Violent Crime Beats Coronavirus As The Number One Issue

Highlights

Maryland declares that violent crime is their first concern even when considering the coronavirus.

There are six million violent crime incidents in the United States. It’s reasonable to suggest that close to half of American households are victimized by crime or ID theft in one year. How does that compare to the coronavirus?

Author

Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.

Retired federal senior spokesperson. Thirty-five years of 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. Aspiring drummer.

Article

The nation and world are in hyperdrive regarding the coronavirus. It’s profoundly impacting daily lives and the global economy. Quite frankly, it’s scaring the hell out of people.

This is why I marvel when extreme liberal Maryland declares that violent crime is their first concern even when considering a possible coronavirus pandemic (see below). Up to retirement, I was a lifelong resident and spent close twenty years in the Maryland criminal justice system as a cop and director of public information.

Violent and household crime affects more people than most medical issues in the United States, CDC.

Perspective-Violent Crime and The Coronavirus

The number of violent incidents increased from 5.2 million in 2017 to 6.0 million in 2018, Bureau Of Justice Statistics.

In 2018, the estimated number of murders in the nation was 16,214, FBI.

Household crime per Gallup for 2018 increased. 24% of households were victimized by violent or property crimes (excluding cybercrimes) in 2018, up from the 22% who said the same last year.

Beyond the 24 percent of households victimized by violent and property crimes, 23% of U.S. households were victimized by cybercrime in 2018. It’s reasonable to suggest that close to half of American households were victimized by crime in one year per Gallup.

At the time of this writing, there are 118 cases of the coronavirus reported in the U.S., and state officials said 231 people are under public health supervision and fewer than ten people have died, USA Today. Obviously, this will increase.

Perspective-Fear Of Crime

Per Gallup, 75 percent of Americans worry about crime and violence (down from 78 percent in March 2018), which was the same as health care, the top concern, Fear of Crime.

Gallup asked those polled if they worried about topics a great deal or a fair amount. Crime was ranked the same as health care using a combined score.

Half of Americans Believe Crime is Very or Extremely Serious, US Crime Rates

Maryland

Per The Crime Report.Org, Baltimore police made nearly 15 percent fewer arrests in 2019 than they did in 2017, the Baltimore Sun reports. The department reported 29,042 arrests in 2017, 25,563 in 2018 and 24,826 in 2019.

The data include crimes ranging from murder and rapes to vandalism and disorderly conduct. There were declines in several categories, including arrests for homicides, which dropped from 125 in 2017 to 101 in 2018 and 89 in 2019, even as the number of homicides grew to 348 last year. Overall arrests for drug offenses also declined about 30 percent, from 5,448 in 2017 to 3,770 in 2019.

The robbery rate for Baltimore is more than double the rates for most cities. For many cities, Baltimore’s rates for robbery (first in the nation) are astronomically higher. Baltimore is third on the list of cities with the highest rates for violence. Baltimore is second for rates of homicide, Most Dangerous Cities.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan used his sixth State of the State address to call Baltimore’s unrelenting violence the state’s most pressing problem, the Washington Post reports.

Article From Maryland Matters (rearranged direct quotes)

Marylanders have a growing anxiety about two issues that have been in the news a lot lately — public safety and health care — according to a new survey. The continuing surge in street crime in Baltimore and the spread of the coronavirus are responsible, the pollster behind the numbers said.

The Gonzales Maryland Poll found that crime is voters’ No. 1 issue in the state, at 24%, followed by health care, the top concern of 17% of residents surveyed.

Pollster Patrick Gonzales noted that health care was the top issue of Maryland residents just 5% of residents in January. He attributed the 12-point jump to fears about the coronavirus threat.

Source: Maryland Matters

Conclusions

I’ve always marveled as to the American acceptance of violent and property crime as “normal.” Throughout my career as a police officer and a federal crime prevention specialist and spokesperson, I’ve seen first hand the devastating impacts of violence and property crime as life-changing events; profoundly so in many circumstances.

Fear of the coronavirus is normal and yes, the Maryland poll was done in January and yes, the economic impact will be enormous.

But crime also destroys metropolitan areas both spiritually and economically. There are a wide array of cities beyond Baltimore that are impacted, Most Violent Cities.

“Hundreds of studies have now demonstrated this contagious nature – even across many types of violence. The research shows that when an individual is exposed to violence as a victim or witness – in their community, at home or in war – they become more at risk of developing violent behaviors. The brain is picking up the violence it sees and copying it, much like the Aids virus replicates in a person,” The Guardian.

There is a variety of data suggesting that police officers are responding to negative media coverage (some of it deserved) by being far less proactive. They are making far fewer arrests. Per USDOJ data, police proactivity reduces crime.

The election may hinge on perceptions of the candidate that best protects the safety and security of the American people. Considering fear of crime data, it will be a tough market for those desiring reform.

But like the coronavirus virus, Americans will demand safety before all else.

See More

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.

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