EDITORIAL: Turning around a deadly year

Twenty-one homicides. And it’s not even Halloween yet.

It’s a difficult thing to wrap your mind around, this year that started out with violent weather that has given way to violence by people against other people.

We’re at 21, and we’re just now heading into what many consider the most stressful time of the year, the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

This is the second year in a row that the murder rate in Albany has been up. Fifteen in 2016 were bad enough, but this new level has people looking back 29 years to the year Albany — actually, metro Albany comprising Dougherty and Lee counties — was dubbed the murder capital of the nation because of the per capita homicide rate. While New York dwarfed metro Albany in total homicides, the 29 in Dougherty and Lee that year gave us the dubious distinction of having the most homicides per 100,000 population. Metro Albany’s per capita murder rate was 24.1, compared to New York’s 22.7, though New York City’s raw murder number was 3,577.

The question we hear, and the question we find ourselves asking, is why?

Why are there so many homicides this year? Why were there so many last year? Since 2000, this is the seventh year that Albany has reached double-digits in homicides, with the low for that 17-year period coming in 2012 when there were four. It may be telling that during that stretch, all seven of the years with 10 or more have occurred in the last 11, including now three of the last four.

But what is really different in 2016 or this year than 2012?

There has been no end of suggestions as to why the violence has increased, nor quick fixes to stop it. Many are placing the blame on the police and local officials.

That, perhaps, allows a person to sleep better, believing the blame can be laid at the feet of someone wearing a badge or a government official. While there are steps that can be taken, such as more intense patrolling in problem areas and crackdowns on gangs that foster violence, there’s a limit to what a police officer can do. No one has the ability of looking into another person’s mind and knowing he or she is about to commit a violent act.

The answer, however, is not simple, and it involves each of us. We all have to look in the mirror and ask what we as individuals and a community can do.

On a personal level, we can be observant and active. Many violent crimes start within families. If you know of someone in a tense relationship, offer what help you can. If you know of someone who’s being victimized in an abusive relationship, report it.

If you see someone acting suspiciously, report it. Get involved in a neighborhood watch and, if there’s not one where you live, help form one. It’s even as simple as this — if you’re called to jury duty, don’t try to get out of it. Serve and help justice be properly and fairly served.

On a larger scale, look for things that can be done to help the local jobs picture and local schools. Education and a steady paycheck go a long way toward improving a person’s outlook. A future that looks bright is less likely to get thrown away in the heat of a moment.

Perhaps most importantly, reduce your own exposure. There is no such thing as 100 percent safe, but you can improve your chance of not becoming a victim. If you’re in an abusive relationship, get out of it. If you get into an argument, walk away from it. If you’re at a place you know you shouldn’t be, leave. If you’re feeling frustrated and angry, find a doctor or counselor to help you.

If nothing else, be nice to others, even if they do something that makes you angry.

On Thursday, 21 hearses will travel down Pine Avenue to the Government Center for a rally against deadly violence, an event designed to raise awareness and encourage people to speak out. Let’s hope this is a turning point for the community. This problem is all of ours. It’s going to take all of us to turn it around.