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poverty correlation with crime
poverty correlation with crime
poverty correlation with crime
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There has been a significant surge in murder and violent crimes in San Antonio this year. “According to a recent study, the violent crime rate is projected to grow by 52.5 percent by December, the highest spike among 21 of the nation’s largest cities” (Eaton). So what is the reason for this massive increase in San Antonio crime? The San Antonio police chief, William McManus stated that “there is no one reason why violent crime and murder are rising so fast — both locally and nationwide” (Eaton). His answer coincides with my hypothesis and research outcomes as well. My research shows that San Antonio’s crime rate increase can be attributed to a myriad of social, economic, and governmental factors. These include, but are not limited to, population …show more content…
An academic study done on violent crime in San Antonio for the SciVerse Science Direct journal analyzes how built in environmental characteristics influence such a diverse and rapidly growing city. San Antonio’s population consists of 60% Hispanics, a poverty rate of over 18%, a teenage birth rate of 39/1000, and a homicide rate of 6.9 per 100,000 (302). The results of the study indicate that residential instability, poverty and low education rates are the biggest factors contributing to San Antonio’s crime increase (not forgetting the obvious population increase contribution). Almost 7% of San Antonio homes are “vacant” while 40% are rented, not owned (Sparks 304). The author explains that rented homes are usually what are inhabited by single mothers, military members, minorities, and lower income families that have increased chances of poverty and susceptibility to criminal involvement (Sparks 305). O’Sullivan shows how the relationship between crime and wage is very elastic, so a 10% increase in wages would lead to a 10% decrease in crime. In San Antonio’s case, the unstable nature of land use creates a lower opportunity cost for committing property crimes on vacant areas. A detailed map in the study showed how the north and northwestern areas of San Antonio with more housing turnover and housing construction consequently …show more content…
San Antonio is facing a market failure due to the high presence of area crime associated with the cities police department inefficiency, poverty rate, and inability to sustain its rapidly growing population. San Antonio has started to look into initiatives to increase their police force, work with different agencies and stop crime at the root. However, a lot of these initiatives started after the crime increase or are not at a large enough scale yet to keep up with the market failures of this growing
Sampson, R. J., Raudenbush, S., & Earls, F. (1997). Neighborhoods and Violent Crime: A Multilevel Study of Collective Efficacy.
Unlike many students who go to the Apache Junction campus at Central Arizona College, I live much farther out in then Apache Junction. I currently live in Gilbert Arizona. According to NeigborhoodScout, “Gilbert is a relatively large town located in the state of Arizona. With a population of 214,264 people and 44 constituent neighborhoods, Gilbert is the seventh largest community in Arizona.” (Location Inc, 2014) So, with a substantial amount of residents that live in Gilbert, one might think that there would be more crime in the area. But in actuality, that is not the case. According to NeighborhoodScout, Gilbert has one of the lowest crime rates in the state of Arizona. The rate of violent crimes in Gilbert, Arizona is 0.96 crimes per 1,000 residents. This crime rate is much lower than the crime rate of the state of Arizona, which sits at 4.29 crimes per 1000 residents. It also sits lower then the national median rate for violent crimes, which is 3.9 crimes per 1000 residents. When it comes to violent crimes, there have been only been 5 murders, 19 rapes, 59 robberies, and 122 assaults. The chance of someone becoming a victim of a violent crime in Gilbert is about 1 in 1045 chance, compared to the state of Arizona, which is 1 in 233 chance. When it comes to the rate of property crimes, Gilbert once again ranks lower then the State of Arizona and lower then the national median. The rate of property crimes in Gilbert is 15.80 crimes per 1000 residents. Which is lower then the state of Arizona, which sits at 35.39 crimes per 1000 residents, and lower then the national median of 28.6 crimes per 1000 residents. In Gilbert, there have been 726 burglaries, 2496 thefts, and 164 motor vehicle thefts. The chance of becoming a victim of a...
Poor minority neighborhoods have been overly regulated by police resources to arrest inner city residents (Mauer, 2006, pg 165). Inner cities like east St. Louis not only have over policing and crack issues but also have high levels of joblessness, high dropout rates(over 50 percent) and many other social problems (Provine, 2007, p 3). These factors can be positively correlated with crime and victimization and among African
Travis, J., & Waul, M. (2002). Reflections on the crime decline: Lessons for the future. Proceedings from the Urban Institute Crime Decline Forum (pp. 1-38). Washington, D. C.: Urban Institute Justice Policy Center.
Several strategies that can change living conditions and reduce crime rates are education, employment, and decreased inequality. “Changes in the structure of inequality would result in changes in crime rates” (pg.284 Social Inequality). The more opportunity is granted the less likely and individual is prone to committing crimes. Additionally, the government must implement changes to the current income guidelines which denies and reduces resources for many individuals living in poverty. Supplying low-income families with adequate means to generate and sustain access to opportunities such as safe and affordable housing, employment, and high-quality education can allow low-income families to change their social and financial class which can reduce the level of need decrease the amount of crime which often occurs to lack of resources. “Levels of criminal activity are responsive to changes in the distribution of income…a one percent reduction in inequality was shown to reduce crime to a larger extent than one percent increase in deterrence’’ (pp. 126- 127) (pg. 284 Social Inequality).
