Anecdotally, we are a long way from US citizens accepting that crime rates have dropped precipitously and that the vast majority of us are remarkably safe from suffering random crimes, both violent and/or property, by random "bad guys".
Whether heard in conversation or read in online comments, it appears that many citizens NEED to feel afraid… of THEM (whoever THEY might be?). Those fears are capitalized on by manipulative conservative politicians and by low-quality "reporting" by the LameStream media. Each of those groups profit from selling fear to the fear-prone.
Facts, especially data (Eeeek!) do not sway people who want to fear. They knee-jerk discount the data with, "YeahBut, just last week in the next town down the road, somebody blah, blah…".
Great news that Camden NJ had its first homicide-free summer in 50 years (though summer isn't over yet); however, surely it can be argued that this is only violent crime. Hardly surprising with National Guard and ICE agents everywhere. So called 'white collar crime' - fraud and such like, must be on the rise, surely? Also, State crimes - crimes carried out in defiance of the law by or with the connivance of the Government, must surely have increased? I find that more worrying.
I have just released a pre-print paper, Net Fishing for Homicide Defendants in Louisiana. I welcome comments.
https://ssrn.com/abstract=7191878
Tim Lyman (timlyman@gmail.com)
Anecdotally, we are a long way from US citizens accepting that crime rates have dropped precipitously and that the vast majority of us are remarkably safe from suffering random crimes, both violent and/or property, by random "bad guys".
Whether heard in conversation or read in online comments, it appears that many citizens NEED to feel afraid… of THEM (whoever THEY might be?). Those fears are capitalized on by manipulative conservative politicians and by low-quality "reporting" by the LameStream media. Each of those groups profit from selling fear to the fear-prone.
Facts, especially data (Eeeek!) do not sway people who want to fear. They knee-jerk discount the data with, "YeahBut, just last week in the next town down the road, somebody blah, blah…".
Rationality is not a human strength.
Great news that Camden NJ had its first homicide-free summer in 50 years (though summer isn't over yet); however, surely it can be argued that this is only violent crime. Hardly surprising with National Guard and ICE agents everywhere. So called 'white collar crime' - fraud and such like, must be on the rise, surely? Also, State crimes - crimes carried out in defiance of the law by or with the connivance of the Government, must surely have increased? I find that more worrying.