Crime Drops In First Half Of 2009: FBI

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Violent crime in the United States, including murder and robbery, dropped 4.4 percent in the first half of 2009 and property crime like car thefts also dropped, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Monday.

The latest statistics suggest that U.S. violent crime could drop for a third full year in a row, a steady decline despite the harsh economic recession that some policymakers and police groups had feared would lead to an upward spike.

The number of murders plummeted 10 percent compared to the same six-month period in 2008, while robbery fell 6.5 percent and forcible rape dropped 3.3 percent, according to preliminary statistics released by the FBI.

Violent crime in all of 2008 fell 1.9 percent from 2007.

But in some cities hit hard by the economy, like Baltimore and Detroit, the murder rate climbed. In Detroit, hurt by the auto industry's woes, there were 163 murders reported in the first six months of 2009 versus 146 during the same period in 2008.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BK2KI20091221

[Renew Deal]

1. That's mostly good news

Especially considering the economic climate.

[Kahuna]

2. Absolutely. I was expecting the opposite to be true. nt

[kestrel91316]

3. "Car thefts dropped." Well, not quite enough to suit me.....

:rofl: :cry:

[girl gone mad]

15. That sucks. :(

I've had one stolen. Not a good feeling. Hope you were covered. :(

[Proletariatprincess]

4. crime rate down, prison population dropping....

I wonder what this means? And, will it last as the economy continues to fail...
Could the decriminalization of medical cannabis in some states be having effect on these trends, I wonder. That the so called War on Drugs is a complete failure is pretty much accepted universally now.
Or maybe it is just that crime is always lower in fascists states.

[AngryAmish]

8. Demographics

There are fewer people of the criminal cohort. Young unmarried men.

[Proletariatprincess]

9. good point.

but they didnt all join the military...where are they?

[AngryAmish]

10. They were not born

Crime rates were highest during the baby Boom years since there were so many young men then. Then as boomers aged there were fewer criminals to take their place. (Although I love to slam Boomers, this isn't one of them. All young single men are the heart of the criminal class of this country.)

There was a spike in crime in the 80s that was the crack years.

Also there is the Freakonomics argument that we have aborted much of our criminal class since Roe v. Wade. Poor people have the most abortions and poor people's children are the main part of the criminal class, so more abortions means fewer criminals.

[Demeter]

12. This Is One of the Dividends To Women's Choice and Autonomy

But of course, if there were no kids to yell: "get off my lawn!" would conservatism even exist?

[proteus_lives]

5. Good news!

[FrenchieCat]

6. I'm gonna go out on a limb, and blame Obama for this.....

since he's blamed for everything else,
why not? :shrug:

[Turbineguy]

7. White collar and financial crime

still seems to be doing OK, though.

[superconnected]

11. Good one! :)

:rofl:

[paulsby]

14. monetary losses from online crime

surpassed losses from conventional crime this year. first time in history, and i doubt the trend will reverse

[paulsby]

13. many people in DU claimed the recession would cause crime because they falsely believe

that poverty causes crime.

it doesn't.

[boppers]

16. More poverty, less street crime?

Well, this is a weird trend. Any social scientists weighed in yet?