For 20 years, crime in the US has been falling and new figures from the FBI show a sharp drop in the last two years, despite the recession. Why?
2. The fall in violent crime that began in the early 90s can be partly explained by the fall in demand for crack,
3. Smarter policing
4. Number crunching
5. There is a controversial theory put forward by economist Steven Levitt that the increased availability of legal abortion after the Supreme Court ruling in 1973 on Roe v Wade meant that fewer children were born to young, poor, single mothers
6. A sociologist at Tufts University, John Conklin, says a significant factor behind the fall in crime in the 1990s was the fact that more criminals were behind bars
7. An economist at Amherst College in Massachusetts links the fall in violent crime to a decline in children's exposure to lead in petrol. Jessica Wolpaw Reyes says: "Even low to moderate levels of exposure can lead to behavioural problems, reduced IQ, hyperactivity and juvenile delinquency
8. The baby boomers grew up. With birth rates peaking between 1957 and 1961, the proportion of men in the US in their late teens and early 20s was highest the late 70s and early 80s. As time went on, the proportion of people at "criminal age" decreased.
9. A study released last month suggested video games were keeping young people off the streets and therefore away from crime. Researchers in Texas working with the Centre for European Economic Research said this "incapacitation effect" more than offset any direct impact the content of the games may have had in encouraging violent behaviour.
10. Some people have suggested to Professor Blumstein there is another technological deterrent and that is the proliferation of camera phones, which makes some criminals think twice before risking possible incrimination on film. The impact of other kinds of cameras is unclear. In the UK, the influence of CCTV on crime is disputed.
Police Report 15 % Decline In Murder Rate, Jamaica!
There was a 15 % decrease in murders last year when compared to 2009.There were 254 fewer murders reported for the year just ended than for the previous year, 2009.
In 2009, 1,682 persons were killed, while last year that figure went down to 1,428.
Police say the decline in murder was part of an overall decline in all major crimes last year, in comparison to 2009.
Major crimes went down by 7 percent for 2010.
The police high command says this is the first time in eleven years that the national crime statistics show a reduction in all major crimes. Among them are larceny, shootings and rape.
According to the police, the reported cases of larceny went down by 30 percent.
With regard to murder, the police have singled out a number of divisions where the number of murders committed last year decreased.
In the Corporate Area, the largest reduction in murder was in the Kingston Central Division, going down by 47 %, while St. Andrew South had a 36 % decline.
Meantime, Portland achieved the largest percentage decline in murders.
That eastern parish had a 55 % reduction in murder from 20 in 2009, to 9 murders in 2010.
The St. James Division recorded a 21 % drop in its murder figures, moving from 240 murders in 2009 to 189 in 2010, a numerical decrease of 52.
This is the first time since 1999 that St. James is recording a decline in its murder rate.
Overall, 14 of the 19 geographic divisions had reductions in their murder rates.
Meanwhile, the police say the major focus for 2011 will be to defeat criminal gangs.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the operations portfolio, Glenmore Hinds says while the results for 2010 are significant, there is still much work to be done.
He states that if the activities of gangs are curtailed, the incidents of crime will decrease.
DCP Hinds says the police will continue to robustly target gang members and the space they occupy to commit crime.
He says these areas include bus parks and the commercial and popular vending areas across the island.
The Head of the Operations portfolio explains that the road networks will see an increased police presence and patrols.
DCP Hinds says it is these spaces that criminal gangs engage in extortion, robberies and generally drive fear into citizens.
The senior cop adds that foot and mobile patrols will be the backbone of this particular initiative, while vehicle check points and searches will boost the police’s ability to maintain control of the roads.
The Deputy Commissioner says the anti-gang initiatives will be further buttressed by an enhanced intelligence component.
