This article was overall an eye opener. There where some facts that I did not know about crime rate between the present and past. There where three interesting things that caught my eye. The first interesting thing was the charts where you can see for yourself about violet crime rates and many other crimes you can estimate from 19 different categories. The second interesting thing I found was the statistics from the last 17 years and how much it a decreased from that specific time period from not just different states but a country as a whole. The last interesting fact I found was the other different articles that mentioned on how low crime rate was over the last 40 years and some other facts going to back into the 1960's to 2009. Over all this article was a good way to show different statistics. DaBulls456
I agree! I like the fact how the article explains how crime rates were in the different years. I also like how the article said how back in the 1960's police officers were a big target. Which, today they still are. Overall, the article was very interesting.I also like how it showed the different statistics.
The article was an eye opener as well, the fact that the crime rate is going down is good to see. The article provided a lot of information that I did not know. The media just makes it seem like all people do know a days are crime related, so I thought the crime rate would be going up inside of down. bamboo456
The article surprised me in many ways, not acknowledging half of the facts that were thrown at me. Three of the most interesting facts i discovered were unbelievable. First, how the United States crime has declined over the past 40 years. Second, in the past, police officers were at a higher risk of being killed than in present day. Finally, being able to look at the different charts; and comparison between the different statistics from past to present on crime. This article obtains good information on crime and it's statistics. BoyoKid456
This article is about violent crimes being the lowest it's been in 17 years. This is no surprise to me at all; Coming from a young mans perspective I Know that everyone will take risk and be a little wild at times in their youth. If you were to talk to you parents and ask them what they did for fun when they were your age there answer will most likely be something illegal, either going to a house party and under age drinking or simply loitering at the mall it is something that nobody batted an eye at back then. Unfortunately if you were to do anything illegal today and get caught the punishment would be far greater than what your parents would receive in the day. To me this is the main reason why the crime rate keeps dropping. It's because nobody wants to go to jail or prison! Now this fear isn't simply going to stop criminals from caring out the acts that they do. That's why there is 2.3 million prisoners in the U.S. That's 1% of the adult populations. Now although 1% of an entire population sounds like a little bit or a lot depending on how you look at it, the media will always play it off as though the countries criminal population is 75%+ but they only do that to get ratings higher so reading this article is a nice refreshment to that not everyone's a bad guy.
I completely agree with you that if we did half the things our parents did we would get caught and reprimanded so much more than they did. People were more lenient back then. I remember my mom telling me stories of what she did back then and if I did any of that today I'd be way too scared and paranoid of getting caught and ending up in big trouble. Extreme456
Using parents and what they did was a great way of showing an example of how rules and laws have changed over the past 40 years. I would have to agree that most people back then did a lot of illegal stuff without being caught or even known it was illegal. Back then people also didn't wear there seatbelts as often as they do now. It was also wasn't as against the law as it is now. All around I agree and liked how you brought up the idea of how parents used to do illegal things. ICCRunner789
The article is really “mind blowing” if you think about it. To look back on statistics on crimes from 1960 to present day is a major reality check. There were so many interesting facts that I learned about police officers and the difference of crimes from then to now. One thing that stood out was that the policemen were in way more risk of getting killed back then than in today's society. After thinking about it some I realized that it makes sense to me. Today’s society portrays the police officers as the bad guys and how brutal they are. We are more afraid of them now than back then. Another interesting fact I saw between the FBI charts is how the theft rate from 1960-2002 increased a lot. The interesting part is that from 2003-2014 it decreased dramatically. I am really shocked that in 1960 it started at 1,855,400 to 1,837.3 in 2003. The last interesting fact that really shocked me is only one major media outlet talked about how exactly the crime rates are decreasing. Even then they kept it vague like it was no big deal. That made me mad to be honest. Extreme456
It is true that the perception of police officer has changed over the years. With the negative outlook on police that have been going around the country you would think that the rate would go up but thankfully it has been on a downward rate. I think the reason for this drop in the death toll is that the officers now are trained better and differently now to deal with the life threatening situations they faced and in doing so it has saved many lives over the years. Birdman123
It is true that the perception of police officer has changed over the years. With the negative outlook on police that have been going around the country you would think that the rate would go up but thankfully it has been on a downward rate. I think the reason for this drop in the death toll is that the officers now are trained better and differently now to deal with the life threatening situations they faced and in doing so it has saved many lives over the years. Birdman789
It was exciting to read that the crime rates for violent offences are at their lowest rate in forty years. One relieving fact that they mention is the chances of being murdered or robbed are less than half of what they were in the 90’s. It might just be me but I like that my chances of being murdered or robbed have been cut in half, it makes me feel safer if I go into the city to do something. Another thing to catch my eye was to see that the law enforcement deaths are the lowest fifty years, it is always better to have the death toll to be at zero all the time but having it decreased is the second best thing that can happen. The last interesting fact that I saw was that rape is down one sixth of what it used to be in the past twenty years. Birdman123
Unfortunately I was not very surprised that the media chose not to share the potentially ratings damaging news with the nation. In this day and age violence sells, whether it be on the 5 o'clock news or the latest social media trend violence is always the top story. With the fact that violence is so glorified it's easy for people to get so enveloped in the most current bad news that they don't see that this may have been the only bad event to happen in weeks or months. If there was as much media coverage on the good happenings in the world I think people would have a more optimistic view on the well-being of our future. Even when news companies give credit where credit is due they have to include that inkling of doubt in their information which never truly make the reader feel assured. Scooby789
I agree with you on the fact that media chooses to not to share the new about crime rates dropping. They are all about viewers so whatever gets them more followers is what they will advertise. If they chose to advertise the good instead of the bad just think how much much better of a place this country could be. dragons789
The first paragraph of this article was very bold and showing how the statistics from the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice Reports was amazing. Seeing that crime was at a third of what it was seventeen years ago is just plain incredible. It just makes me mad how the media hasn't been screaming and praising join about this but instead one person said "appears to be crime is down". That was just paraphrasing but it was basically the same thing. It was fact that the crime rate was down and we need to see some celebration from the media about this and not just seeing the stuff that will get more views. One of my favorite things about this article is that the writer put the links on it to show that he wasn't lying or showing us some exaggerated truths.
