When the crime statistics for 2006 were released, the news media had no trouble declaring that the next big crime wave had hit (even though violent crime had just ticked up 2 percent, property crime fell by the same amount). So what’s happened since? Crime dropped across the country, especially in big cities. In the District of Columbia, once the nation’s murder capital, homicides are down 17 percent over last year. Big cities across the country are showing decreases in violent crime as well. [%comments]
Where Have All the Criminals Gone?
TAGS: crime, statistics
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Journalism exists to attract attention. While reporting an uptick of 2% in the crime rate in major cities attract attention, reporting a downturn in reports of crimes does not; therefore, it is not reported. In order to sell advertisements in the journalist’s medium of choice, journalists must attract readers. Readers, particularly American readers, are attracted by sensationalism. So the stories that get reported are sensational. Purely rational, economically sound decisions even though the result is hardly Jefferson’s informed populace.
If I remember reading your book correctly, one plausible theory is that maybe they were aborted?!
Is it too cynical to speculate that they’re fudging the reporting in order to keep the trend going?
everyone is still drunk off HOPE…
seriously though, you would think a rise in unemployment would spark a rise in crime
The wire has made me forever skeptical of crime numbers.
People can’t afford bullets anymore.
They’re probably all doing atavar – facebook – virtual killings. It’s time we added that to the criminal code.
Except for good old Detroit. But they can barely afford to keep the lights on at this point, so that’s not a huge surprise.