and corporate office buildings gradually replaced old run-down liquor stores. By 2017, violent crime had dropped more than 60 percent from 1990 levels and murders had fallen from 42 in 1992 to just one – a decrease of more than 97 percent. But its not all sunshine and rainbows in the west coast city wedged between San Francisco and Palo Alto, as gentrification brought new problems.
The median house price has rocketed to almost $1 million by the end of 2023 according to Redfin data – an increase of 26.8 percent over just one year – which has driven some residents out. But Police Chief Liu said even despite this dizzying transformation, the city’s reputation is still marred by its violent history.
Speaking about its title as ‘murder capital’ of decades past, he told CBS : ‘Even when I’m in different areas of the state, you know you say, “I work in East Palo Alto.” And people say ‘Oh!’ Because they think it’s dangerous. After so many years of carrying that label around, to reach zero murders for the 2023 year, that’s just the hugest community accomplishment possible.’ ‘Everyone’s been working through this or working towards this for so many years,’ he added. ‘That’s why I say it’s a community celebration right now.’ Read the full story:
Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page here and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