This article makes you open up your eyes and realize it's not as violent as people think it is. Violent crime rate has dropped a third of what it was 17 years ago is incredible.The media plays a big role in realizing these facts though. They will gain more followers by advertising how much crime is being committed compared to how much the violent crime rates are dropping. Thats why all you see in the media is violent crimes and officers getting hurt or killed. The media always talking about violence probably has a big impact on the youth and the life styles they will choose. All they see in the news is about people committing violent crimes so they grow up to think it's alright because thats all they see on TV. IF the media would switch they way they talk about crimes and show how much crime rates are dropping and not as many officers are getting killed it could change the youths perspective crime. They could go from thinking crime is okay to realizing its not and choosing the lifestyle of not committing crime. dragons789
I agree that the youth may get influenced by what the media broadcasts. If all they see is murder and crime in general they will more likely think it's okay to do these things. I do think the media should switch the way they report on crime by adding in the good things, like the drop in the crime rate. DeadMan456
I agree with you that the media plays a big role in how we look at crime. The media only shows the bad stuff because that's what people want to see. I think its crazy that people would rather see the bad stuff instead of wanting to know the good that is going on. Godzilla789
Overall I found this article very interesting, and the links it provided showed me many things that I had no idea about. I knew that crime rates were decreasing, but I didn’t know that crime has gone down two thirds since 1994. I was also very surprised that only one major media article reported this decrease. From the first link I clicked on, I knew I would learn something; to begin with, the year 2000 had the lowest historic crime rate. I also learned that part of the increased crime rates during the 1980’s and 1990’s was due to the crack epidemic. Third, I learned that Western states saw the biggest decline in crime. I was very surprised and almost disappointed to learn that a lot of media outlets that reported on the decrease in crime watered down the good news about crimes going down by focusing on crime that did happen. Blues456
This really is a shocking article. If crime rates are going down, why isn't the news reporting on this? We talk about the rise in crime so why not do the same with the decline. Most of it might be that the news only wants to report the bad things happening. But with the crime rate being 1/3 of what it once was is just amazing. With all the news coverage of mass shootings, home invasions, and other crimes you wouldn't stop to think this was happening. DeadMan456
I think a lot of your question reasons on the fact that the media feels they have a right to report only negative statistics. It helps plant a sense of fear and hopelessness in people on a daily basis as they see the wrong with what’s going on outside in the ‘real’ world. The real world can definitely be viewed as topics of crime reduction and a lessening in damning society for being evil. I can see this with the older population of the U.S. Many take on a sense of feeling vulnerable, with technology or the news itself. The times are changing even if most don’t choose to pay much attention to it. - StrongArm789
The media won't report the decrease in crime because it could affect their ratings. If the news reports the decrease in crime then people will think the world is becoming safer and they wont need to watch the news as much. The media will also only report the bad things in order to keep people interested and update them as much as possible. This will keep people watching the news and the people who work there can keep their jobs.
I think you are exactly right, why isn't the media reporting on the crime rates going down? It is also a source of frustration to me at how people won't take 10 minutes to look up the facts instead of trusting the media which has been proven time and time again that it should not be a reliable source. Piglet456
The issue with media is social control and fear. Politics rely on the media to convey a certain feeling from the viewer. Look at politics and when something gets aired watch how people respond. Guns are bad and they will be taken, as a result people freak out at each other and guns and bullet sales go up. Rating makes the news, well the news. With this they can say anything and there will be followers alongside them, look at the anti-cop debates. Interesting times we live in. Palmdaddy789
The information on wanttoknow.info has many avenues on which to measure violent crime rates on a societal level throughout the past 20 years. Having a decreasing trend on terms of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault by around 33% is definitely a positive that we can examine each with great detail. Why the media seems to be skeptical about these statistics make me think that many news sources only do want the public to hear and see the negatives because it is fuel for their own fires. How many times could they report on a decrease in crime before viewers find something more interesting to watch? I feel that they do glorify stories like police brutality or terrorism because it can grow exponentially from all sides to the viewer watching. In most cases there are too many sides to these topics that branch off into limitless dichotomies. Having 2.3 million Americans behind bars is shocking in itself, 1%. That’s almost the population of Brooklyn. The generational gap of the baby-boomers has a huge factor, and it may be exactly what this country needs to have to draw the gap even further; perhaps even in line with different programs of rehabilitation being established as well. This article has an informative scope of various charts that are indicative to relating the data also. Being able to break down the components by year and type of crime helps immensely. It is easy to tell that murder by itself fell from 23,760 (in 1992) to 14, 827 (in 2012). Links to information like the Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics site are great ways to divulge more information to the public other than saying, ‘Crime is down, but…’ I understand news sources are looking for ratings but plenty of good can come from information such as these sites. It’s similar to being bored and instead of watching reality television people turn to crime or court television to observe what is going on, because that is what’s real. - StrongArm789
It seems that everyone is concerned with what they see on social media and the news when the real facts are beyond those sites or television channels. The crime going down is a wonderful sign that shows us all of the criminal justice systems hard work is actually showing on the statistics. KLICK789
The article was an eye opener. It gave a lot of facts that I didn't know. It's a shocker to hear about crime from the 1960's and 70's till now. It's good to know that the deaths of police officers have went down a lot. In my mind I thought the crime rate was going up, but according to the FBI it has gone down. Which, that part was very interesting. Back in the day, I didn't know police officers was suck a target back then. In today's society they are kind of still a target. They are know as the "bad guys". It really didn't shock me to hear, that the small towns in the US didn't really have a lot of crime to be reported. But, the most bigger/larger cities have had a lot of crime to report. I think the article was great, and a eye opener. I would tell anybody who is looking into the criminal justice field to take a look at this!
