[marktwain]

It is not surprising that crime dropped most in the West, with more reasonable gun carry laws, and actually rose in the Northeast, with some of the most repressive gun carry laws.

[Sudetenland]

Two factors more than anything else...the removal of God from our society, especially from our schools and an arrogant, overly powerful judiciary with an aggressive "civil rights" agenda.

Back in my youth criminals knew better than to talk back to a cop; they were certain to have "an accident" if they did, usually resulting in a black-eye or two. The use of profanity and vulgarity in public was a punishable offense. Children were taught to respect their elders and "spare the rod, spoil the child" was still the norm for how children were raised.

These norms were especially true in the South where we were all taught to say "Yes sir," "No sir," Yes mam," and "No mam" when addressed by an adult...to this day, I still do so.

Having a child out of wedlock was considered a scandal and the term ill-legitimate was still acceptable in discussing such children. Parents knew what their kids were doing and where they were.

Yep, I miss the days of sanity. Life was a whole lot better back then...at least morally and socially.

[BobinIL]

This is your typical “spreading the wealth” situation, Thanks to Section 8 housing. Here in Illinois they shut down the big housing projects in the inner city Chicago and declared small apartment complex’s in small down state towns section 8 housing and viola, they can’t live in their hood any more so they go down state and start a new “smaller” hood.

[fso301]

Growing up in the middle of the past century - at the end of the last millennium (gosh, I do feel old now), it was perfectly acceptable to leave your doors unlocked, the keys in your ignition, and your mower in your front yard.

Still plenty of neighborhoods like that.

[mad_as_he$$]

While I agree with your point about guns I think there is more at work here. I know 4 people (including Mrs. Mad) this year who have had a robbery committed against them. Since none were violent they simply did not report them to the police because it is such a time waster and generally a pain in the a$$. In addition the militarization of the police makes it so that every time you go to a police station you are treated like a criminal. Even victims are view as hiding something. Now, I go along way around to avoid any contact with the cops. I do not like being interrogated when I am the victim.

[dangus]

The article is full of crap. Crime is down MOST sharply in suburbs, where urban flight has gone to. Where crime is rising is in non-metropolitan small towns.

Is it the ruralization of the illegal alien? The spread of recreational drugs for boredom, such as crystal meth? I don’t know, and I don’t claim that those are reasonable guesses. But it is NOT that criminals follow their victims into the suburbs. During the worst years of the crack epidemic and white flight from D.C., Georgetown went years without a single murder.

[Waco]

Take away our guns, and home invasions will skyrocket, libs will say they’re trying to figure out why, but can’t come up with an ans. yet. The fed/guv knows this and is counting on it IMO.

[donna]

Any crime reduction in Maricopa County, Arizona is due to Sheriff Arpaio arresting illegal aliens.

[theDentist]

One other note: I read somewhere or other that the folks moving out of the cities aren’t moving far from them. More often, they find a home in an area about an hour’s drive from their old haunts, so they can easily visit family/friends. So, if you live in an area about an hour’s drive of a large city, move further away. That’s what I’m looking into.

[redgolum]

Meth is part of the problem in small towns.

[Labyrinthos]

Only non-violent property crime went up in the NE, which I believe includes white collar crimes committed by RATs on Wall Street. Violent crime in the NE was down by another 1.4%, which is pretty amazing after considering that the NE already has by far the lowest violent crime rates in the Country.