Solving Cold Cases with Dr. Jim

In this episode the listener will learn about the structure and content of this podcast.

A full introduction of the hosts will be provided so as to establish credibility and reliability of the content they provide. Besides learning about the homicide/cold case problem in America, specific data concerning the Mid-South will also be addressed.

In one part of this introduction to the problem there is a discussion about homicide rates and clearances (or solving) of these cases. Specific mention of this is referenced by an Op-ed written by Dr. Adcock, called "Fixing America's Cold Case Crisis", which was published in the Crime Report, November 28, 2018. A review of the Op-ed can be found at my webpage under "publications", located atwww.ms.coldcaseinitiative.comor the Crime Reports web site located at https://thecrimereport.org/2018/11/28/fixing-americas-cold-case-crisis/.

To ease your way through the data with the listing of the cities mentioned in the podcast please review the below table for a better understanding:

Since 1980 the USA has accumulated over 250,000 unsolved homicides while the city of Memphis, TN has over 1,800. Various studies and the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ) Best Practices guide for Cold Cases has determined that we are in a "Cold Case Crisis".

According to the FBI crime data for 2017, the homicide clearance or solve rate was about 61%, leaving four out of every ten homicides unsolved. And in 2016 the solve rate figure dropped to its lowest of 59.4%. On average this adds 6 – 7,000 unsolved cases to the cold case mix each year.

The national consensus of cold case experts, who were part of the NIJ Cold Case Working Group and contributed to the best practices guide, have confirmed that the forming of dedicated cold case units will reduce not only the number of cold cases, but will help increase the solving of new homicides as they are reported.

Additionally, if the proposed process with a solid commitment and sustainment of cold case investigations are integrated into the system, we will reduce violent crime, regain public confidence in our criminal justice system, solve more cases and provide information to the forgotten victims, the surviving families. It's not how much it will cost us to have these units in place, but rather what it will cost us if we don't!

This podcast, "Surviving Cold Cases with Dr. Jim", will address the cold case issue, how we got here and what we can do about it. Through weekly episodes it will discuss the problem and the nuances of conducting cold case investigations. The listener will hear about some of the many steps involved in a homicide/cold case investigation, revealing the reality of the situation and what we can do about it to make our communities a safer place to live and work.

Jim Adcock, PhD, #SolveColdCases