I think its crazy that everyone thinks crime is on the rise and the streets aren't safe. If they only took the time to look up the credible facts and not rely on the media to give them all of there info. Violent crime is at its lowest point in 40 years, that's something people wouldn't believe if you told them because of all the crime and murders you see on the news.Im glad this class opens up your eyes to the big picture, other people are almost tunnel vision when it comes to what is credible and what isn't. They will almost always believe what is on the news, I watch the news just to see if they are showing bias to certain topics. KLICK789
this article really makes you think about the world and how its not as dangerous as the media makes it out to be. The violent crime rate is the lowest it has been in forty years. Its not even just violent crime that is decreasing its all types of crimes, violent and non violent. Even though in the last few years the incarcerated population has been decreasing it was crazy to see that the 2.3 million people who are incarcerated adds up to 1% of the adult population in the united states. This article also talks about the reason why the crime rate is decreasing. The reasons could be because the baby boomers are aging, the percentage of young adults has decreased, and the sentencing laws are tougher (which is why there are 2.3 million people in prison.) though we are seeing a decrease in the prison population over the last few years. I a glad that the crime rate is going down, but the media refuses to cover that in order to receive higher ratings.
This was a very exciting article to read. The fact that crime rate is One Third of what it was 17 years ago is exciting. Its also really upsetting that no major media network is reporting this instead they only report the violent crimes that are happening now. It just really goes to show that the Media only focuses on the negative aspects. It really makes you think are they not reporting this on purpose? Do they not know this? what is really going on here? I like how the article talks about the baby boomers growing up which goes to show that crime is something people can grow out of. Some people think its dangerous now? Just imagine living back then when the crime rate was up. Godzilla789
You make a really good point about media, why are they not reporting this? Are they doing it on purpose. Its just really astonishing that media knowing millions of people are watching are reporting false facts. Aren't we suppose to rely on the news to let us know whats REALLY happening in the world? -dicaprio789
'Just imagine living back then when the crime rate was up.' I made a note that spoke to this as I was reading the article! What was it the WILD WILD WEST back then. And how did I manage to survive this crime wave. Something else that I didn't see until I posted was this cat used to work for Bush and Clinton. This sorta happy go lucky article writing is what put this nation in the mess its in now. The author spoke of the FBI padding their numbers to justify their 'budget'. Takes a crook to spot a crook. Good times. Doberman789
This article was very interesting and brought to light some things that I had never really thought about before. There were three things that I found to be of great interest to me as I read through this article. First, I was astonished by the media's lack of reporting crime rate decrease. The author of this article gave examples and statistics of how the crime rate has gone down but why is it that when we turn on the T.V. we never hear any of that stuff, all that is focused on is the negatives. A second thing that caught my eye was the charts made for every crime type from 1960-2014. I think I liked these charts so much because they gave a visual aspect to them, they showed the actual numbers and it was interesting thing for me to look at. The third thing that I noticed while I was reading was how the author of this article emphasized how no one really seems to know that crime rates are declining all because there are 2.3million Americans behind bars right now, and prison sentences are becoming more and more harsh. I think that is a shame because people should know that the world we live in now is safer than it was 20 years ago, and people don't have to live in fear all the time. Piglet456
This article was very interesting to me, and opened my eyes. Im not going to lie I am one of the people who watches the news daily. I was shocked to actually find out that the crime rates are at the lowest in 40 years! I was even more shocked to find out that the news isn't reporting crime accurately. The media is always and will always be a huge problem especially with crime and the criminal justice system. The media only wants to show you what they want to show you, and it nearly is almost never the truth. Therefore you have citizens living in fear and thinking a lot of these bad things are happening when they are not. I will be honest it was a big shock to me when i saw these stats because all the news portrays is killings and shootings in chicago every weekend. I don't think we should live in fear like a lot of us are. Things are changing and i think they will continue to change. -dicaprio789
The first interesting thing that I read was that the crime rates are now one-third lower than they were in 1994. In the news and the media all, you hear about is who is getting killed, and actions like that. Granted that I was not alive in 1994, I still was surprised. I was also surprised to see that the crime rates have been dropping for the past forty years. The fact that just not all violent crimes, but crimes, in general, have declined more than half in the past twenty years amazes me. It shows that the criminal justice system is working because the crime rates are dropping. One part that did not surprise me is that there are nearly 2.3 million people in prison. The United States have more people in their prisons than any other country in the world. One percent might not seem like a lot but when you have billions in the country it is. bamboo456
I was also amazed that all crimes have declined by almost half and that the media misrepresents the amount of crime going on. We are always seeing stories about crime on the news, specifically stories about law enforcement officers either being killed or killing innocent people. When we see a lot of this in the news, we tend to believe that this is happening more often than it did in the past, otherwise they would not be focusing on it. However, the fact of the matter is, almost every single aspect of crime has been declining and is lower now than it has been in many years. Very cool article! Cards789
I like how the article is blunt with the way the layman interprets the news and calls it fact. I have seen this more and more as I ask certain people what their opinion is and there is always a larger disagreement when I say we have had the lowest crime rate in 40 years over their claim of it being at its highest. Social control is very real. This class has changed the way I look at our reality and it is interesting when someone confronts you about the “facts” they see on tv and you get to scholar to them about their false findings. The news is a tool and as a result allows you to think and shed light on something, but you must research before you argue something that could be false and often time is. Palmdaddy789
