Jahmeshia Conner (CBS News, Channel 2, Chicago)
Jahmeshia Conner, a 12-year-old girl, went missing in Chicago two and a half weeks ago. The activities leading up to her death are very unclear. Chicago Police reported that Jahmeshia Conner was last seen standing on a bus stop on her way home from church.
On November 30, 2009, Jahmeshia’s body was found in an alley approximately one block from her home. In a recent press release, Chicago Police have no information in the details of her death. When Jahmeshia was reported missing, Chicago Police initially deemed her as a run away and did not investigate the incident as a possible abduction.
So, the question must now be, what basis did the Chicago Police have to make this determination? The facts about Jahmeshia when she was alive are clear. She was: 12 years old, she was on her way home from church, she was in fifth grade, she was loved, and she will be missed. In terms of a missing child, one would only assume that a police investigation in a missing child case would be much more comprehensive. So often in the news people hear of missing children. There is in-depth coverage, amber alerts, neighborhood sweeps, flyers being passed out, and most importantly, police spokespersons pleading on television for information on a missing child. Jahmeshia Conner did not get that attention.
Oftentimes in impoverished areas, specifically in Chicago, child death becomes part of the arrangement. With the highest murder rate in the nation, mostly minority, mostly impoverished areas, numbness to death has set in and complacency by the police has become the norm.
The slogan that is written on Chicago Police cars is “To Serve and Protect.” This outward pledge, assuming that it is sincere, requires quite a bit more urgency, especially in the situation of a missing child; moreover, especially when more children die in Chicago than anywhere else in the nation. The location that Jahmeshia’s body was found in was virtually footsteps from her Englewood home. And for two weeks, she could not be found. This raw reality of inattention cannot be underplayed by the Chicago Police Department.
Living in an economically strapped and a predominately black neighborhood should not equate to a death sentence. If the city of Chicago can take so much pride in Michigan Avenue shopping district and protect it with unlimited resources, why can the city not apply the same resources into saving lives off of The Magnificent Mile? Is there a value on the human life in poor areas of the city, or does the city only value its revenue return areas?
Did the Chicago Police “serve and protect” Jahmeshia Conner? Are they proactively, sincerely serving and protecting Chicago’s inner city?
Comments
Great article. You definitely raised some points that need to be further looked at. I am glad that you took the time to discuss this issue.
This article is very important Larry because I was not aware of this young girls disapperance nor do I recall any media attention. It is truly unfortunate that more revenue and time is spent on the Magnificent Mile rather than searching for inner city youth abductions. The Chicago Police did not do their jobs and they failed Jameshia and her family.
I agree. I never read anything about her until it was too late. I do feel she and her family as well as many other families in Chicago are overlooked due to economics and geography and that is just not right. How anyone could look at her smiling picture and not try to find her stuns me. I so sorry for what her mom has had and is going to have to deal with.
I agree with Markus, you raised very good issues. I wonder how you can get these questions out into community discussions.? Nice job on the writing.
I agree Larry, it is a shame that these poor children go unnoticed and "forgotten" just for the fact of their address in this "great city" of ours. I feel for the family of this little girl and hope they can find some solace some how. Instead of putting so much into enforcing "parking violations" and jacking people for 160 dollars why can't Mr. Daley put that much time and effort into our missing and abducted youth. Preach on...
what law enforcement needs to do is outline a standard response for every missing child; no room for judgement. treat every single case like an abduction. the urgency to find a runaway should be equally important because they are so vulnerable and could easily be abducted at that point. if this means sacrificing some other service in order to investigate missing children thoroughly, then so be it.
If a little blonde white girl from my town went missing for a day, local, state, and Federal agencies would swarm the area and there would be national media coverage. I guess interest wanes as a child gets older, as in this case. Law enforcement feels they do not have the time to chase runaways, who usually return home fairly quickly anyhow.
she was one off my best freinds im just still trying to figure out why would someone put here on a city bus in that tipe off invorment i no im a child but i understand what going on and i just tihnk people need to be carful of what they are doing because whoever killed her jus killed anther part of are future we are the futrue and people are killing us
I feel so bad for her and her family...I have a 11 year old child which I dont let out of my sight.People now days are crazy.I dont even let her walk to the corner store by herself
In reality is hard to search for people nobody really cares about. In black community, no snitching is something they worship. Why should the police really care about Chicago when they know nothing is getting done within the black families. I am not an African American but I lived among them. I ran away from
my apt cuz my life became so dangerous once they knew I was telling the police who was selling drugs around the corner. I had parents coming to me and telling me to watch my steps becuz I put their sons away for good. I had to leave that nightmare area behind.
An educated young black woman in my community was murdered around the same time that a white college girl was murdered about 40 minutes away from here. Lots of tips were called in for the white girl, but no one in the black girl's community spoke up for her. One crime was solved the other was not. Sad, but true.
Why can't someone just tell what they know about Jahmeshia Connor's murder? Why is the evil one who snuffed the life of this beautiful young girl being protected and justice for Jahmeshia being dismissed?
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