Just How Bad is Crime Today?

It seems we get a daily barrage of media stories that report crime in our community, state, and nation. Read enough print articles or web postings or hear on TV enough of these reports and one can quickly get a sense of crime being everywhere. People can begin to fear leaving their homes at that point.

So how bad is crime then?

According to data from our 2007 UCR report, just under 1 in 100 people were the victim of a violent crime last year, and many of those were the result of lifestyle choices. What do I mean by that? People who become the victim of a violent crime while buying or selling drugs, or who get into bar fights, etc. count as UCR crime victims, but their victimization is directly linked to choices they make and the lifestyle they live. In other words, these are not random acts of violence.

The same report shows just under 6 in 100 people were the victim of property crimes in 2007. These crimes include burglaries, thefts, and auto thefts. The data only tells part of the story. More than half of our vehicle burglaries, for instance, are to unlocked vehicles with valuables left in plain sight. Our rate of property crime would decrease if people would simply take a moment to secure their property.

So how bad is crime then?

I guess it depends on how you look at the numbers and the stories behind the crime reports. Innocent people become random victims, which is not a good thing. Not so innocent people become victims, which is still not a good thing, but is preventable.

We try to work throughout the community to ensure no one becomes a victim of a crime. Please help us along the way by doing all you can to prevent you or your family from becoming a crime stat - prevention and common sense go a long way to keeping us safe.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Comments

[Lakelandmom]

Very good advice, Bill, I agree. How bad crime is DOES depend on how you look at the numbers. Also, COMMON SENSE is a huge deterrent to crime. The UCR shows December as having the highest property crimes and it makes sense. All those Christmas presents wrapped under the tree...if only the homeowners secured their property better and used more common sense, I'm sure it could be avoided. Good post, thanks.