Right away this article gives out vital information about violent crimes and how they are at the lowest they have been in 40 years. And in 2010 they were 1/3 the rates in 1994. The writer of the article seemed really excited about the great news at the end of the article. I would be as well if I put all of this information together. I wonder what happened to change people's perspective on violent behavior. Maybe people are learning that things can be resolved without having to be violent. -Ibanez789
The main topic of this article is how crime rates have been declining and in a major way, but the media is not bringing this to light. Violent crime rates are the lowest they have been in 17 years according to the FBI's statistics. Not only that, but also, the rates in 2010 were 1/3 the rates of 1994. Therefore, the rates have not just decreased, but they have done so remarkably. One of the most eye-opening statistics was that deaths of law enforcement is the lowest it has been in 50 years. This was eye-opening to me because the media would lead me to believe the opposite..that more law enforcement officers are being killed nowadays than in the past. The news and other media sources may report the decline in crime rates, more specifically, violent crime rates, but they always seem to downplay it and act as if the statistics are not impressively declining, although they are. The media may mention that the rates have declined, but not to what extent. Once you take a look at the charts from the FBI's reported statistics, almost every type of crime has declined over half. This article is crucial in understanding the large role the media plays in influencing viewers' minds or perspectives. Cards789
Reading this article was very interesting. Seeing that the crime rate declined to the lowest level in 40 years was unbelievable. The first thing you see now and days is how so much crime is going on today. The Media plays a big part of showing the world of all the crime is being committed. I really didn't hear to much about cops getting killed in my life but it seem back then it was high. I can see why crime was so high back in the day from the start of new gangs that settled in Chicago and California because of the population but I wouldn't of never thought it was at it lowest you have to think about the non-reported crimes even the crimes that is being committed in prisons, jails, and even in children homes around the world. BikeLife456
Yea, its interesting how the media today is shaping our perception of crime in the US. We hear so much about these isolated police shootings, and how they are made out to automatically be racial ties. The media is hungry and willing and capable of doing anything to get stories and ratings. On the other hand the mass shootings that are occurring at a higher rate are very troubling. Due to these increased occasions, one would almost disagree with this article. Music 456
Interesting news to hear considering what we hear from the media these days. ITs good we are at our lowest crime rate in 40 years! Whats astonishing is the attention the criminal justice system is getting from the media, and its negative. We hear so much about all these mass shootings, and isolated police officer incidents around the country. Ties are made to racial profiling and things blow up. With all of this propaganda and sometimes incorrect assumptions, one would find it hard to belive crime is declining. Its interesting that 2.3 million people are in our prisons. Crime has gone down a bit due to the tougher sentencing laws, but its way too expensive to house all of these people. I think different measures need to be taken. Music 456
First of all. Miami Vice aired from 1984-1990. Coincedence, I think not! That is my reason for the steady decline of crime in America :). Crockett and Tubbs got off the set and started cleaning up the streets. No seriously. This article was good. I loved that my odds of being murdered or robbed are so much lower then when i was a young man. I love that less L.E.O.'s are dying in the line of duty. What I don't love is in order to keep the 'small percentage' of criminals responsible for violent crimes incarcerated we incarcerate the ones less deserving of it. The 'aging out' statements in these articles make me smile. Not because I think thats the reason. It's because whenever someone falls someone takes their place. There was this comment about how email and the internet are calming the masses and making them less likely to commit crime. I call balderdash on that. The internet creates opportunities for crime. Far reaching any pre-internet days a criminal could ever dream of. Social media creates a medium for like minded people to converse. They are not exchanging recipes on here. They are issuing death threats and claiming the lives of many people. I consider this organized crime. Even keyboard commando's have to leave the house from time to time. Impressionable people who are at a 40 degree tilt doing just fine until they 'see something' or 'read something'. Some of this article felt like an opinion piece to me. What takes it away from an opinion piece are all the sweet statistics and hyper-links to them. My overall feeling at the end of this article is hope. Hope is powerful. Be powerful. Until the world is at it should be, hope for the best prepare for the worst. Don't run home after reading this article and sell all your guns and leave the doors unlocked. Because it will never be time. And yes, i dressed like Crockett back in the 90's. Doberman789
This was a real eye opener for me. It kind of hit home because its true alot of violent and non violent crimes are not being reported.Rape is one of the major ones i think its because it so embarrassing and heart broken to say that. Majority of the time it was a family member who did the act and made you feel like your worthless and nobody care about you. So why would you tell the police 9/10 you worry about what the going to think about you.Also i find it interesting that 2.3 million is in our prison.If it was true the world wouldnt give credit they only care about the bad in us.Its funny how everybody pointing fingers at the U.S an says this is were majority of the crimes are committed at which is a LIE. SHAYLAVON789
This article was overall an eye opener. There where some facts that I did not know about crime rate between the present and past. There where three interesting things that caught my eye. The first interesting thing was the charts where you can see for yourself about violet crime rates and many other crimes you can estimate from 19 different categories. The second interesting thing I found was the statistics from the last 17 years and how much it a decreased from that specific time period from not just different states but a country as a whole. The last interesting fact I found was the other different articles that mentioned on how low crime rate was over the last 40 years and some other facts going to back into the 1960's to 2009. Over all this article was a good way to show different statistics. DaBulls456
ReplyDeleteI agree! I like the fact how the article explains how crime rates were in the different years. I also like how the article said how back in the 1960's police officers were a big target. Which, today they still are. Overall, the article was very interesting.I also like how it showed the different statistics.
