By:  Jerry Nix | Freewavemaker, LLC                                                                                        July 1, 2023

Turn on the T.V., Radio, or view any social media site today and all you seem to hear or see is the violence that is going on in America today.  And man do they tend to blow it out of proportion or what?  They have people so afraid to go out and enjoy the outdoors or even let their kids go out and enjoy the outdoors playing with neighbor kids or kids down the block.

No wonder the majority of Americans are becoming “over-weight couch potatoes” staying glued to the tube and the youth of America is playing so many computer and phone games. Kids today have totally missed out on how to hold a conversation with anyone their age or older.

“Crime is on the rise,” is all we want to hear and all the media wants to tell us about these days.  And the government says, “Yes, let’s keep the sheep in fear that way we can control them.”

But the fact is …

Though crime rates in the United States have fluctuated over time, they have generally been on a downward trend since the early 1970s. The violent crime rate (which includes murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) peaked in 1991 and has since fallen by more than half. The property crime rate (which includes burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) peaked in 1991 and has also fallen by more than half.

There are a number of factors that have been credited with the decline in crime rates, including:

• Increased incarceration rates: The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased dramatically since the early 1970s, and some experts believe that this has contributed to the decline in crime rates.  However, it should be noted, that many left-leaning District Attorneys are no longer prosecuted in recent years as they have in the past.  I believe this is because some in government truly want American’s scared and you scare them by allowing “thugs” to walk the streets of our cities.
• Changes in policing practices: Police departments have implemented a number of strategies aimed at reducing crime, such as community policing and problem-oriented policing.  Unfortunately, this too, is becoming a “practice of the past” with the most recent “defund the police movements” being carried out by some on the left.
• Economic factors: Some experts believe that the economic boom of the 1990s helped to reduce crime rates.  There is an old saying that, “You will likely never be held up at gunpoint and robbed by a rich man … only a poor man will do that.”
• Demographic changes: The aging of the population and the decline of the crack cocaine epidemic are two demographic factors that may have contributed to the decline in crime rates.  There has been a decline in the crack cocaine trade … it is now fentanyl that seems to be the drug of choice and our government still does nothing about it, even though estimates are that 100,000 people per year in America is dying because of it.

The decline in crime rates has been a welcome/positive trend, but it is important to note that crime is still a serious problem in the United States. In 2020, there were still more than 1 million violent crimes and more than 7 million property crimes reported to law enforcement.  And that is still many more than we should have … but as you will see when you read on … the rate of these crimes has been declining across the country.

However, it is also important to note that the decline in crime rates has not been uniform across all areas of the country. Some cities and states have experienced larger declines in crime rates than others. Additionally, some types of crime have declined more than others. For example, the homicide rate has declined more than the robbery rate.

The murder rate in America has fluctuated over the years since 1970, but has generally been on a downward trend. The highest murder rate was recorded in 1991, with 9.8 murders per 100,000 people. The lowest murder rate was recorded in 2020, with 5.9 murders per 100,000 people.  These are very small numbers when we look at them in terms of a percentage, i.e., 9.8 murders for every 100,000 people would be a percentage of 0.0098%.

Were you even aware of the fact that for every 100,000 people 12.9 will die in the next one year from automobile accidents.  Why isn’t this blasted all of the news and social media?

Overall, the decline in crime rates in the United States is a positive trend. However, it is important to continue to monitor crime rates and to implement policies that will help to keep crime rates low.  We, as individuals cannot implement policies that will help keep crime rates low and going lower …  but we certainly can get the “riff-raff” that would prefer to keep the crime rates higher out of political office and elect people who really care about people.

The violent crime rate peaked in 1991 at 758.2 per 100,000 people and has since fallen by more than half to 398.5 per 100,000 people in 2020. The property crime rate peaked in 1991 at 5,010.5 per 100,000 people and has also fallen by more than half to 1,958.2 per 100,000 people in 2020.  So based on these latest numbers there is a 0.3985% chance that you could be a victim of a violent crime and a 1.96% chance that you could be a victim of a property crime.  The chance of becoming a victim is pretty low … don’t you agree?

While crime rates have been declining, the media often focuses on sensational stories of violence. This can give the impression that crime is more common than it actually is. In reality, the vast majority of people in the United States will never be victims of violent crime.  Nor will their children.

It is important to remember that the media is a business, and they are driven by ratings. Sensational stories of violence sell, so the media is more likely to cover these stories than stories about the declining crime rate.

If you are concerned about crime, it is important to get your information from reliable sources, such as the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. The UCR Program provides comprehensive data on crime in the United States, and it is a more accurate reflection of the true crime rate than what you may see in the media.

This is an excellent tool if your interested in finding out about the “real crime rates” and not the hype for the U.S. or various states in the U.S.  You can find out more by following this link below:

https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/home

So where do we go from here?

I wrote this article to let you know that crime (especially violent crime and property crime) is not really as bad as what you may hear from our Media Guru’s today.  While I believe crime rates need to continue to fall … the only thing we the people can do … is to cast our votes for lawmakers who believe as we do so that they will continue to make laws and prosecute the criminals that want to rain havoc down on us. 

But in the meantime, please know that it is perfectly safe (as it relates to crime) to go out and enjoy life.  You don’t have to stay homebound out of FEAR.  Nor should you make your kids stay couped up in the house playing computer games when there is so much more to life for them outside learning to play, get along with and communicate with others. 

An old man once told me that FEAR is nothing more than False Evidence Appearing Real.  Don’t be a victim of fear.  The only ones you will please by doing that is your government!

Be Brave and Live Free!!!