Crime And Threats Cause People and Businesses To Move

Highlights

Per Gallup, “when Americans felt under threat in their daily lives,” they express a desire to move.

48% now prefer to live in a town or rural area, up from 39% in 2018.

We have respected sources telling us that people may move, they are purchasing guns and security devices in record numbers and that fear of crime is at an all-time high.

“I’m gonna leave this city-Got to get away-I’m gonna leave this city-Got to get away-Well, all this fussing and fighting-Man, you know I sure can’t stay,” Canned Heat

Author

Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.

Retired federal senior spokesperson. Thirty-five years of directing award-winning public relations for national and state criminal justice agencies. Interviewed multiple times by every national news outlet. Former Senior Specialist for Crime Prevention for the Department of Justice’s clearinghouse. Former Director of Information Services, National Crime Prevention Council. Former Adjunct Associate Professor of criminology and public affairs-University of Maryland, University College. Former advisor to presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. Former advisor to the “McGruff-Take a Bite Out of Crime” national media campaign. Certificate of Advanced Study-Johns Hopkins University. Former police officer. Aspiring drummer.

Editorial

This is a follow-up to Gun Purchases Hit Record Highs-Why? where I stated that “From the recent disgraceful storming of the Capitol resulting in the horrific death of a Capitol Police officer to protests-riots-looting resulting in two billion dollars in insurance claims Riot Insurance Claims to rising violent crime and fear of crime Crime in the US to the pandemic to lack of trust in government Pew to endless questions about the accuracy and reliability of the media Columbia Journalism Review, institutions seem to have lost their ability to tell the truth, to protect citizens, and to hold lawbreakers accountable.

From firearm purchases to an explosion in personal and home security devices to people leaving cities and suburbs, Americans are concerned about their safety. Reports of businesses moving (or considering moving) exist.

The endless media stories about police officers leaving the job and recruitment down 63 percent doesn’t help.

Note

Gallup (below) doesn’t cite increasing violence in their analysis, focusing instead on the pandemic or 911 terrorism.

Gallup doesn’t measure people moving, just those expressing a preference as to where they would like to live.

Moving

There are endless articles about people moving from cities-metro areas because of COVID and crime. But beyond media accounts, the collective, multi-year data from Gallup is the only empiric indicator that I’m aware of regarding movement away from cities/suburbs.

A Gallup theme is, “when Americans felt under threat in their daily lives,” they express a desire to move. Today’s threats seem overwhelming to many.

Crime Related Moves

It’s highly likely that people will start moving out of the big cities. Watching the footage of the aftermath of the carnage created in Minneapolis is both heartbreaking and frightening. Companies will consider relocating their office buildings into the suburbs. It will be seen as too dangerous to remain, Forbes.

“People Can’t Flee These US Cities Fast Enough” is the title of a recent article from Moneywise that mostly focuses on crime, not COVID.

Crimes committed over the past several days would’ve been unheard of a year ago in the quiet neighborhood that’s home to Lincoln Center and restaurants. A 40-year-old woman was randomly stabbed in the 72nd Street subway station at noon Thursday; a 56-year-old man was sucker-punched while dining outdoors with his wife Wednesday night; photos were posted online of a man masturbating on the steps of the New York Historical Society; and onlookers witnessed an apparent overdose in the aisle of a Duane Reade across the street from the Lucerne Hotel, NY Post.

There is data as to moving companies in NYC being booked solid, Daily Mail.

There is a question from the New York Times whether NYC is worth it partially based on crime, New York Times.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune writes about “exhausted” cities and crime, Star Tribune.

Another great migration is underway–Black Americans are leaving big cities for the suburbs, Globe and Mail.

Three major shocks now threaten to upend that urban renaissance: The coronavirus is preying on densely packed places; anger over policing is producing social unrest reminiscent of earlier eras; and strained city and state budgets could prolong their economic pain, Wall Street Journal.

Businesses are leaving cities because of police defunding, crime, and riots: NewsBreak, Fox Business, Chicago Business, Yahoo Money

There are reports of Amazon partially moving out of Seattle partially because of protests and crime, New York Post.

See more at People And Businesses Moving Because Of Crime.

Gallup (quotes rearranged for brevity)

As 2020 came to an end, close to half of Americans expressed a preference for living in either a town or rural area rather than a city or suburb, a distinct increase from 2018, when about four in 10 thought country living was ideal.

Current attitudes are similar to those recorded in October 2001, the only other time Gallup has asked Americans this question. That reading, like today’s but unlike the 2018 one, was taken during a time of great national upheaval — shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when the public was still on edge about the potential for more terrorism occurring in densely populated areas.

Americans’ heightened preference since 2018 for living in a town or rural area is seen across demographic groups, including equal proportions of men and women. But three groups — namely, non-White Americans, Republicans and residents of the South — have shifted more strongly, with 12- or 13-point increases, Gallup.

Chart

Gallup-Fear Of Crime

Americans are more likely to perceive crime in the U.S. as having increased over the prior year (78%) than they have been at any point since 1993, Gallup.

Conclusions

We have respected sources telling us that people may move, they are purchasing guns and security devices in record numbers and that fear of crime is at an all-time high.

Some commenting on my articles tell me that they are fed up with crime and grime, the riots, and the justice system’s response. They perceive a lack of accountability for rioters and lawbreakers in general.

Cities, especially those experiencing protests/riots/looting and explosive violent crime and fear of crime will not only lose citizens but economic investment.

Cities and suburbs may lose big. People want safety. They want orderly communities with good schools. They want good jobs. Exploding violent crime destroys all that and more.

The vast majority of the crime discussion focuses on criminal justice reform, not holding offenders accountable for their actions. Is that scaring people into believing that their communities will be less safe?

The overwhelming number of Americans, regardless of who they are, want peaceful communities and accountability for offenders. Unless we can reverse the desire to move and the perceived need for personal ownership of firearms or security devices, cities and suburbs will flounder.

See More

More articles are available on the 2020 pandemic and crime at COVID and Crime.

See more articles on crime and justice at Crime in America.

Most Dangerous Cities/States/Countries at Most Dangerous Cities.

US Crime Rates at Nationwide Crime Rates.

National Offender Recidivism Rates at Offender Recidivism.

The Crime in America.Net RSS feed (https://crimeinamerica.net/?feed=rss2) provides subscribers with a means to stay informed about the latest news, publications, and other announcements from the site.

Contact

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