Many people are seeing the assaults through the “prism of race”, said criminologist Jeffrey Butts, director of the research and evaluation centre at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, but it is more likely to be as a result of “bored, disconnected young people” looking for excitement. “We’re not really sure whether this is a real and growing phenomenon, or just an incredibly rare event that is just now getting a lot of attention,” Mr Butts told The Irish Times. “The strangest thing about it, if the stories are to be believed, is that this is a very serious, violent offence that is committed for no reason other than the thrill of doing it – sort of like A Clockwork Orange.” Continue reading The Irish Times—US Police Examine ‘Knockout’ Assaults

“This idea comes up every time somebody begins to pay attention to crime, especially youth crimes,” said Jeff Butts, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. “People start looking around for solutions, and curfews come up routinely. Stopping someone who looks young means that somewhere else in your city a 911 call is getting a slower response time. It uses up a lot of resources.” Continue reading Atlanta Journal-Constitution—Stepped-up Enforcement of Curfews Targets Adults