Murder in the 4-0
August 4, 2016 7:46 PM Subscribe
The life and death of each person murdered this year in the 40th precinct is examined with surprising care by the New York Times, along with the surrounding issues that contribute to the 40th precinct's status as the most deadly precinct in a city where crime has fallen to historic lows.
It's not so long ago that such deaths would have been considered NHI.
posted by praemunire at 8:25 PM on August 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 8:25 PM on August 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
. . . . . .
posted by gold-in-green at 9:56 PM on August 4, 2016
posted by gold-in-green at 9:56 PM on August 4, 2016
I thought for a minute that this was the legendary "Fort Apache", but a bit of googling reveals that Fort Apache is the 41st precinct, not the 40th.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:01 PM on August 4, 2016
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:01 PM on August 4, 2016
Sorry, what is NHI?
I've been following these articles and the one about domestic violence was particularly memorable.
posted by sockermom at 10:06 AM on August 5, 2016
I've been following these articles and the one about domestic violence was particularly memorable.
posted by sockermom at 10:06 AM on August 5, 2016
sockermom: NHI explained.
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 10:31 AM on August 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 10:31 AM on August 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Fictional murder makes up 90 percent of popular entertainment. Reporting what real murder is like is what newspapers should be doing. Real murder is a great matter, I think, and has nothing to do with the entertainment version of itself, which is mainly about solving the problem of who did it.
posted by Modest House at 1:10 PM on August 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Modest House at 1:10 PM on August 5, 2016 [3 favorites]
Miko: Why "surprising?"
praemunire: It's not so long ago that such deaths would have been considered NHI.
I had to look up NHI, but yeah.
I think it's great that the NYT is doing this. Reading the articles I imagine how many interviews it must have taken to get some of the details they get (I am not a journalist and could be wrong, but that's how it seems). An argument could be made that at least some of these deaths are caused by societal neglect - for instance, the woman who was killed by a mentally ill, poor neighbor.
If his poverty were addressed, he would have the resources to treat his mental illness. If his mental illness were addressed, he would likely not have imagined that she was a threat and killed her.
To me there's a certain irony - she indirectly dies of neglect because his life and well-being weren't important to the world in which they live - but now, briefly, when it's too late, the details of their lives and the murder are lavished with care and absorbed by thousands, maybe millions.
Maybe I'm not saying this well. I'm definitely oversimplifying. But that's why I used the word "surprising."
posted by bunderful at 2:37 PM on August 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
praemunire: It's not so long ago that such deaths would have been considered NHI.
I had to look up NHI, but yeah.
I think it's great that the NYT is doing this. Reading the articles I imagine how many interviews it must have taken to get some of the details they get (I am not a journalist and could be wrong, but that's how it seems). An argument could be made that at least some of these deaths are caused by societal neglect - for instance, the woman who was killed by a mentally ill, poor neighbor.
If his poverty were addressed, he would have the resources to treat his mental illness. If his mental illness were addressed, he would likely not have imagined that she was a threat and killed her.
To me there's a certain irony - she indirectly dies of neglect because his life and well-being weren't important to the world in which they live - but now, briefly, when it's too late, the details of their lives and the murder are lavished with care and absorbed by thousands, maybe millions.
Maybe I'm not saying this well. I'm definitely oversimplifying. But that's why I used the word "surprising."
posted by bunderful at 2:37 PM on August 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I looked it up and I'm still not really clear what "NHI" means here, but anyone who has read the Times with any regularity must know that covering poverty, crime, and human aspects of systemic problems are all among of the paper's great strengths., and have been at least as long as I've been reading (since the 80s). It might be surprising for some outlets, but not for the Times.
posted by Miko at 1:12 PM on August 10, 2016
posted by Miko at 1:12 PM on August 10, 2016
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posted by Miko at 8:07 PM on August 4, 2016 [3 favorites]