FBI recently released annual statistics indicating that violent crime decreased by 5.3% in 2009. Property crime declined 4.6%. 2009 is the third consecutive year that violent crime decreased.
These figures is contrary to the popular belief that bad recession like this lead to an increase in crime. Wall St. journal in Ashby Jones explains the fall happened:
Police experts attribute lower rates for a number of factors, ranging from improving police tactics of demographic trends.
Attorney General Eric holder said more than $ 4 billion Obama administration led to law enforcement authorities in 2009 «economic stimulus legislation helps to maintain public safety and encouraging innovation in criminal justice. "
But the future may look a little dimmer on the front of the crime, said Peres. it is anticipated that the federal funds that may fall down and clarify cutting budgets to revenue shortfalls, the number of police officers. Some analysts wonder whether this crime can lead to a rise in crime down the road as the delay effect of recession.
Boston Globe James Alan Fox has said that although the weak economy is not the default produces more criminals, officials should not use positive FBI statistics as an excuse to budget cuts.Reductions in crime prevention and surveillance, for example, make it easy for existing criminals operate:
This is rarely the case … .that someone loses a job at the Bank and decided to Rob a bank to make ends meet.Those who have lost their homes to foreclosures tend not to go out and burglarize homes of others for cash fast decision not to pursue a career criminal depends largely on the labour market.
This was in some of the poorest and most crime-infested areas, reducing the negative effects of police budget hit hardest in the last decade, City police departments were asked to do more, but at a lower cost.Emphasis on Homeland Security and to protect potential victims of terrorism have left many hometowns, protected from normal street violence.
Unfortunately healthy reduction in overall crime can easily be used to justify further budget cutting for law enforcement and other areas of criminal justice.Those in favour of tax cuts for the benefit of those who are hired, you might want to think twice: a few extra dollars in your pocket, not very useful if you're staring down the wrong end of a gun.
The American Prospect offers some reality behind the decline in crime correlation:
Compared to the high rates of crime (and prosperous) 1920 's, the great depression saw a significant reduction in violence and a crime against property (unemployed, poor targets for identity theft). violent crime rose during the 1970s and early ' 90s, but in both cases the drug violence is the culprit — heroin in the 1970s and crack cocaine in the 1990s.
No enclosing "shock" to the system — such as the new drug epidemic — has never been any reason to think that would lead to an increase in crime during the recession. Nevertheless, violent crime in the United States is still very high, at least when compared with other developed countries, and millions of Americans still suffer from reality and the threat of violence.
It is also worth noting that while the overall crime rates down, some regions like Houston, bucking the national trend of increasing crime. USA still has some very violent high crime pockets. Knowing the location and nature of these "hot spots" is the best way to stay secure than just assuming that crime down worldwide.
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