Table 1 of the Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, January-June, 2015 demonstrates the percent change by population group. The population group is broken down into cities and counties according to population. According to table 1, the crimes with the highest arrest rates were murder, rape, and aggravated assault, followed by robbery and motor vehicle theft. Murder, rape, and aggravated assault fall under Violent Crime Index whereas robbery and motor vehicle theft
Then all of a sudden, instead of going up and up and up, the crime rate began to fall. And fall and fall and fall some more. The crime drop was startling in several respects. It was ubiquitous, with every category of crime in every part of the country. It was persistent, with incremental decreases year after year. And it was entirely unanticipated, especially because the public had been anticipating the opposite...
One of the biggest issues in America today is crime. It is a large problem that continues to erode our country economically as well as morally. Because of the vastness of the problem, many have speculated what the cause for crime may be in hopes that a solution will be found. Many believe that a bad family life, location of residence, and poverty hold a few of the answers to why an individual becomes involved in criminal activity.
Broken windows theory may serve some value once a city has lost site of a zone and allowed its decline thereby effectively reallocating resources to areas with high concentrations of crime. However, crime occurs in all neighborhoods, by focusing on poor declining areas may be better served by preventive measures. Broken Windows may be a short-term solution that may help to improve an area that has become crime ridden, but moving police focus on one area of town and then another as crime mapping may be counterproductive that may be realized by Chicago and
San Antonio’s rich cultural heritage, historical significance, and natural beauty make it a great weekend destination for people of all ages. Whether you want to enjoy a romantic weekend with your special someone or have some fun hanging out with the kids, a weekend in San Antonio will not disappoint. I spent a couple of days in this beautiful city with my family once and have wanted to go back ever since. Many of the city’s main attractions are within walking distance of each other. Although I visited San Antonio in the dog days of summer, I would recommend that others plan a trip at a cooler time in the year. Those Texas summer days can get quite humid and uncomfortable. Whenever you decide to take your trip to this memorable destination,
When the City of Atlanta is mentioned, individuals automatically associate the city with its positive attributes, such as, the beautiful lights, family activities and tourist attractions. The crime that occurs often goes unmentioned; however it is increasingly becoming an issue. Forbes ranked Atlanta as the sixth dangerous city in the US with a violent crime rate of 1,433 per 100,000 residents. The city’s crime rate correlates with its poverty levels and low education rates along with Beccaria’s ideas of punishment being swift, severe and certain.
Statistics reveal that since 1960, crime rates have substantially increased from 1,620 per 100,000 persons to 4,593 per 100,000 persons in 1995.(1) This data illustrates the degeneration of society's "safety blanket." People no longer feel secure in the United States as they did in the past. They have become more vulnerable than ever to random acts of violence. Crime is ubiquitous and strikes at the heart of Americans when people least expect it, robbing them of their health, property, and loved ones. As a result, society has lost its confidence and assurance that the streets remain safe. Americans have become anxious about their safety knowing that "eight out of ten Americans are likely to be victims of crime in their lives."(2) Moreover, their belief and hope for a safer future has eroded.
Worrall, J. L. (2008). Reducing criminal opportunities through environmental manipulation. In Crime control in America: what works? (2nd ed., pp. 295-296). [Vitalsource for Kaplan University]. Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781269308267
The U.S. Department of Labor (2011) reported the national average of unemployment for 2008 was 5.8 percent. The rate dramatically increased in 2009 with an average of 9.3 percent and 9.6 percent for 2010. While unemployment rates have increased, the FBI’s preliminary reports for 2010 show that law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have reported a decrease of 6.2 percent in the number of violent crimes for the first 6 months of 2010 when compared to figures reported for the same time in 2009. The violent crime category includes rape, murder, robbery, and aggravated result. The number of property crimes also decreased 2.8 percent when compared to the same time last year. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson decreased 14.6 percent when compared to the same time periods of 2009 (FBI, 2011).
With a 10% increase in crime rate since 2009, budding city St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador) soared 19.2% above the national average and in 2010 placed as seventh in Canada’s overall crime rated cities (Brennan, 2011). The level of crime relative to suburban or rural areas has recently become an accepted theory in criminology. Regardless of the data source used, crime statistics consistently reflect that urban crime rates are substantially greater than crime rates in non-urban areas. More so, population size has been shown to be an important predictor of crime rates across cities, not only in Canada, but all over the world. St. John’s has developed and grown economically over the past few years, thriving off the offshore oil and gas industry who’s profits have injected about $800 million into the local economy boosting the city’s Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) attributed to the St. John’s Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) by an estimated 5.0% in 2010 to $9.8 billion, that adding to an increase of 5.4% for the province as a whole (City of St. John’s. 2011). A clear multiplier effect in population growth can be observed as St. John’s population increased by 8.9% between the years of 2001 and 2010 during the time in which the gas and oil and nickel industries settled in the area. Now, as one of the most rapidly developing cities in the country, St. John’s is getting a taste of one of the more serious social backfires to urbanization. Urban development in St. John's is increasing crime opportunities and the overall crime rate in the city and province. Supported not only by up to date statistics, this idea is also supported by year long criminal and social behavioral experiments conducted by trained psychologists such as Wolfgang...