This is great news. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...12/21/AR2009122103223.html?hpid=moreheadlines The homicide rate dropped 10 percent in the first half of this year as crime rates reached their lowest point nationally since the 1960s, the FBI reported Monday. Preliminary figures collected by the FBI also show that car thefts dropped significantly in the first half of 2009, falling nearly 19 percent and continuing a sharp downward trend. Overall, the rate of violent crime fell by 4.4 percent and the rate of property crime dropped by 6.1 percent, the FBI reported. In the District, violent crime dropped by 7.6 percent and property crime by 3 percent. Homicide dropped by 20 percent, and aggravated assault and burglary each fell 17 percent. The figures are based on data supplied by more than 11,700 police and law enforcement agencies. They compare reported crimes per population in the first six months of this year with the first six months of last year. The data for early 2009 suggest that the crime-dropping trend of 2008 is not just continuing but accelerating. In 2008, the data showed a nearly 4 percent drop in homicide and an overall drop in violent crime of 1.9 percent from 2007 to 2008. According to the FBI figures, reports of violent crime fell about 7 percent in cities with 1 million or more people. But in towns with 10,000 to 25,000 people, violent crime ticked up slightly by 1.7 percent. Separate statistics compiled by the Justice Department measure both reported and unreported crimes.
nice to read, but it pretty much conflicts with this thread - http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=179321&page=1 then again, (debbie downer moment) the stats are from the first six months of '09.
Thanks to The Wire, my assumption is that all crime statistics have been "massaged" unless proven otherwise.
If this is true... I really am pissed at the media for how much they have been slanting reality to make it look like crime is increasingly rampant with the economic downturn (in my local news stations). So irresponsible with the power they hold.
If it makes you feel any better, the media is just as conflicted as the FBI in this situation. In reality, probably a change in the definitions of words or in strictness is what creates these illusions. It makes no sense whatsoever that unemployment and money is suffering while people are committing less crimes like autotheft and property. I'd imagine a decrease in financial crime out of fear and just less money to throw around - but less cars? I don't know about that.
People watch the news to hear about murders, rapes, kidnappings, and armed robberies. Those are sensationalistic stories, while quite uncommon statistically speaking people like to read, and talk about. Viewers don't like watching feel good stories about community works projects and school fundraisers. It is in the media's best interest for people to be constantly worried about their safety, stay indoors, and thus watch the news all day.