DeletePolice456
The article was an eye opener as well, the fact that the crime rate is going down is good to see. The article provided a lot of information that I did not know. The media just makes it seem like all people do know a days are crime related, so I thought the crime rate would be going up inside of down.
Deletebamboo456
The article surprised me in many ways, not acknowledging half of the facts that were thrown at me. Three of the most interesting facts i discovered were unbelievable. First, how the United States crime has declined over the past 40 years. Second, in the past, police officers were at a higher risk of being killed than in present day. Finally, being able to look at the different charts; and comparison between the different statistics from past to present on crime. This article obtains good information on crime and it's statistics. BoyoKid456
ReplyDeleteThis article is about violent crimes being the lowest it's been in 17 years. This is no surprise to me at all; Coming from a young mans perspective I Know that everyone will take risk and be a little wild at times in their youth. If you were to talk to you parents and ask them what they did for fun when they were your age there answer will most likely be something illegal, either going to a house party and under age drinking or simply loitering at the mall it is something that nobody batted an eye at back then. Unfortunately if you were to do anything illegal today and get caught the punishment would be far greater than what your parents would receive in the day. To me this is the main reason why the crime rate keeps dropping. It's because nobody wants to go to jail or prison! Now this fear isn't simply going to stop criminals from caring out the acts that they do. That's why there is 2.3 million prisoners in the U.S. That's 1% of the adult populations. Now although 1% of an entire population sounds like a little bit or a lot depending on how you look at it, the media will always play it off as though the countries criminal population is 75%+ but they only do that to get ratings higher so reading this article is a nice refreshment to that not everyone's a bad guy.
ReplyDeletebikemaker456
I completely agree with you that if we did half the things our parents did we would get caught and reprimanded so much more than they did. People were more lenient back then. I remember my mom telling me stories of what she did back then and if I did any of that today I'd be way too scared and paranoid of getting caught and ending up in big trouble.
DeleteExtreme456
Using parents and what they did was a great way of showing an example of how rules and laws have changed over the past 40 years. I would have to agree that most people back then did a lot of illegal stuff without being caught or even known it was illegal. Back then people also didn't wear there seatbelts as often as they do now. It was also wasn't as against the law as it is now. All around I agree and liked how you brought up the idea of how parents used to do illegal things. ICCRunner789
DeleteThe article is really “mind blowing” if you think about it. To look back on statistics on crimes from 1960 to present day is a major reality check. There were so many interesting facts that I learned about police officers and the difference of crimes from then to now. One thing that stood out was that the policemen were in way more risk of getting killed back then than in today's society. After thinking about it some I realized that it makes sense to me. Today’s society portrays the police officers as the bad guys and how brutal they are. We are more afraid of them now than back then. Another interesting fact I saw between the FBI charts is how the theft rate from 1960-2002 increased a lot. The interesting part is that from 2003-2014 it decreased dramatically. I am really shocked that in 1960 it started at 1,855,400 to 1,837.3 in 2003. The last interesting fact that really shocked me is only one major media outlet talked about how exactly the crime rates are decreasing. Even then they kept it vague like it was no big deal. That made me mad to be honest.
ReplyDeleteExtreme456
It is true that the perception of police officer has changed over the years. With the negative outlook on police that have been going around the country you would think that the rate would go up but thankfully it has been on a downward rate. I think the reason for this drop in the death toll is that the officers now are trained better and differently now to deal with the life threatening situations they faced and in doing so it has saved many lives over the years. Birdman123
DeleteIt is true that the perception of police officer has changed over the years. With the negative outlook on police that have been going around the country you would think that the rate would go up but thankfully it has been on a downward rate. I think the reason for this drop in the death toll is that the officers now are trained better and differently now to deal with the life threatening situations they faced and in doing so it has saved many lives over the years. Birdman789
DeleteIt was exciting to read that the crime rates for violent offences are at their lowest rate in forty years. One relieving fact that they mention is the chances of being murdered or robbed are less than half of what they were in the 90’s. It might just be me but I like that my chances of being murdered or robbed have been cut in half, it makes me feel safer if I go into the city to do something. Another thing to catch my eye was to see that the law enforcement deaths are the lowest fifty years, it is always better to have the death toll to be at zero all the time but having it decreased is the second best thing that can happen. The last interesting fact that I saw was that rape is down one sixth of what it used to be in the past twenty years. Birdman123
ReplyDeleteBirdman789, sorry for the confusion.
DeleteUnfortunately I was not very surprised that the media chose not to share the potentially ratings damaging news with the nation. In this day and age violence sells, whether it be on the 5 o'clock news or the latest social media trend violence is always the top story. With the fact that violence is so glorified it's easy for people to get so enveloped in the most current bad news that they don't see that this may have been the only bad event to happen in weeks or months. If there was as much media coverage on the good happenings in the world I think people would have a more optimistic view on the well-being of our future. Even when news companies give credit where credit is due they have to include that inkling of doubt in their information which never truly make the reader feel assured. Scooby789
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the fact that media chooses to not to share the new about crime rates dropping. They are all about viewers so whatever gets them more followers is what they will advertise. If they chose to advertise the good instead of the bad just think how much much better of a place this country could be. dragons789
DeleteThe first paragraph of this article was very bold and showing how the statistics from the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice Reports was amazing. Seeing that crime was at a third of what it was seventeen years ago is just plain incredible. It just makes me mad how the media hasn't been screaming and praising join about this but instead one person said "appears to be crime is down". That was just paraphrasing but it was basically the same thing. It was fact that the crime rate was down and we need to see some celebration from the media about this and not just seeing the stuff that will get more views. One of my favorite things about this article is that the writer put the links on it to show that he wasn't lying or showing us some exaggerated truths.
