Now that New York City has been divested of its Wall Street riches and boomtime economy, it can go back to being a crime-infested war zone, right? Wrong. Violent crime in New York has fallen significantly compared to this time last year: murder is down 21 percent, rapes and robberies are down by nearly as much. Add that to the pile of evidence against the idea that recessions increase violent crime. One thing that is on the rise: Peace Corps applications, up 47 percent over last year in the New York regional office and 16 percent nationally. Remember that old saw about money being the root of all evil? [%comments]
Recession? Check. So Where’s the Crime?
TAGS: crime, financial crisis
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#6 Mike B wrote- “If most crime these days are drug related, perhaps the recession has reduced demand for drugs and hence reduced drug market side effects.”
Maybe people stealing for food are getting there before the druggies?
“Violent crime in New York has fallen significantly compared to this time last year: murder is down 21 percent, rapes and robberies are down by nearly as much. ”
People are staying in and not going out so is there is less chance for murder, rape and robbery?
Additionally, during the 80s crime surged in New York City despite large economic growth.
You are presuming that variance in crime rate has something to do with the economy (as you presume everything has to do with the economy). They are merely statistics that pass each other every day with no real acknowledgement.
I read the “pile of evidence” article. It presents more evidence in favor of the recession -> crime hypothesis than against. I don’t know if recessions do contribute probabilistically to increases in crime or not, but I do know that citing one contrary example doesn’t prove anything either way. This comment does not exactly embody the kind of rigorous thinking usually exemplified by Freakonomics contributors.
Where is all the crime? Why that is obvious from the original freakanomics. The criminals were mostly aborted!
which is why I have a hard time understanding why my fellow conservatives are against abortion. When I explain to them who predominantly was getting aborted I made a few converts but not many.