SFS: On The Line
The CQ Press recently released its “Most Dangerous Cities” list, and Birmingham ranked number six. Cityrating.com says murder in the metro area is five times higher than the national average. But what do these numbers really mean? How safe are Birmingham’s streets and what can be done to make them safer? On Monday, December 17, from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. we explore these issues with studio guests and questions/comments from listeners.
John J. Sloan, III is currently Chairperson of the Department of Justice Sciences at UAB, where he is also an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology. Born and raised in Detroit, he earned a B.S. and M.S. in Criminal Justice from Eastern Michigan University and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Purdue University, where he was recipient of a U.S. Department of Justice Dissertation Fellowship that funded his research on sentencing practices in Michigan. He joined the UAB faculty in 1988.
The author or co-author of over 100 scholarly articles, chapters, reports, and
professional presentations, Dr. Sloan’s research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, with which he has served as a consultant and by various state and local agencies in Alabama. His most recent work (co-edited with Bonnie S. Fisher) is Campus Crime: Legal, Social, and Policy Perspectives (2nd edition), published by Charles C. Thomas.
Dr. Sloan and his wife, Tavis Hardin-Sloan, live in the Historic Loft District in Downtown Birmingham.
Earlier this year, Lydia and her fiance Greg were celebrating his birthday in Five Points when they were mugged by two men, then physically attacked by another group of men. The suspects were never caught. Feeling violated and emotionally drained, Lydia started blogging about that incident. Her blog grew into a myspace website that allows other victims of crime on Birmingham’s Southside and elsewhere in the city to document their experiences.
Thousands evacuated in Canada as wildfires threaten air quality in parts of the U.S.
Air quality reached "unhealthy" levels in North Dakota and small swaths of Montana, Minnesota and South Dakota, according to the EPA.
Some of the U.S. could see the northern lights due to a geomagnetic storm
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center says a severe geomagnetic storm is possible Sunday night.
Ukraine destroys more than 40 military aircraft in a drone attack deep inside Russia
The attack was disclosed on the same day as Zelenskyy said Ukraine will send a delegation to Istanbul for a new round of direct peace talks with Russia on Monday.
The women of No Sex for Fish are survivors — but their survival is precarious
A group of women in Kenya rebelled against trading sex for a fisherman's catch to sell. They got their own boats, had success — but in past years have faced floods and now fears about HIV medications.
Two dead and hundreds arrested in France after PSG win soccer Champions League
Hundreds of people were arrested in the celebrations, which were largely peaceful but degenerated into violence in some areas.
At least seven dead after two Russian bridges collapse
Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's top criminal investigation agency, said in a statement that explosions had caused the two bridges to collapse, but did not give further details.