WHAT IS HAPPENING?
In America, the crime clock continues to click: one murder every 22 minutes, one rape every 5 minutes, one robbery every 49 seconds, and one burglary every 10 seconds. And the cost of crime continues to mount: $78 billion for the criminal justice system, $64 billion for private protection, $202 billion in loss of life and work, $120 billion in crimes against business, $60 billion in stolen goods and fraud, $40 billion from drug abuse, and $110 billion from drunk driving. When you add up all the costs, crime costs Americans a stunning $675 billion each year.
Current Trends in Crime
1.The Crime Rate Is Increasing.
The recent string of heinous crimes does not represent a sudden wave of crime in America. Violent crime actually has been steadily increasing since the 1960s (though violent crime rates did dip for a time during the early 1980s). But in addition to the steady increase of crime has been the changing nature of these crimes. For example, there has been a pronounced increase in the prevalence of stranger-on-stranger robberies and drive-by shootings.
2. Teenagers Are Responsible for a Disproportionate Share of Violent Crime.
The violent-crime rate seems to rise and fall in tandem with the number of teens in the population. But recently, teen violence has exploded (murder arrests of teens jumped 92 percent since 1985) during a period in which the teen population remained steady or declined.
3.The Median Age of Criminals Is Dropping.
The perception that criminals are getting younger is backed up by statistics. In 1982, 390 teens ages 13-15 were arrested for murder. A decade later, this total jumped to 740.
4. A Majority of the Crimes Are Committed by Habitual Criminals.
Criminologist Marvin Wolfgang compiled arrest records for males born and raised in Philadelphia (in 1945 and in 1958). He found that just 7 percent in each age group committed two-thirds of all violent crime. This included three-fourths of the rapes and robberies, and nearly all of the murders. They also found that this 7 percent had five or more arrests before the age of 18.
5. Crime Does Pay: Most Criminals Are Not Caught or Convicted.
Consider these statistics compiled by professor Morgan Reynolds (Texas A&M University) concerning burglary:
• 500,000 burglaries take place each month
• 250,000 of these are reported to the police
• 35,000 arrests are made
• 30,450 prosecutions take place
• 24,060 are convicted
• 6,010 are sent to prison; the rest paroled
Of the 500,0000 burglaries, only 6,000 burglars went to jail! And if this 1 percent effectiveness ratio isn’t disturbing enough, professor Reynolds found that the average time served was only 13 months.
References
1. U.S. Crime Statistics for 1990.
2. “Cost of Crime: $674 Billion,” U.S. News and World Report, 17 January 1994, pp. 40-41.
3. “Killer Teens,” U.S. News and World Report, 17 January 1994, p. 26.
4. James Wooten, “Lessons of Pop Jordan’s Death,” Newsweek, 13 September 1993, p. 12.
5. Morgan Reynolds, “Why Does Crime Pay?” National Center for Policy Analysis Backgrounder, No. 110 (1990).
6. Mortimer Zuckerman, “War on Crime, By the Numbers,” U.S. News and World Report, 17 January 1994, pp. 67-68.
7. Ben Wattenburg, “Crime Solution– Lock ‘em Up,” Wall Street Journal, 17 December 1993.
8. Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Corrections Reporting Program, 1988.
9. Zuckerman, “War on Crime.”
10. William Rusher, “Liberal `Solutions’ Leave America Crime- Ridden,” Human Events, 14 January 1994, p. 15.
© 1993 Probe Ministries
46% of Americans dont know the purpose of The Constitution.
26% confuse The Constitution with The Declaration
59% can not identify The Bill of Rights
49% beleive the President can suspend The Constitution
45% confuse marxist phrase, from each according to his ability to each according to his need, with The Constitution
75% believe The Constitution guarantees free public education
67% think ‘seperation of Church and State’ is in the Constitution
3,000,000 students a month are victims of crime
2,500,000 robberies and theft take place in public schools a month
282,000 students assulted in schools each month
2,400 acts of arsen monthly
125,000 teachers are threatened with physical violence each month
1,000 teachers a month are assulted and need medical attention
risk of assult and robbery are greater in public schools than in the outside world
500,000 high school students are afraid most of their school life
8% of junior and senior students miss 1 day a month from fear.
The situation is much worse now. This was in the 80’s about