The Influence Of Crime In The United States

According to the FBI, violent crime did drop drastically from 2010 to 2014, from 1.2 million to 1.1 million. To some that might not be a drastic drop, but it’s still a drop in numbers however you look at it.

There has long been a debate over which, if any, are the most effective methods of crime control. Governments from bottom to top in our nation have poured over the issue with mixed results for as long as there has been a nation. Until very recently deterrence was completely based on fear of punishment. However, recent years have provided us with a more complete understanding of crime and its roots among the more desirable parts of our society, specifically the mind of a criminal. Through the study of psychology, specifically free will, determinism and social identity, we may find that situational crime prevention is a better means to deter crime in our nation.

In chapter 4 the chapter considers a variety of possible explanations for the significant drop in crime and crime rates that occurred in the 1990s. Based on articles that appeared in the country’s largest newspapers, the authors compile a list of the leading, commonly offered explanations. The next step is to systematically examine each explanation and consider whether available data support the explanation. What the authors, in fact, demonstrate is that in all but three cases–increased reliance on prisons, increased number of police, and changes in illegal drug markets–correlation was erroneously interpreted as causation and in some cases, the correlation wasn’t even that strong.

In the video Freakonomics, the creators of the documentary focus on the argument, “Where have all the criminals gone?”. Crime and violence were the top concerns of America. The documentary discussed how crime rate in the United States between 1970 and 1999 was decreasing year to year. It mentioned how in the 1990s crime was at its peak and was expected to go higher, but the opposite occurred, in reality crime decreased. Some possible explanations for the decrease in crime in the 1990s such as crack cocaine increase, gun control, more police enforcement, the establishment of more prisons, a strong economy, and the legalization of abortion.

According to the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) done by the FBI in 2012, the number of violent crimes increased 0.7 percent from the previous year, and does not show signs of stopping (UCR 2012). In addition, studies by the FBI in 2012 show that the murder rate stands at 4.7 murders per 100,000 people, significantly higher than most other wealthy nations (UCR 2012). Criminal historians agree that the United States far exceeds other nations in the number of crimes committed by an industrial nation. Whether people choose to commit acts of embezzlement, robbery, or homicide, people have started to look at criminality as a shortcut to success. Through time and the changing atmosphere of society, the pursuit of the American Dream has become extremely distorted and a chilling nightmare for many, as misguided people are willing to commit detestable crimes in an effort to fulfill the ‘revised’ American Dream.

From the graphs above it is evident that there was an increase in crime during the 1970s. A contributing factor of this could be that half of the United States households had at least one gun. The easy availability of guns for people in American caused more fear than safety. There were not strict laws against guns during this period, which made crime rate grow. There’s also a dramatic increase in the early 1980s and late 1990s in both violent and murder crime. Another factors that contributed to this increase of crimes in the early 1980s is when the usage of cocaine spread all over of the United States. Cocaine was no longer thought of as the drug of choice for the wealthy people of America. Also by looking at the graphs and data it shows that

Many citizens believe that there is more and more crime occurring in the United States each year. However, evidence suggests that, for the most part, the United States’ crime rate is decreasing while the rest of the world’s crime rates are increasing. The rate of both violent crimes and property crimes have significantly decreased in the past two decades. In 2014, there were 9.4 million crimes reported, which is a drastic improvement from the 13.8 million crimes that were reported in 1995. Even though these are only statistics for the number of crimes that were reported to the authorities, the trends of victimization also support the idea the crime rates are declining.

In the United States, violent crime has been steadily declining since its peak in the early 1990s (Lott, 2013). Violent crime, as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, includes four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault (FBI, 2012). These crimes are measured by the Justice Department in terms of number reported by victims as well as those tried and convicted in a court of law (FBI, 2012). Despite the steady decrease, the vast majority of Americans admit to possessing a very genuine fear of violent crime both in their local neighborhoods and in the nation at large (Lott, 2013). When surveyed over the last several years, nearly half of the American population consistently believed violent crime had increased from the year prior (Cohn, 2013). In reality, the instances of violent crime had been and continue to be deteriorating at a rapid pace (Cohn, 2013).

In the last few years, crime in America has been plummeting. All violent crimes have decreased by 4.4% in the last year. Rape has decreased by 6.3%, murder and manslaughter have decreased by 4.4%, and robbery has decreased by 2.8% (Feeney 1). There are many possible explanations for this decrease. “Possible reasons for the decline include the country’s high incarceration rate, an aging population and an increased use of security cameras and cell phone videos capturing incidents” (Feeney 1)

Recent surveys have indicated that crime rate in the United States is on the rise. Crime in the U.S. is classified into property crime and violent crime. These criminal activities have a considerable impact on a state’s social and economic growth and development. Different states in the U.S. have developed different strategies to combat crime, which continues to transform in form and frequency. A number of policies, options, and approaches to crime control exist. This report explores some of the policies, options, and approaches that could be used by Florida to enhance crime control.

The rise of crime in America seems like it is getting worse each and every year. To say that crime only exist in the hood is an understatement. Crime is happening everywhere in our poverty neighborhoods, even in the wealthiest neighborhoods crime is happening. You have different types of crime weather it is murders, shoplifting, robberies it happens. Rising murders and homicides in cities deserve attention now before it’s too late and it’s one of our loved ones.

Part 1: Nature, Extent, Impact of Crime Policy on Crime & the Administration of Justice in the U.S.

Crime exists everywhere in the United States - in rural and urban areas, in the East and West, and among all types of people. This has led many government officials, especially those in urban areas, to focus largely on the reduction of crime among their respective constituencies and has led others to speculate on the factors that influence the amount of crime and how those factors can be controlled.

For anyone looking for a new winter show, I highly recommend American Crime on ABC. The dshow is currently three episodes in but on ABC.com they allow viewers to catch up before the next episode airs.

When we get into how society and people look at crime, it happens in every city, every neighborhood, people are victims every day, businesses, and even property. Crime dates back since colonization and the rates have varied over time, believe it or not, crime has decreased over the years. As a matter of fact, the United States has been on a decline. The crime rate for the year 2000 was a total of 11,608,072 a declining year in 2015 with a total of 9,225,197. (U.S. Department of Justice)