[Verginius Rufus]

When they talk about crime rates, are they talking about the total number of crimes or just those which result in a conviction in court? There are a lot of inner-city crimes that go unpunished because witnesses either don't want to help a justice system they consider part of the white racist power structure, or because they are afraid of being killed for cooperating with the police.

The liberal Atlantic magazine in the April 2007 issue has an article entitled "The Story of a Snitch" about this problem and how it played out recently in East Baltimore.

[Dan Evans]

When they talk about crime rates, are they talking about the total number of crimes or just those which result in a conviction in court?

The figures are based on incarceration rates and, as you point out, can only be a loose indicator of the actual crime rate.

As a criminal commits more crimes he becomes more skilled at evading capture. I once saw a statistic that in some places a career burglar may commit an average of 100 burglaries before he actually does time.

However, regarding race, white criminals may have higher IQ than blacks and that could make them more elusive.