Violent crime up for 1st time in 5 years

[gatorboy]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060612/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/fbi_violent_crime

WASHINGTON - Murders, robberies and aggravated assaults in the United States increased last year, spurring an overall rise in violent crime for the first time since 2001, according to FBI data.

Murders rose 4.8 percent, meaning there were more than 16,900 victims in 2005. That would be the most since 1998 and the largest percentage increase in 15 years.

<snip>

Criminal justice experts said the statistics reflect the nation's complacency in fighting crime, a product of dramatic declines in the 1990s and the abandonment of effective programs that emphasized prevention, putting more police officers on the street and controlling the spread of guns.

"We see that budgets for policing are being slashed and the federal government has gotten out of that business," said James Alan Fox, a criminal justice professor at Northeastern University in Boston. "Funding for prevention at the federal level and many localities are down and the (National Rifle Association) has renewed strength."

[kenny blankenship]

1. Proof that the Bush policies ARE working!

[oneold1-4u]

2. Worse than jail or prison!

With food, clothing, medical, and conjugal visits, could the outside offer more?
Maybe work for minimum wage, enlist, have all health benefits cut and no veteran's hospital available, have SS check reduced by Rx plan, all food stamps removed or reduced to those with income over $500 mo., raise cost of living by inflating all prices of plain living, (fuel and housing).
Minor crimes like robbery, assault, burglary, and drugs, won't get you in quickly or for long enough for wife/husband and family to come under a public assistance program!
As this nation goes to hell with rotten policies of greater national debt and death to all who challenge; with no vision of change millions who are are desperate will make costly choices!

[Roland99]

3. Wonder how many studies link increases in crime to economically bad times?

[oneold1-4u]

5. Bad times in '29-41

When tough times came about to many, crime took a back seat. People knew how to take care of themselves and neighbors. The bad ones disappeared too quickly! Either they changed spots- - -

[Roland99]

6. I mean more like what we're seeing now (hidden recession)

[Asgaya Dihi]

4. Three strikes club in part

I've been expecting this for a while, if I'm right this is the start of a trend. Take a look at the rate of prison growth over the last few decades then consider the timing of some of our laws. Remember three strikes? We put a hell of a lot of people behind bars for 20 to life, 25 in some states, and they are due to start getting out soon. Some already are.

That's the problem with building a system like we've got. You don't keep them behind bars forever and you don't learn good habits behind bars, most will be out again. A safe school zone violation turns a kid with a habit into a con and from there it's all downhill, recidivism rate is incredible in part due to our policies of putting roadblocks in their way and stripping them of benefits.