ReplyDeleteThis is from ICCRunner789 by the way. Forgot to put that at the end.
DeleteThis article makes you open up your eyes and realize it's not as violent as people think it is. Violent crime rate has dropped a third of what it was 17 years ago is incredible.The media plays a big role in realizing these facts though. They will gain more followers by advertising how much crime is being committed compared to how much the violent crime rates are dropping. Thats why all you see in the media is violent crimes and officers getting hurt or killed. The media always talking about violence probably has a big impact on the youth and the life styles they will choose. All they see in the news is about people committing violent crimes so they grow up to think it's alright because thats all they see on TV. IF the media would switch they way they talk about crimes and show how much crime rates are dropping and not as many officers are getting killed it could change the youths perspective crime. They could go from thinking crime is okay to realizing its not and choosing the lifestyle of not committing crime. dragons789
ReplyDeleteI agree that the youth may get influenced by what the media broadcasts. If all they see is murder and crime in general they will more likely think it's okay to do these things. I do think the media should switch the way they report on crime by adding in the good things, like the drop in the crime rate. DeadMan456
DeleteI agree with you that the media plays a big role in how we look at crime. The media only shows the bad stuff because that's what people want to see. I think its crazy that people would rather see the bad stuff instead of wanting to know the good that is going on. Godzilla789
DeleteOverall I found this article very interesting, and the links it provided showed me many things that I had no idea about. I knew that crime rates were decreasing, but I didn’t know that crime has gone down two thirds since 1994. I was also very surprised that only one major media article reported this decrease. From the first link I clicked on, I knew I would learn something; to begin with, the year 2000 had the lowest historic crime rate. I also learned that part of the increased crime rates during the 1980’s and 1990’s was due to the crack epidemic. Third, I learned that Western states saw the biggest decline in crime. I was very surprised and almost disappointed to learn that a lot of media outlets that reported on the decrease in crime watered down the good news about crimes going down by focusing on crime that did happen.
ReplyDeleteBlues456
This really is a shocking article. If crime rates are going down, why isn't the news reporting on this? We talk about the rise in crime so why not do the same with the decline. Most of it might be that the news only wants to report the bad things happening. But with the crime rate being 1/3 of what it once was is just amazing. With all the news coverage of mass shootings, home invasions, and other crimes you wouldn't stop to think this was happening. DeadMan456
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of your question reasons on the fact that the media feels they have a right to report only negative statistics. It helps plant a sense of fear and hopelessness in people on a daily basis as they see the wrong with what’s going on outside in the ‘real’ world. The real world can definitely be viewed as topics of crime reduction and a lessening in damning society for being evil. I can see this with the older population of the U.S. Many take on a sense of feeling vulnerable, with technology or the news itself. The times are changing even if most don’t choose to pay much attention to it. - StrongArm789
DeleteThe media won't report the decrease in crime because it could affect their ratings. If the news reports the decrease in crime then people will think the world is becoming safer and they wont need to watch the news as much. The media will also only report the bad things in order to keep people interested and update them as much as possible. This will keep people watching the news and the people who work there can keep their jobs.
DeleteCountryGirl789
I think you are exactly right, why isn't the media reporting on the crime rates going down? It is also a source of frustration to me at how people won't take 10 minutes to look up the facts instead of trusting the media which has been proven time and time again that it should not be a reliable source. Piglet456
DeleteThe issue with media is social control and fear. Politics rely on the media to convey a certain feeling from the viewer. Look at politics and when something gets aired watch how people respond. Guns are bad and they will be taken, as a result people freak out at each other and guns and bullet sales go up. Rating makes the news, well the news. With this they can say anything and there will be followers alongside them, look at the anti-cop debates. Interesting times we live in.
DeletePalmdaddy789
The information on wanttoknow.info has many avenues on which to measure violent crime rates on a societal level throughout the past 20 years. Having a decreasing trend on terms of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault by around 33% is definitely a positive that we can examine each with great detail. Why the media seems to be skeptical about these statistics make me think that many news sources only do want the public to hear and see the negatives because it is fuel for their own fires. How many times could they report on a decrease in crime before viewers find something more interesting to watch? I feel that they do glorify stories like police brutality or terrorism because it can grow exponentially from all sides to the viewer watching. In most cases there are too many sides to these topics that branch off into limitless dichotomies. Having 2.3 million Americans behind bars is shocking in itself, 1%. That’s almost the population of Brooklyn. The generational gap of the baby-boomers has a huge factor, and it may be exactly what this country needs to have to draw the gap even further; perhaps even in line with different programs of rehabilitation being established as well. This article has an informative scope of various charts that are indicative to relating the data also. Being able to break down the components by year and type of crime helps immensely. It is easy to tell that murder by itself fell from 23,760 (in 1992) to 14, 827 (in 2012). Links to information like the Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics site are great ways to divulge more information to the public other than saying, ‘Crime is down, but…’ I understand news sources are looking for ratings but plenty of good can come from information such as these sites. It’s similar to being bored and instead of watching reality television people turn to crime or court television to observe what is going on, because that is what’s real. - StrongArm789
ReplyDeleteIt seems that everyone is concerned with what they see on social media and the news when the real facts are beyond those sites or television channels. The crime going down is a wonderful sign that shows us all of the criminal justice systems hard work is actually showing on the statistics.
