The Student Murders in Idaho Highlight the Unimpressive Police Record on Violent Crime
crime
12/07/2022Ryan McMaken
Listen to the Audio Mises Wire version of this article.
It's been three weeks since four students at the University of Idaho were stabbed to death at a home in Moscow, Idaho, and law enforcement officers say they have no suspect. In the early hours of November 13, three women and one man were murdered in an off-campus home where two other roommates were also sleeping. Yet, somehow the killer or killers managed to escape the premises without being seen or even waking the other roommates.
The small local police department in the city of approximately 25,000 people now reports it is being assisted by 48 FBI investigators plus 13 investigators from the state police. Yet, in spite of all this extra spending and staffing, the police department has reported no breakthroughs in the investigation.
The investigation has also been marred by alarmingly incoherent attempts to address public safety in the community following the homicides. Immediately after the homicide took place, for instance, police spokesmen confidently claimed the public was not at risk, even though the killer or killers were at large. Perhaps in an effort to make themselves seem competent, police claimed they were sure the victims were specifically "targeted" and the murderer was—for some reason—absolutely no threat to others. Only a day later, however, the police admitted they don't know if the victims were specifically targeted or if the crime was somehow a random act. Weeks later, the police still don't know, and more skeptical students have been taking steps to arm themselves and secure their homes from intruders. Fear runs so high that the University of Idaho campus is reportedly "half empty."
The parent of one victim has noted "we're angry" about law enforcement's lack of progress. The parent of another victim has turned to a private investigator.
https://mises.org/wire/student-murders-idaho-highlight-unimpressive-police-record-violent-crime
