In an opinion piece, Jerry Ratcliffe, professor and chair of Department of Criminal Justice at Temple, calls for a more surgical approach to dealing with increased violence in the city, saying this is not a time for knee-jerk reactions or short-term crackdowns. "The more focused we can be with the criminal-justice response — including foot patrols and officer presence at crime hot spots during the most dangerous times — the more immediate and effective the deterrence will be....It's time to focus," he wrote.