WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2006
U.S. Murders And Robberies Increase Again
2001-2004 Lull In Crime Appears To Be Over; Justice Department Is Studying Why
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(CBS/AP)
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Interactive FBI Crime Statistics Explore the latest information on U.S. crime, from acts of violence to property damage.
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The overall 3.7 percent uptick in violent crime between January and June comes amid a still-incomplete Justice Department study of 18 cities for clues on why criminal activity is increasing.
Every region in the country reported sizable increases in violence crime, from 2.9 percent in the Northeast to 4.7 percent in the West, reports CBS News' Stephanie Lambidakis. The crime spike hit small and medium-size cities the hardest, a trend that has many police chiefs calling for more federal aid. The number that stands out the most is for robberies, which jumped almost 10 percent nationally.
Property crimes like auto theft and other larcenies were down by 2.6 percent over the same six-month period, the data show. But the number of arsons shot up by nearly 7 percent, the FBI reported.
The numbers reflect what police across the country have been saying for months: that the lull in crime between 2001 and 2004 appears to be over.
"This is a concern we've been focused on," said Gene Voegtlin, legislative counsel for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which represents an estimated 20,000 law enforcement officials and has been pushing for more crime-fighting funding. "A lot of (police) agencies are really stretched thin when it comes to the budget and their ability to aggressively combat crime."
"We are encouraged by the drop in property crime seen in most areas around the country, but we are again concerned about the increase in violent crime in some cities and towns," Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said in an e-mailed statement.
However, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told reporters that the numbers were "troubling."
Spokesman Roehrkasse said DOJ has already taken steps to reduce violent crime.
Last month, the department launched what Gonzales called a study "to figure out the whys behind the numbers," but Justice researchers have not yet visited all of the targeted regions, a spokesman said Monday.
The early data show:
The data is based on crime reports from 11,535 police and other law enforcement agencies nationwide. The total number of actual crimes reported was not immediately available.
©MMVI CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 34 Commentssend the kids back to Sunday School every week to fidget around and learn a little something helpful, then compare the crime rates to the previous decade.
After the murder of my teenage daughter by a fellow teenager (and ex-boyfriend) ten months ago I did some research about the factors involved in "raising a killer." I found an interesting essay from 1999 by Marvin Gardner.
Below is what I took to be the primary message as well as a link to the full text. I've always believed more in nurture v. nature but had never before sought validation.
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1. Indulgent parents create self-indulgent children, who grow up to be self-indulgent adults.
2. Self-indulgent parents create delinquent children, who grow up to be delinquent adults.
3. Delinquent parents create alienated children, who grow up to be alienated adults.
4. Alienated parents create sociopathic children, who grow up to be killers.
http://www.bigskytel.com/%7Emarvingardner/soshpath.html
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Parents - don't underestimate the damage that you inflict not only on your children but society in general.
Personally I find the "treatise" to be a bit alarmist in nature but find value in much of what the author has to say. See what you think.
Drew Crecente
Director, Jennifer Ann's Group
www.JenniferAnn.org
We have become inundated with stupidity and greed through the box in our living room. We are in a position where the parents are now products of the TV generation, and it shows in the way they fail to raise their children.
easier than doing the hard work of diplomacy. Because of his stubbornness
and his twisted view of what democracy means, he will never win the war on
terror. This administration%u2019s violent policy of preemptive war has created a
new American culture of fear and terror abroad and also right here %u2014
hence the rise in violent crime. The administration%u2019s message is to solve your
problems with violence and worry about the results later.
I agree, though, that the appalling and sickening example of bullying and reveling in greed this disgrace of a government engages in can hardly make things better. But in a healthy society, these abominable people would never have been in power in the first place.
A people gets the government it deserves.
We are forced to wear seat belts, helmets on bikes etc to save lives, so why not TV. Yes good parents will not allow it but that still doesnt stop them getting murdered by those who do...
If in saying "a higher power" you include a belief in right and wrong as a guiding force in addition simply to a belief in God, I'm with you 100%. I don't believe you have to be religious to be moral; in fact, many times I think putting in the intellectual effort to establish your own beliefs may serve you better than having those beliefs told to you by others, whoever those others may be.
In any case, though, you're right. Not to sound like a fuddy-duddy, but the moral fiber of this society is in tatters, along with the educational system. Abd it's just getting worse with every excuse that's made for criminal behavior, every retarded "reality TV" show that lowers the national IQ another point, and every "have it all, have it now, even if you have to steal it" piece of advertising.
This president and his minions have fostered the idea that you should steal what you can and kill anyone who gets in your way and that sh*it rolls down hill.
That's why it's much worse now then several years ago.
Well, you might want to check your facts on some of this; the Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples, Crips, Bloods ... all have roots in either Mexican or Puerto Rican street gangs. Sorry to burst your PC bubble, but gang violence is 90% a black/hispanic problem. And yes, some Mexicans do come to this country specifically to become incolved in gangs, or are involved as drug "mules" before they get here. So it's hardly a ridiculous suggestion.
Really, if we want to solve the drug and gang problem, the only realistic solution is to do what they did in Holland: legalize the drugs and sell them as we do liquor. This would immediately put the gangs out of business, as their revenue depends on the drug trade. It would mean FDA control of drug quality, drastically reducing the instances of poisoning through cutting of drugs with rat poison, etc. It would mean that 75% or more of the DEA could be freed up for other duty. Since marijuana alone is the biggest cash crop in the country after wheat, it would also generate massive tax revenue, which could in turn fund meaningful, functional rehabilitation and skills training for addicts.
1) the increasing gap between rich and poor and the stagnation or decline in real income for most Americans over the past 6 years. Those who always speak of the benefits of the 'ownership' society are those that are the owners - whether they earned the ownership or - in increasing numbers of late - inherited their 'success' and privilege ala GW.
2) the example our own country sets where violence and threats are the solution. Imposing one's will on others even if it leads to 'peripheral' casualties simply because we have the power to do so - we don't have to negotiate after all; because we have the most weapons :-(
3) Our leaders in industry and government increasingly appear to be out for themselves; even to the detriment of society. e.g. We can't worry about global warming, lead, mercury because it would hurt our economy if we did. We can't increase the minimum wage but we need to index the exemption for Estate Taxes based on COLA. etc. etc. etc.
Abu Ghraib, secret Prisons, arrests without habeas corpus. If our government isn't going to exemplify self-control, moderation, patience, dialog, fairness why should our citizens. Violence and power is the answer...
However, your description of drugs and gang membership as functions of poverty is off-base, in my opinion. Those are personal choices. In fact, the removal of responsibility for personal choices is, I think, the single biggest contributor to increased crime. When you can commit a crime, justify it by saying "it's not my fault, society did it to me" and receive any other answer than derisive laughter, something is terribly askew with the way we judge right and wrong.
In fact, since most victims of both drug dealers and (often the same low-lifes) the despicable, evil thugs we call "gang-bangers" are poor, it seems to me that gang violence and drug use are causes of continued poverty, not symptoms. It's hard to better yourself if you are a crack addict or just afraid to leave your house because some worthless scumbag might shoot you.
Those are great and valid points. Another to consider is the criminal justice system. The haves get the best defense that money can buy so their crimes, often plead down or out altogether, do not even roll into these statistics. I say we make all criminal defense attorneys court appointed thus giving everyone the same fair shake. Civil matters can be handled by private attorneys.
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