DeleteKLICK789
The article was an eye opener. It gave a lot of facts that I didn't know. It's a shocker to hear about crime from the 1960's and 70's till now. It's good to know that the deaths of police officers have went down a lot. In my mind I thought the crime rate was going up, but according to the FBI it has gone down. Which, that part was very interesting. Back in the day, I didn't know police officers was suck a target back then. In today's society they are kind of still a target. They are know as the "bad guys". It really didn't shock me to hear, that the small towns in the US didn't really have a lot of crime to be reported. But, the most bigger/larger cities have had a lot of crime to report. I think the article was great, and a eye opener. I would tell anybody who is looking into the criminal justice field to take a look at this!
ReplyDeletePolice456
I think its crazy that everyone thinks crime is on the rise and the streets aren't safe. If they only took the time to look up the credible facts and not rely on the media to give them all of there info. Violent crime is at its lowest point in 40 years, that's something people wouldn't believe if you told them because of all the crime and murders you see on the news.Im glad this class opens up your eyes to the big picture, other people are almost tunnel vision when it comes to what is credible and what isn't. They will almost always believe what is on the news, I watch the news just to see if they are showing bias to certain topics.
ReplyDeleteKLICK789
this article really makes you think about the world and how its not as dangerous as the media makes it out to be. The violent crime rate is the lowest it has been in forty years. Its not even just violent crime that is decreasing its all types of crimes, violent and non violent. Even though in the last few years the incarcerated population has been decreasing it was crazy to see that the 2.3 million people who are incarcerated adds up to 1% of the adult population in the united states. This article also talks about the reason why the crime rate is decreasing. The reasons could be because the baby boomers are aging, the percentage of young adults has decreased, and the sentencing laws are tougher (which is why there are 2.3 million people in prison.) though we are seeing a decrease in the prison population over the last few years. I a glad that the crime rate is going down, but the media refuses to cover that in order to receive higher ratings.
ReplyDeleteCountryGirl789
This was a very exciting article to read. The fact that crime rate is One Third of what it was 17 years ago is exciting. Its also really upsetting that no major media network is reporting this instead they only report the violent crimes that are happening now. It just really goes to show that the Media only focuses on the negative aspects. It really makes you think are they not reporting this on purpose? Do they not know this? what is really going on here? I like how the article talks about the baby boomers growing up which goes to show that crime is something people can grow out of. Some people think its dangerous now? Just imagine living back then when the crime rate was up. Godzilla789
ReplyDeleteYou make a really good point about media, why are they not reporting this? Are they doing it on purpose. Its just really astonishing that media knowing millions of people are watching are reporting false facts. Aren't we suppose to rely on the news to let us know whats REALLY happening in the world? -dicaprio789
Delete'Just imagine living back then when the crime rate was up.' I made a note that spoke to this as I was reading the article! What was it the WILD WILD WEST back then. And how did I manage to survive this crime wave. Something else that I didn't see until I posted was this cat used to work for Bush and Clinton. This sorta happy go lucky article writing is what put this nation in the mess its in now. The author spoke of the FBI padding their numbers to justify their 'budget'. Takes a crook to spot a crook. Good times. Doberman789
DeleteThis article was very interesting and brought to light some things that I had never really thought about before. There were three things that I found to be of great interest to me as I read through this article. First, I was astonished by the media's lack of reporting crime rate decrease. The author of this article gave examples and statistics of how the crime rate has gone down but why is it that when we turn on the T.V. we never hear any of that stuff, all that is focused on is the negatives. A second thing that caught my eye was the charts made for every crime type from 1960-2014. I think I liked these charts so much because they gave a visual aspect to them, they showed the actual numbers and it was interesting thing for me to look at. The third thing that I noticed while I was reading was how the author of this article emphasized how no one really seems to know that crime rates are declining all because there are 2.3million Americans behind bars right now, and prison sentences are becoming more and more harsh. I think that is a shame because people should know that the world we live in now is safer than it was 20 years ago, and people don't have to live in fear all the time. Piglet456
ReplyDeleteThis article was very interesting to me, and opened my eyes. Im not going to lie I am one of the people who watches the news daily. I was shocked to actually find out that the crime rates are at the lowest in 40 years! I was even more shocked to find out that the news isn't reporting crime accurately. The media is always and will always be a huge problem especially with crime and the criminal justice system. The media only wants to show you what they want to show you, and it nearly is almost never the truth. Therefore you have citizens living in fear and thinking a lot of these bad things are happening when they are not. I will be honest it was a big shock to me when i saw these stats because all the news portrays is killings and shootings in chicago every weekend. I don't think we should live in fear like a lot of us are. Things are changing and i think they will continue to change. -dicaprio789
ReplyDeleteThe first interesting thing that I read was that the crime rates are now one-third lower than they were in 1994. In the news and the media all, you hear about is who is getting killed, and actions like that. Granted that I was not alive in 1994, I still was surprised. I was also surprised to see that the crime rates have been dropping for the past forty years. The fact that just not all violent crimes, but crimes, in general, have declined more than half in the past twenty years amazes me. It shows that the criminal justice system is working because the crime rates are dropping. One part that did not surprise me is that there are nearly 2.3 million people in prison. The United States have more people in their prisons than any other country in the world. One percent might not seem like a lot but when you have billions in the country it is.
