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A new opportunity to assess the economy/crime rate connection

By Douglas A. Berman

The relationship between economic conditions and crime rates has always been considered an important (and unclear) component of criminal justice realities.  This interesting new article from today's Denver Post, which is headlined "This time, economy, crime fall in tandem: Metro area seems to buck trend of downturns breeding scofflaws," provides some new food for thoughts concerning this relationship.  Here is how the article starts: The number of reported burglaries, car thefts and larcenies has dropped steadily in several Colorado cities despite historic data that say crime should be on the rise during this deep economic recession. The decrease puzzles criminologists but gives police reason to tout crime-prevention initiatives and tougher sentencing laws putting prolific burglars and car thieves away...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on March 15, 2009 (boomark / email).