In the past two decades, New York has bragged on its falling crime rate. Now New York is struggling to explain why murders aer up fifteen percent. In the 1970s and 1980s, the city lost tourists and businesses due to the city being associated with graffiti-slashed subway cars, littered streets, and a crack cocaine epidemic. When crime plummeted in the 1990s, New York renamed itself as the safest city in the United States, bringing back in the tourist and businesses it lost. Now statistics are showing rape and murder up more than fifteen percent.
"We are sliding back in the wrong direction, " said City Councilman Peter Vallone. Vallone states that the failing economy is partially to blame. However, police spokesman Paul Browne dismisses that theory stating, "Our experience is that a worsening of the economy doesn't turn otherwise law-abiding people into criminals."
Despite the sudden rise, murders are still down seventy-three percent compared to 1993 and down seventeen percent from 2001. In 2009, there were 471 murders recorded for the entire year. So far in 2010, from January 1 to October 31, there has been 450 murders. This total is up from last years. Between January 1,2009 and October 31, there were only 390 murders in New York.
Vallone states that the police force has been reduced due to budget cuts, the economy is weaker, and state lawmakers last year relaxed famously strict laws that required mandatory prison terms for low-level drug felons.
Crime is a problem all over the world, but by far New York is known for its large share. I was glad to hear that the crime rate in the city has fallen so exponentially since 1990 when there was 2,262 murders. That is an unreal number. Its hard to think that such high rates of murder occur in the United States. But as far as the increase in the murder rate, I don't believe it is drastic enough to start pointing fingers as to who is to blame. Murder is always going to be one of the things that need to be prevented, but all the same, it will always be something that will happen. The difference is just a few cases isn't enough to label New York as one of the deadliest cities like it used to be.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AB2Y920101112
2 comments:
I think there are many factors for why people engage in criminal acts, including economic issues. New York is filled with people from all over the world that all come from different backgrounds and societies. One basic factor cannont be used to blame crime, it is a combination of factors, and a combination of different personalities.
City areas always have increased crime rates, but it's even higher when there are economic issues. It just shows how the economy effects everything in a country. However, I do believe there are supporting factors as well.
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