ReplyDeletebamboo456
I was also amazed that all crimes have declined by almost half and that the media misrepresents the amount of crime going on. We are always seeing stories about crime on the news, specifically stories about law enforcement officers either being killed or killing innocent people. When we see a lot of this in the news, we tend to believe that this is happening more often than it did in the past, otherwise they would not be focusing on it. However, the fact of the matter is, almost every single aspect of crime has been declining and is lower now than it has been in many years. Very cool article! Cards789
DeleteI like how the article is blunt with the way the layman interprets the news and calls it fact. I have seen this more and more as I ask certain people what their opinion is and there is always a larger disagreement when I say we have had the lowest crime rate in 40 years over their claim of it being at its highest. Social control is very real. This class has changed the way I look at our reality and it is interesting when someone confronts you about the “facts” they see on tv and you get to scholar to them about their false findings. The news is a tool and as a result allows you to think and shed light on something, but you must research before you argue something that could be false and often time is.
ReplyDeletePalmdaddy789
Right away this article gives out vital information about violent crimes and how they are at the lowest they have been in 40 years. And in 2010 they were 1/3 the rates in 1994. The writer of the article seemed really excited about the great news at the end of the article. I would be as well if I put all of this information together. I wonder what happened to change people's perspective on violent behavior. Maybe people are learning that things can be resolved without having to be violent.
ReplyDelete-Ibanez789
The main topic of this article is how crime rates have been declining and in a major way, but the media is not bringing this to light. Violent crime rates are the lowest they have been in 17 years according to the FBI's statistics. Not only that, but also, the rates in 2010 were 1/3 the rates of 1994. Therefore, the rates have not just decreased, but they have done so remarkably. One of the most eye-opening statistics was that deaths of law enforcement is the lowest it has been in 50 years. This was eye-opening to me because the media would lead me to believe the opposite..that more law enforcement officers are being killed nowadays than in the past. The news and other media sources may report the decline in crime rates, more specifically, violent crime rates, but they always seem to downplay it and act as if the statistics are not impressively declining, although they are. The media may mention that the rates have declined, but not to what extent. Once you take a look at the charts from the FBI's reported statistics, almost every type of crime has declined over half. This article is crucial in understanding the large role the media plays in influencing viewers' minds or perspectives. Cards789
ReplyDeleteReading this article was very interesting. Seeing that the crime rate declined to the lowest level in 40 years was unbelievable. The first thing you see now and days is how so much crime is going on today. The Media plays a big part of showing the world of all the crime is being committed. I really didn't hear to much about cops getting killed in my life but it seem back then it was high. I can see why crime was so high back in the day from the start of new gangs that settled in Chicago and California because of the population but I wouldn't of never thought it was at it lowest you have to think about the non-reported crimes even the crimes that is being committed in prisons, jails, and even in children homes around the world.
ReplyDeleteBikeLife456
Yea, its interesting how the media today is shaping our perception of crime in the US. We hear so much about these isolated police shootings, and how they are made out to automatically be racial ties. The media is hungry and willing and capable of doing anything to get stories and ratings. On the other hand the mass shootings that are occurring at a higher rate are very troubling. Due to these increased occasions, one would almost disagree with this article.
DeleteMusic 456
Interesting news to hear considering what we hear from the media these days. ITs good we are at our lowest crime rate in 40 years! Whats astonishing is the attention the criminal justice system is getting from the media, and its negative. We hear so much about all these mass shootings, and isolated police officer incidents around the country. Ties are made to racial profiling and things blow up. With all of this propaganda and sometimes incorrect assumptions, one would find it hard to belive crime is declining. Its interesting that 2.3 million people are in our prisons. Crime has gone down a bit due to the tougher sentencing laws, but its way too expensive to house all of these people. I think different measures need to be taken.
ReplyDeleteMusic 456
First of all. Miami Vice aired from 1984-1990. Coincedence, I think not! That is my reason for the steady decline of crime in America :). Crockett and Tubbs got off the set and started cleaning up the streets. No seriously. This article was good. I loved that my odds of being murdered or robbed are so much lower then when i was a young man. I love that less L.E.O.'s are dying in the line of duty. What I don't love is in order to keep the 'small percentage' of criminals responsible for violent crimes incarcerated we incarcerate the ones less deserving of it. The 'aging out' statements in these articles make me smile. Not because I think thats the reason. It's because whenever someone falls someone takes their place. There was this comment about how email and the internet are calming the masses and making them less likely to commit crime. I call balderdash on that. The internet creates opportunities for crime. Far reaching any pre-internet days a criminal could ever dream of. Social media creates a medium for like minded people to converse. They are not exchanging recipes on here. They are issuing death threats and claiming the lives of many people. I consider this organized crime. Even keyboard commando's have to leave the house from time to time. Impressionable people who are at a 40 degree tilt doing just fine until they 'see something' or 'read something'. Some of this article felt like an opinion piece to me. What takes it away from an opinion piece are all the sweet statistics and hyper-links to them. My overall feeling at the end of this article is hope. Hope is powerful. Be powerful. Until the world is at it should be, hope for the best prepare for the worst. Don't run home after reading this article and sell all your guns and leave the doors unlocked. Because it will never be time. And yes, i dressed like Crockett back in the 90's. Doberman789
ReplyDeleteThis was a real eye opener for me. It kind of hit home because its true alot of violent and non violent crimes are not being reported.Rape is one of the major ones i think its because it so embarrassing and heart broken to say that. Majority of the time it was a family member who did the act and made you feel like your worthless and nobody care about you. So why would you tell the police 9/10 you worry about what the going to think about you.Also i find it interesting that 2.3 million is in our prison.If it was true the world wouldnt give credit they only care about the bad in us.Its funny how everybody pointing fingers at the U.S an says this is were majority of the crimes are committed at which is a LIE.
ReplyDeleteSHAYLAVON789