Homicide and Suicide watch for 2008 is needed

Wish -TV reports:

The two cities with the most homicides in Indiana went in opposite directions during 2007, with Gary recording about a 40% increase and Indianapolis seeing a 19% drop.

Indianapolis police are at a loss to explain the abrupt decline to 124 homicides for last year. Gary officials also have no specific reason for the big jump to 71 violent deaths, saying they saw nothing like the gang battles the city had during the 1990s and earlier.

The FBI's rankings for 2007 will not be out until much later in the year, but Gary's homicide rate appears to be about the same as New Orleans, which was the country's bloodiest city during 2006.

In other Indiana cities, Fort Wayne had 25 homicides last year, up from 19 in 2006, and South Bend had seven last year, down from 16 in 2006.