Detroit Today: What are the root causes of crime?

This summer, violent crimes in Detroit saw an approximate 5% reduction citywide, amounting to 20 fewer homicide victims. While some view this as a solid start, many others are still struggling with profound questions about the best ways to reduce violent crime.

Thomas Abt, a researcher and author of the book “Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence – and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets,” joins Detroit Today to discuss the need for a multi-pronged, and multi-faceted approach to reducing crime.

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GUEST: Thomas Abt, founding director of the Center for the Study and Practice of Violence Reduction, and associate professor at the University of Maryland’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He’s also the author of “Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence – and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets.” Abt says before determining the best way to reduce violent crime, one must first look at the broad “macro” causes of violence in the U.S. and around the world, as well as the “micro” factors, or specific drivers of violence in any particular place. One of the fundamental drivers in the U.S., he says, is racial segregation.

“Many of the most violent communities in the United States were intensely racially segregated,” Abt said. “And once they were racially segregated, then broader society sort of started systematically disinvesting in those communities.”

Listen to Detroit Today with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.