Crime in America

Chapter 7

1
 The Nature of Crimes
• A crime
• is something that a person does or fails to do that
violates the law.
• The government establishes penalties for such
behavior.

2
 Crime rates
• influenced by many factors,
• although many people disagree about the
causes of crime and the best solutions to the
problem.
• The FBI uses 8 crimes as “index crimes” for
its Uniform Crime Reports, (murder, rape, robbery,
aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and
arson)

3
 2009
3.4 seconds Is the crime
5.0 seconds
14.3 seconds
39.7 seconds
rate going UP
23.9 seconds or DOWN?
34.5 minutes
6.0 minutes
1.3 minutes
39.1 seconds

Text pg. 74: Crime rate clock

4
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reports
5
6
*Victimization rate trends excludes NCVS estimates for 2006 because of methodological
inconsistencies between the data for that year and the data for other years. Changes to the
NCVS and their impact upon the survey's estimates in 2006 are discussed in the Criminal
Victimization, 2006 Technical Notes.
Source: National Crime Victimization Survey
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8
There were 1.6
million adult
drug arrests in
2010, up 5%
since 2001

There were
107,000
juvenile drug
arrests in 2010,
down 13%
since 2001

9
 Crime on campus

US Dept of Education 10
11
 Real rates of campus crime
• However, despite much publicized incidents
like the shootings at Sandy Hook in 2012,
Columbine and Santee 15 years ago, and
occasional incidents since then, no consistent
pattern of increase or decrease was observed in
the number of homicides or suicides of school-
aged youth at school
• The numbers have ranged between 34 and 14
total for the entire nation.
12
 Mass shooting casualties

From Mother Jones Magazine; most school-associated violent deaths occur during
transition times – immediately before and after the school day and during lunch. 13
 Crime is costly
• in addition to the loss of life and property,
• it costs the government a great amount of
money to
• prevent, investigate, and prosecute crime.

14
 Gangs

An association of 3 or more persons who

adopt a specific group identity and
whose purpose is, in part, to engage in
criminal activity; and whose members
engage is such criminal activity to
benefit the group’s power, reputation, or
economic resources.

15
 Gangs and Crime
• Gangs are active in towns and cities of all sizes throughout
the country.

Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported that

street gangs were present at school during the previous
year, by urbanicity and grade, 2009
16
 Gangs
• Gangs expose their members and their
communities to extreme violence and danger.
Many youths join gangs because gangs
• offer a sense of belonging and
• an opportunity to earn money.

17
According to the FBI, there were approximately 1.4 million firearms in the US in 2011.

18
 Gang prevention
• Most people agree that a promising strategy
to discourage gang membership is to
• provide young people with opportunities and
• community connections that will offer them
• a greater sense of belonging.

19
Guns and Crime

20
Guns and the Law

21
Weapons use and violent crime
Non-fatal firearm crime
rate
US Dept. of Justice
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Rates of crime per 1000 persons

22
 Weapons and crime statistics
• Approximately half of all robberies, about a quarter of all
assaults, and roughly a twelfth of all rapes/sexual assaults
involved an armed assailant.
• About 90% of homicide victims were killed with a weapon.

23
 Weapons and crime statistics
• From 1993 through 2001 the number of murders declined 36%
while the number of murders by firearms dropped 41%.
• From 1994 through 1999, the years for which data are available,
about 7 in 10 murders at school involved some type of firearm,
and approximately 1 in 2 murders at school involved a handgun.

24
 Guns and the Law
• Most Americans who
own firearms own
them legally and use
them lawfully.
• About 37% of
Americans own a
firearm.
• However, guns are
often used in violent
crimes.
• Estimates of the
number of guns in the
US range from 270
million to 310 million
25
 Guns and the Constitution
• The Second Amendment to the Constitution:
• A well regulated militia, being
necessary to the security of a free
state, the right of the people to keep
and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
• Second Amendment Worksheet: With a partner, answer the
questions on Side A and the majority or dissenting questions on
Side B.

26
 Gun control?
• Many people disagree about the
government's role in controlling gun
ownership.
• Some people believe that the Second Amendment
gives the state power to maintain a militia but
does not entitle individuals to own guns.
• Some groups believe the Second Amendment
protects the right of individuals to own guns.
• The Supreme Court agreed with the latter in 2008 in
the Heller decision

27
 Federal Gun Laws
• The Federal Gun Control Act of 1968 is
• the primary federal gun-control law.
• Congress amended this law 1993 by enacting the
Brady Act.
• Provided for background checks and waiting periods
before a purchase

28
 Assault weapons
• In 1994, Congress passed legislation to ban 19
types of military assault weapons
• That ban was allowed to lapse on September 13,
2004
• Gun groups are opposed to renewal of the ban;
police and law enforcement groups are in favor
of renewal

29
 Local Gun laws
• Gun laws have also been enacted at the state
and local levels.
• California (as well as New York,
Massachusetts, and Hawaii) maintains a
more stringent assault weapons ban than the
old federal law
• Many of these laws are under scrutiny since the
SCOTUS ruled guns are personal right in 2008,
and applied that to the states in 2010
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Substance Abuse and Crime

31
 Substance Abuse and Crime
• Abuse of alcohol and drugs, often called
substance abuse, contributes to many social
problems and
• often leads to other criminal activity.

32
Percentage of students in grades 9–12 who reported
using alcohol during the previous 30 days, by sex:
Selected years 1993–2001

33
Source: National Institutes of Health

34
 Alcohol
• Although many adults use alcohol
responsibly…
• alcohol abuse can be very harmful to society.
• A 1995 National Institute on Drug Abuse
report estimates the total cost of the abuse of
alcohol alone is $150 billion per year
(accidents, health care, treatment, lost
productivity, etc.)
35
 Drug use and Crime: Local findings
From over 7000 bookings taken during a 2-week
sample period

From the National Institute of Justice

Annual Report of 2003: Year 2000
Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring

36
 Solutions?
• Some people argue that the best way to
handle the drug problem is to legalize some
or all drugs.
• They believe legalization would allow the
government to better regulate drugs and
• would eliminate the problems that are
associated with illegal distribution of drugs.
• Many others, however, strongly oppose
legalization.
37
Crime Victims

38
 Victims of Crime
• Every person is at risk to be a victim of
crime.
• However, teens and young adults are more
likely than any other age groups to be
victims.

39
 Victims of Crime by Age

Persons age 12 to 24 sustained violent victimization at rates higher than

individuals of all other ages. Beginning with the 20-24 age category, the rate
at which persons were victims declined significantly as the age category
increased.
40
 Victim advocacy
• Victim advocacy groups work to protect
victims by…
• promoting the concerns and rights of victims.

41
 Preventing and Reporting Crime
• You can help fight crime by learning how to
protect yourself.
• Also, reporting crime can help to prevent
others from being victims.

42
 Crime victim assistance
• There are many organizations and programs
that exist to assist victims of crime and
prevent future crime.
• National Center for Victims of Crime
• California Victims Compensation Board
• Victims Services Program of Yolo County
• WEAVE: Women Escaping A Violent Environment (Sac
County)

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